Thanks to Kevin for the graphics.
For all the folks in the Northern Hemisphere who might be experiencing chilly weather and snowy conditions, come on in and grab a warm beverage and perhaps some oatmeal or other tasty, stick-to-your ribs gruel. Possibly followed by a nice hot toddy—
hot-toddy by Edmund, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
Mike Danneman can set the stage:
Two Medicine vista by Mike Danneman, on Flickr
Brrrr!
Regards, Ed
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Good morning Diners. Thanks for the hot toddy, Ed.
I have an hospital appointment, so a quick visit.
Bernina Express, Switzerland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfeqHwkdgPY&ab_channel=TheTravelingSwiss%E2%80%93Alexis%26Louis
Bernina Express and Glacier Express
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaGkAMDMKno&t=6s&ab_channel=TravelSmartSeniors
Not much snow you say? A little here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_lKWEhfj20&ab_channel=lorirocks777
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Hi Ed,
Thanks for moving the Diner. I said that I would do it but I laid down for a nap after supper and didn't wake up until 6:00 am! My bad!!
Here is a more recent recording of my favourite snow train. The ride in the Diner might be a bit rocky with all the starting and stopping and back and forth. This the sound I'm trying to capture for my snow plow project:
(Click on 'Watch on YouTube' on the lower left)
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Good morning
Thanks for the warm welcome to December Ed.
Seasons Greatings Gentleman.
TF
Good Morning Gents! Happy December. Chloe, I'll have a black coffee in a North Pole & Southern mug please. Time to get in the spirit.
gmpullmanIt's that word, nearby that is the ringer
Went to my nephew's basketball game last night. It was kind of funny watching 7th graders play. I'd forgotten how melodramatic they can be.
Went to bed early last night to try to catch up on some sleep. My shoulder had been killing me yesterday, so I was hoping to sleep some of that off too. Well, I slept great until about a quarter to four when my shoulder woke me up. So much for catching up on some sleep. At least my shoulder isn't as bad today (yet) as it was yesterday. Hopefully it keeps trending in the right direction.
Have a good day everyone!
Mike
Steam Trains In Winter - Germany
To the top of the Harz Mountains in a beautiful snowy landscape!
The Brocken is the highest mountain of the Harz Mountains. It's 1142 meters high and there is a narrow gauge railway to its top. The "Brockenbahn", part of the "Harzer Schmalspurbahnen", is very nice in summer and in winter. There is a classic train pulled by 1897, 1898, 1918 build Mallet steam engine. But also the regularly trains are pulled by steam locomotives. This film is made in December 2010 and there was fantastic weather. Now enjoy the film, the fantastic weather and the sound of the steam engines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6QUB4LrPew&ab_channel=MartinLaubner
Thanks for the move Ed.
Good morning from the sunny, but cold West Coast where it is -6.
We only got about 20cm of snow, however, my sister got twice that much and had some big trees come down with the wind. She lives about 10km to the North. We got a few big gusts but that was it.
Water Level RouteBrent, I'm jealous of the weather you are getting.
Mike, I love the seasons. I spent my whole life working outdoors and I would take the bitter cold over the stifling heat any day. Vancouver gets just enough snow to enjoy but it never stays around for more than a few days. Some years it never even hits freezing here.
It is such a nice day I may go get a Christmas tree. There is a tree farm we go to sometimes and if you have a suitable vehicle they let you drive up the mountain where the best pickin is. I am home alone so I'll take a dog to keep the bears away.
A past year at a local farm with the daughter and wife there to supervise. Always good fun. Nothin like the smell of a freshly cut tree.
We are expecting more snow tonight, I better drop by Canadian Tire and pick up a plough for Santas train.
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."
Hi David,
Thanks for the Harz Mountain video. The snow on the trees is really beautiful, as are the trains of course.
I noticed that the passengers were allowed to stand in the vestibules while the train was in motion. Transport Canada outlawed that sort of thing several years ago. Spoilsports!!
hon30critter Hi David, Thanks for the Harz Mountain video. Dave
Thanks for the Harz Mountain video.
Mission accomplished. It was a long treacherous drive up the mountain on a narrow dirt road covered in snow and ice, but that's what makes it fun.
The only other people up there were a husband and wife that are newly arrived in Canada. He had a brand new shiny black Chevy P/U and had a new saw from Canadian Tire. They were a hoot. I was a little concerned about them driving back down the road as it was a bit of a bobsled run, but he made it.
It was just the dog and me, but he picked it, so I can blame it on the dog if the wife doesn't like it.
Hi Brent,
We have always had artificial trees. They lack the freshness of a real tree but they are much easier to deal with IMHO. Last year we downsized to a table top tree about 3 1/2' tall. It actually looks quite nice and it came with the lights already installed.
The reason we downsized was because both of our backs were killing us after we set up the old 7' tree and decorated it. We could hardly get the box out of the crawl space and up the stairs, and then bending forward to put the decorations on became excruciating. The pain ruined what was supposed to be a joyous occassion. The only drawback to the small tree is that we can't fit all of our decorations on the tree, almost all of which are antiques (some are 90 years old). Cole and Kaitlin were very happy to receive a box of classic ornaments.
We will be setting up the tree this weekend.
Cheers!! (It's too early to be wishing everyone a Merry Christmas).
BATMANIt was just the dog and me, but he picked it,
So.... Did he --- ah --- Mark the tree for you? Thinking he gave it some nitrogen before it got cut down???
I haven't put up a tree in at least 25 years. I enjoy the one at my son's house and several other places. Less work and I don't have to kill anything personally that puts oxygen back into the air for us to beath...
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
howmus Less work and I don't have to kill anything personally that puts oxygen back into the air for us to beath.
A new tree is produced by pushing a seed into the ground and the whole time it is growing it is gobbling up all that pollution from the oil patch that is caused to produce plastic Christmas trees. There will be an oil patch tree in my house over my dead body.
The dog first picked this beauty he sat in front of, but I don't have a big enough stand for it. It was about 5' in diametre.
BATMANA new tree is produced by pushing a seed into the ground and the whole time it is growing it is gobbling up all that pollution from the oil patch that is caused to produce plastic Christmas trees. There will be an oil patch tree in my house over my dead body.Laugh
Amen to that my friend!
I was looking at the members we lost & the one that i had no idea has passed away was RR_MEL
i was just going to hit him up with some AC-9 questions
if i may ask when & why did he pass
howmus BATMAN A new tree is produced by pushing a seed into the ground and the whole time it is growing it is gobbling up all that pollution from the oil patch that is caused to produce plastic Christmas trees. There will be an oil patch tree in my house over my dead body.Laugh Amen to that my friend! 73
BATMAN A new tree is produced by pushing a seed into the ground and the whole time it is growing it is gobbling up all that pollution from the oil patch that is caused to produce plastic Christmas trees. There will be an oil patch tree in my house over my dead body.Laugh
Not to mention all those plastic trees that eventually end up in the landfill. The 26 real trees I have had here just get hauled down to the back forty, dust to dust. I could probably find the remnants of the last three or four if I looked hard enough.
BATMANNot to mention all those plastic trees that eventually end up in the landfill.
I understand your point. Maybe next year we will try to find a suitably sized pine or spruce in a pot. We won't have space on our property but we could put it out at the curb after Christmas. It would go to a new home pretty quick.
hon30critterMaybe next year we will try to find a suitably sized pine or spruce in a pot. We won't have space on our property but we could put it out at the curb after Christmas. It would go to a new home pretty quick.
You know.... That is an even better option! The reason I don't put up a tree is I live alone and it would be kind of silty for just me. I get to enjoy the trees (real I might Add) at my son's house and a few other places. Besides, the wonder of it belongs with family. I only put up a tree for a couple years after my wife died. Just didn't make me happy to sit and stare and wish life had been kinder.......
hon30critter Hi Brent, We have always had artificial trees. They lack the freshness of a real tree but they are much easier to deal with IMHO. Last year we downsized to a table top tree about 3 1/2' tall. It actually looks quite nice and it came with the lights already installed. The reason we downsized was because both of our backs were killing us after we set up the old 7' tree and decorated it. We could hardly get the box out of the crawl space and up the stairs, and then bending forward to put the decorations on became excruciating. The pain ruined what was supposed to be a joyous occassion. The only drawback to the small tree is that we can't fit all of our decorations on the tree, almost all of which are antiques (some are 90 years old). Cole and Kaitlin were very happy to receive a box of classic ornaments. We will be setting up the tree this weekend. Cheers!! (It's too early to be wishing everyone a Merry Christmas). Dave
Sorry Dave, I missed your post earlier. I dread the day Christmas gets too much for me to handle, but I know it will happen. Going and cutting a tree with the wife and kids was always the best. A couple of years we were able to cut down a tree on our own property which was extra special. We have planted a lot of trees at our place including four Giant Sequoias. The arborist from our Municipality came by once and said she was impressed with all the planting we had done. She was patrolling via satellite and noticed how much our land had filled in and wanted a look. She loved the variety of species we had planted.
We use to make decorating the tree a family and friend affair, inviting a group for dinner and decorating the tree while I sat back and watched with a good Scotch. Kids are gone and with covid the last couple of years it has been me doing the decorating. I love sitting in that room with the tree, looking out at the lights in the yard while playing three or four hours of Gord.
We are having 22 for Christmas dinner, we still have Mom's Grand Piano and many who can and will be playing it on Christmas Day. After a few eggnogs, the singing doesn't sound so bad.
I remember when I was 10 looking out the window at the snow falling after a full day of pond hockey and listening to this song. My sister makes me play it for her now on Christmas.
thomas81z I was looking at the members we lost & the one that i had no idea has passed away was RR_MEL i was just going to hit him up with some AC-9 questions if i may ask when & why did he pass
hon30critter BATMAN Not to mention all those plastic trees that eventually end up in the landfill. Hi Brent, I understand your point. Maybe next year we will try to find a suitably sized pine or spruce in a pot. We won't have space on our property but we could put it out at the curb after Christmas. It would go to a new home pretty quick. Cheers!! Dave
BATMAN Not to mention all those plastic trees that eventually end up in the landfill.
Dave, my sister has been buying live trees for years, after Christmas plants them on her property, she also lives on acreage. She can take you on a tour and tell you exactly what year each tree was in their house over the last 40 years. She gets seven footers though and it is my back that suffers helping her get them in the house and planted after Christmas.
I think this is our third year with out big artificial tree. It's 10 or 12 feet tall. It has all the lights built in, but yeah, it's a job to get up, particularly when you add in the projects of clearing ans relocating the furniture it displaces.
Last year was the arrival of Whiskey, our first male cat.. Fixed, of course, but a different animal from the lady cats. Last year he was still a kitten at 7 months. We realized he was too playful and curious, so we put the tree up without ornaments. He played and climbed in it. This year, we'll try some unbreakable ornaments.
And I, too, was looking at the RIP track, as I do every month, mostly to make sure I'm not on it. I miss RR Mel. His specially crafted figures were the best. As a devotee of interiors myself, Mel's passenger car interiors knocked me out with the effort and skill he put into the scenes inside of observation lounges. He will be missed.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
hon30critterMaybe next year we will try to find a suitably sized pine or spruce in a pot.
And how do you intend to lift that? A live tree weighs as much as a cut tree, plus you have to add the weight of that big ball of earth plus pot on the one end.
maxmanAnd how do you intend to lift that?
"Suitably Sized" is the key phrase here.
I used to buy quite a few various pine trees in one and two gallon pots for the garden railroad such as the one in the background here:
IMG_1130 by Edmund, on Flickr
With loam and potting soil in the pot these didn't weigh much over ten pounds. They could easily be decorated with festive, seasonal trinkets.
Hi maxman,
Do you honestly think that I was planning on bringing a 7' live tree into the house?!? Give me a little credit for having at least some brain power please!
I should have been more clear. I was thinking about replacing the 3' 6" artificial tree that we bought last year with a similarly sized live tree. I think we could manage to get something that size into the house and up the six stairs to the living room if we were to do it a bit at a time.
However, I have to be honest. After discussing the possibility of using a live tree with Dianne, we concluded that we will stick with the artificial tree. A live tree will entail a lot more work to obtain it and maintain it. The artificial tree weighs almost nothing and is super easy to set up. It has eliminated all the stress that the old 7' tree was causing us so why not make use of it now that we have it? Hopefully it will last for many years.
By the way, our old tree did not go to the dump. We put it out at the curb and it was gone within a few hours. I'm sure that someone is enjoying it still.
Good morning Diners. A glass of Aquavit please, Janie.
Norway.
Steam trains in Norway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMVuOU61jtc&ab_channel=HarrikolanRailways
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuuMYCBElmE&ab_channel=HarrikolanRailways
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzLtJNMm5WU&ab_channel=HarrikolanRailways
The snow falls...
2nd Prize, Color: Eric Williams by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr
Pow!
Duane Rapp by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr
A more serene scene:
David Busse by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr