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Jefferys Track Side Diner for April, 2022

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Posted by mikeGTW on Monday, April 4, 2022 3:44 PM

Attuvian  open the picture and zoom in look over the doorway 

You be right  DC-4

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Posted by gmpullman on Monday, April 4, 2022 9:14 PM

Hello —

mikeGTW
You be right  DC-4

Douglas DC-4E to be exact:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_DC-4E

The prototype (NX18100, s/n 1601) first flew, without incident, on June 7, 1938 from Clover Field in Santa Monica, California, piloted by Carl Cover. Testing issues, however, delayed the Approved Type Certificate until May 5, 1939. It was used by United Air Lines for in-service evaluation during 1939. On June 9, 1939, when the DC-4 was in Dayton, Ohio, along with Carl Cover, Orville Wright was a passenger on a flight over the city. Although the aircraft was relatively trouble-free, the complex systems proved to be expensive to maintain and performance was below expectations, especially with an increase in seating to 52 and gross weight to 65,000 lb (29,484 kg).   The design was abandoned in favor of a marginally smaller, less-complex four-engined design, with a single vertical fin and 21 ft (6.4 m) shorter wingspan. This newer design was also designated DC-4, leading the earlier design to be redesignated DC-4E (E for "experimental"). In late 1939, the DC-4E was sold to Imperial Japanese Airways, which was buying American aircraft for evaluation and technology transfer during this period. At the behest of the Imperial Japanese Navy, it was reverse-engineered, becoming the basis for the unsuccessful Nakajima G5N bomber. To conceal its transfer to the Nakajima Aircraft Company for study, the Japanese press reported shortly after purchase that the DC-4E had crashed in Tokyo Bay.

Interesting stuff Geeked

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 12:43 AM

I enjoyed a peaceful and uneventful day. I am feeling better, but not up to 100% yet.

Time for me to hit the rack.

The World Is A Beautiful Place

-Photograph by Kevin Parson

Sleep well tonight everyone.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by "JaBear" on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 4:20 AM

mikeGTW
Bear  Can you name this aircraft ?

I must admit that my initial thought that it was possibly French in origin, but on enlarging the photo in imgur I saw that some thoughtful soul had made the Douglas Aircraft notation in the corner, which then made it easier to track down. I learnt something new!!
So, Ed is, of course, dead right. It is the sole DC-4 E.
 
A Connie, taken at Christchurch Airport by a young Bear with his trusty Box Brownie!
Chch Airport 20/1/1971 by Bear, on Flickr
 
The largest aircraft I’ve got to work on were the Aviation Traders Carvair, which were converted DC-4s. ZK-NWA and NWB are both pictured in here…
 
 
I was aware of Grizzly Adams, Mr.TF, but by the time it came on the tv, I had two wheels and was going places!!!LaughLaugh
 
Seeing that there has been outstanding generosity with the honey supplies, please help yourselves to some rice bubble slice.
 
Rice bubble slice by Bear, on Flickr
 
And another offering to the world is a beautiful place, the north end of Lake Rotorua.
 
NLR by Bear, on Flickr
 
Thoughts and Best Wishes to All that need them. Kia kaha.
Cheers, the Bear.Smile

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

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Posted by NorthBrit on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 4:38 AM

Good morning Diners.   Tea and toast please, Brunhilda.

Well,  my answer to the aircraft photograph proves I do not know much about them.  Thumbs DownEmbarrassed      I shall stick to cruise ships.  Smile

Not much going on here this morning.    Eldest grandson is visiting after school.

 

Dawn is calling for me to help her, so will try and call in to the Diner later.

 

David

To the world you are someone.    To someone you are the world

I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought

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Posted by BroadwayLion on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 5:42 AM

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

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Posted by Water Level Route on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 6:08 AM

Good morning all.  Flo, coffee please.  Large New York Central mug if you will.

Lion, those raspberries sure look good.  I'll snack on some.

I am dragging today.  For a variety of reasons (mostly vacation related) I haven't gotten nearly enough sleep for almost a week.  Not going to bed early tonight either as my youngest has her first varsity soccer game tonight and it's going to be about 1.5 hrs from home.  Maybe tomorrow.

When we were putting things away after getting home from vacation, we could find everything except a box of dryer sheets (the place we stayed had a washer & dryer).  It was so strange as my wife remembered packing them, and one of my daughters remembered seeing them during our ride (we had plenty of snacks packed up in the car).  Turns out my wife tucked them in with my model railroad purchases.  I found them last night and now I have some great smelling model railroad supplies! Laugh

Mike

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Posted by mobilman44 on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 6:12 AM

Good Morning All (and welcome back Kevin) !

While I've been a forum regular for over 20 years, this is one of my rare visits to the diner.  As my visit is "virtual", I'll have a couple of eggs easy over, a rasher of very crisp bacon, an English muffin with real butter and black raspberry preserves, and as I've already had my coffee, I'll have a large glass of very cold regular milk.

The reason for my visit is this month's subject - the Chicago Stockyards.  I grew up on the northwest side of Chicago from 1944 - 1967 and was well aware of the stockyards - although I only drove by there a couple of times. 

Know that the north & northwest sides of Chicago were totally different from the great South side (stockyard territory) and most folks stayed on one side or the other of the city and suburbs. 

I began working for Durkee Famous Foods (edible oil refinery) in Chicago and in 1968 got transferred to their Louisville refinery.  I finished my education (UofL) and got transferred to Durkee's "under construction" refinery just south of Joliet, Illinois.

The Durkee's refinery was on the west side of I-55 (at the DesPlaines river) and to me it was a very big project.  But it didn't take long for me to realize that across I-55 was a truly gigantic construction site.  Mobil Oil was building a petroleum oil refinery - the first "grass roots" refinery built in America in 100 years. 

The construction of the Mobil Joliet refinery was not just impressive - it was awesome!  What was once a large tract of land owned by the ATSF was now going to be the home of a "state of the art" refinery.  Thankfully, Mobil hired me in 1973 and it felt like I "died and went to Heaven"!

Sorry for the long path to the point of the story....  After hiring on, I quickly became aware that the next door (south) neighbor was the new (1971) Joliet livestock yards.  It - in a very small way - replaced the Chicago stockyards.

I worked at the refinery from '73 to '78, and every day there was truck after truck of livestock trailers - filled with cattle - heading down the frontage road to the yards.  And on those occasional days when the wind was from the south, you knew they were there. 

More than once, a steer would get loose on the frontage road and "cowboys" on horses would chase them down.  At least three times I witnessed a stray cow that managed to get into Mobil's parking lot, and that was something to see.

There was a real plus (for us), in that the stockyards had a great restaurant that we visited a couple times a month.  Of course you had to wipe your boots off before you entered, and once inside you were greeted with a large glass cage of rattlesnakes.  Once past that, you got to your table and some of the best steaks I've ever had. 

In closing, the yards shut down in 1987 due to lack of business.  I had moved on long before then, ending up here in Houston by way of Dallas.

Geez, I gotta sign off now, my breakfast is getting cold.

Thank you for the hospitality,

Bill (Mobilman44)     

   

 

 

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central 

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Posted by DigitalGriffin on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 7:03 AM

First day back in the office after 2+ years.

I'll have my coffee Irish style as I get to listen to meetings.

 BTW: good to see you mobileman.

 

Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions

Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!

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Posted by gmpullman on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 8:40 AM

Mornin'

Sunny but cool here in NE Ohio

mobilman44
I began working for Durkee Famous Foods (edible oil refinery) in Chicago and in 1968 got transferred to their Louisville refinery.

Part of my career at GE was making and shipping gaseous hydrogen. Some of our buyers were edible oil refineries. GE made the hydrogen that went into hydrogenated vegetable oil (Crisco).

One plant we served that made hydrogenated vegetable oil, I believe was owned by Union Camp Co. in Dover, Ohio, would require one trailer (120,000 cu. ft.) every eight hours for about four days straight — without fail! We had to make sure our hydrogen plant and the pumping station was up-to-par for these times.

 PX_TPP_28 by Edmund, on Flickr

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by mobilman44 on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 9:14 AM

Ed,

All three of the Durkee's refineries I worked at had "hydrogen plants".  Hydrogen (as you indicated) is meshed with vegetable oil to produce "shortning" (think Crisco).  Each of the H2 plants had a unique feature, that being a very thick concrete circular enclosure around them.

I recall when I asked "why", I was told that "when that plant blows up, it will blow up and not out".  Of course that quote is not really verbatim, for the true quote would get me thrown off the forum.

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central 

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Posted by howmus on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 9:17 AM

Attuvian1
The upper windows, fatter fuselage, and shape of the middle vertical stabilizer seem to ID it as the initial version of the DC-4.

Uh....  I think you are right as when I went to the photo on line and enlarged it, it clearly says DC-4 on it in a couple places.  Yeah...  I cheated.

73

Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO

We'll get there sooner or later! 

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Posted by hon30critter on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 9:37 AM

Water Level Route
When we were putting things away after getting home from vacation, we could find everything except a box of dryer sheets (the place we stayed had a washer & dryer).  It was so strange as my wife remembered packing them, and one of my daughters remembered seeing them during our ride (we had plenty of snacks packed up in the car).  Turns out my wife tucked them in with my model railroad purchases.  I found them last night and now I have some great smelling model railroad supplies! 

Hi Mike,

That's hilarious!

Having good smelling models is kind of counter to this month's Diner theme. I have often wondered why nobody has come up with DCC controlled smells. Certainly the smell of burning coal would interest a lot of modellers, but the true smell of a stock car would be very entertaining!

Or maybe not! If we did that then some idiot would want to simulate the smell of an open offal car on a hot sunny summer's day!Ick! Maybe just the burning coal!

Cheers!!

Hope I didn't spoil your lunch!Smile, Wink & GrinLaughLaughLaugh

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by moelarrycurly4 on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 9:55 AM

Good Morning Diners, 

I think we finished the painting the"den". The room looks a lot brighter. It was the color of mud, now it is off white. New couch will be installed later this week.

My arms are tired from painting the ceiling, no flying for me, haha.

 

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 10:07 AM

Good morning!

Mobilman, your breakfast sounded like mine, except for the preserves, right down to the English muffin.

As for cows getting loose, my Mom always told me a story from when I was too young to remember.  We had moved to a Long Island, New York, suburb called East Meadow.  It was still under construction.  It's one of those places where they said you never had to ask where the bathroom was, because all the houses were the same.

Anyway I was playing out in the yard when Mom looked out the window and saw a cow right next to me.  It was a gentle milk cow, but, being a city girl, she ran outside and chased it away.  We lived across the street from a large farm, and it must have wandered away.  I'm glad we moved from there.  That nice little house is now across the street from the rear loading dock of a large store, and he farm is a shopping center.

 

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

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Posted by York1 on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 10:13 AM

Good morning, diners.  Bacon, eggs, and black coffee, please.

I have an entire day with nothing scheduled.  Layout time!

Kevin, hope you feel better today.

Mike, that's often the way it is -- coming back from vacation more tired than before.

Bill Mobilman44, I hope you check back into the diner more often  We always like hearing about fellow modelers goings on.

Don, good luck back in the office.  Hope the transition goes well.

Ed, everytime I see something in your posts about Euclid, I have to show my wife.  She grew up there and her father worked for Addressograph.  We are going to try to get there this summer sometime.  She has not been back in 40 years.

Everyone else, I hope y'all have a good day today!

 

York1 John       

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Posted by Attuvian1 on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 10:17 AM

hon30critter
Hi Mike,

. . . . Certainly the smell of burning coal would interest a lot of modellers . . . .

Dave

 
Oh, nostalgia!  Hot cinders raining down as steamers huffed up to speed while hauling freights out of town.  (There's no emoticons specifically directed at smells here on the forum.  They'd be useful for this month's topic!)
 
Would the hardness or type of coal used affect the aroma?  For that matter, would a particular company generally use the same grade throughout its system or merely purchase whatever was local?  I'm thinking Michigan Central here.  I have no idea what it was that they burned in the '50s - or where it came from.
 
John
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Posted by BroadwayLion on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 2:44 PM

Water Level Route
I am dragging today.

You are a dragon today? Be careful, I got Harry Potter with me!

 

ROAR

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

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Posted by BroadwayLion on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 9:45 PM

Anybody want to ride this train. You might meet TIGERS out here!

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

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Posted by CNCharlie on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 10:16 PM

Good Evening,

Cloudy with drizzle here and about 35F.

Took the tax stuff to the accountant today and picked up more birdseed. We had at least 100 redpolls in the yard today.  Yesterday a female piliated landed on the suet log when I was outside no more than 10' away. Seemed to know where to go so expected was the same one that was here last fall.

Glad to see Bear has returned. Guess he couldn't resist a log filled with honey. 

Have a nice evening,

CN Charlie

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 10:25 PM

Good evening everyone. I had a good day at work. I made it the whole day without feeling bad, and I feel pretty good now. I think I will be at 100% tomorrow.

I hate being sick. This was just a touch of something, but it was still bothersome.

Thanks for all the well-wishes.

I am making spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic bread for dinner.

I will be back later.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by drgwcs on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 10:57 PM

hon30critter

 

 

Hi Mike,

That's hilarious!

Having good smelling models is kind of counter to this month's Diner theme. I have often wondered why nobody has come up with DCC controlled smells. Certainly the smell of burning coal would interest a lot of modellers, but the true smell of a stock car would be very entertaining!

Or maybe not! If we did that then some idiot would want to simulate the smell of an open offal car on a hot sunny summer's day!Ick! Maybe just the burning coal!

Cheers!!

Hope I didn't spoil your lunch!Smile, Wink & GrinLaughLaughLaugh

Dave

 

Back in the 80s there was a company called Mikros that produced a series of scents for the layout called olfactory airs. Yes they did a stockyard........  for some reason the company did not last long. Ick!

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 11:07 PM

drgwcs
Back in the 80s there was a company called Mikros that produced a series of scents for the layout called olfactory airs

Yuck.

The only smell that is "railroady" to me is coal smoke.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by hon30critter on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 11:25 PM

drgwcs
Back in the 80s there was a company called Mikros that produced a series of scents for the layout called olfactory airs. Yes they did a stockyard........  for some reason the company did not last long. 

Hi drgwcs,

I'm not surprised. My wife is very supportive of the hobby but somehow I think she might draw the line at having the house smell like a stockyard! I don't even think I could sell her on coal smoke.LaughLaughLaugh

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 12:17 AM

SeeYou190
I am making spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic bread for dinner.

This turned out great.

-Photograph by Kevin Parson

Dinner

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by drgwcs on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 1:03 AM

hon30critter

 

 
drgwcs
Back in the 80s there was a company called Mikros that produced a series of scents for the layout called olfactory airs. Yes they did a stockyard........  for some reason the company did not last long. 

 

Hi drgwcs,

I'm not surprised. My wife is very supportive of the hobby but somehow I think she might draw the line at having the house smell like a stockyard! I don't even think I could sell her on coal smoke.LaughLaughLaugh

Dave

 

Found a copy of the ad- If the stockyard smell was not acceptable how about trying gasoline, heated tar, volitile solvant, clorine bleaching chemical or the ever popular choices of nitrobenzine or naphthaline? Still wondering how this company could ever go out of business?? Whistling 

 

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Posted by gmpullman on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 1:20 AM

SeeYou190
The only smell that is "railroady" to me is coal smoke.

I mentioned to my wife a few years back how I miss being around steam locomotives and the burning coal.

That Christmas I got 400 lbs. (181 Kg.) of lump, soft coal that I occasionally burn in the caboose stove or the stove in the "depot". I love that woman Wink

 Depot_mood by Edmund, on Flickr

A toasty coal fire, a smoky, aged Scotch a good railroad book and I'm pretty much set for the evening Smile

I do recall many hot summer days along the right-of-way absorbing the fine scent of the oozing creosote. Still the same bituminous base, though.

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by hon30critter on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 2:21 AM

drgwcs
Found a copy of the ad- If the stockyard smell was not acceptable how about trying gasoline, heated tar, volitile solvant, clorine bleaching chemical or the ever popular choices of nitrobenzine or naphthaline? Still wondering how this company could ever go out of business??

That's interesting drgwcs.

A couple of those scents like 'Cedar Wood' or 'Pine Forest' would actually be quite acceptable in our house. 'Leather' might be interesting too.

I read recently about a Japanese scientist who is developing a method for virtual tasting. He has built a machine that dispenses combinations of various chemicals that stimulate our taste buds. Theoretically you would be able to look at a food item on your TV and then put a small shot of the proper chemical combination into your mouth and experience the taste. 

You never know what's around the next corner!

Cheers!!

Dave 

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by NorthBrit on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 4:51 AM

Good morning Diners.   Glad to see it was busy here thrugh the night.
Tea and toast please,  Janie.

The different smells when you close your eyes and know where you are.

The countryside.  At the  coast.  In a City.  At sea on a ship.   All a magic in their own way.

 

Dawn showed me an advertisement from the 1970s.  An electrical store was having a sale.   They were selling televisions,  telephones,  cameras  and a host of other gadgets.

In 2022  all those gadgets can be found on one I-Phone.

 

Back later

 

David

 

To the world you are someone.    To someone you are the world

I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought

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Posted by NorthBrit on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 5:57 AM

A shock to the system!!!

 

Dawn said yesterday "When you go what do you want to happen to 'Sovereign Street & Clarence Dock'?"

Well that 'hit me in the stomach'.    To be honest I am not really bothered what happens to it.   

Then I thought maybe the grandchildren would want a part of it;  maybe not.  

I thought some more.   There is quite a lot of items 'that will come useful later'.   That stuff has been around for some time  and really has to go.   Therefore a clear out is to begin.

Today I start!

 

A coffee first.  Smile

 

David

To the world you are someone.    To someone you are the world

I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought

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