MisterBeasleyI'm old enough that I could have ridden one of those snow trains to go skiing.
My dad's brother-in-law, Stanley Mackenzie, was a B&M agent and took these photos of possibly one of the only streamlined snow trains operating in the country at the time:
Flying-Yankee at Warren, NH by Edmund, on Flickr
This is at Warren, New Hampshire.
Flying Yankee by Edmund, on Flickr
I had posted the photo of the young lady at the pilot of the Flying Yankee over at the Classic Trains forum and was chastised by another poster for "promoting unsafe railroad practice" so I took the photo down.
Come to think of it, I guess he's right — where's her hi-visibility vest? Then he went on to expound on his knoweledge of "three-step" protection, etc. Some people sure know how to throw a wet blanket on the party.
The Flying Yankee by Doug Lilly, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
Good Afternoon All. Not much to report on this end as we're in the shop doing some tidying up. We will get a cut tree again this year as we will have what kids are available over Christmas (youngest lives in Long Beach, Ca now and no trip east this year). We are still getting rain when we get anything though we did have a brief snow shower (1" total) about a month ago that vanished the next day. The pic is from a trip a few Novembers ago to the southwest that included a trip to the Grand Canyon Railroad. That was memorable though the winds that time of year seem to cut right through you. Hope you all are enjoying the day.
Ciao, J.R.
I'm old enough that I could have ridden one of those snow trains to go skiing. But, when I looked at the schedules, I realized they weren't particularly conducive to getting any skiing done. This was the one to Sunday River in Maine. You'd get there about mid-day on Sarurday and have to be back on board early Sunday afternoon. They only ran on weekends, so unless you were spending a week it just didn't work.
After they stopped the service, they did park a dining car at the stub end station in Bethel. It operated for a couple of years as the Iron Horse restaurant. I went there once with an old college friend. Good food, but very pricey. I remember I had wild boar. It's tough to operate a nice restaurant in such a seasonable area, I guess.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Good morning Diners. A large coffee on the go please, Brunhilda.
A busy day today with family visiting.
Russian Trains in the Snow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVdGn8GUJdc&ab_channel=hdvideoridha
Snowy Day in Japan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anzoiNQCm3k&ab_channel=hdvideoridha
Snow Plow At Work - Model Form
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JN2eVscqiE&ab_channel=WildWillie12065
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Good morning
May just roll back over after realizing its a bit early for a Saturday.
Picking up my youngest Daughter and going to my other Daughter's new house around noon. It's nice that they both only live about 20 minutes away from me now. We're going to make some homemade pizza to chow down and play a few board games. It will be good to spend some quality time today.
I've been enjoying the snow train photos and like those old Winter railroad posters Bear.
Enjoy your Saturday gentleman
TF
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Thanks Ed!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critterI wonder if this one is still on the rails!
Fortunately, it was:
Could have been another Donner party episode
Hey, Dave! How about another snow plow project? This one's got more flappers, slingers, choppers and shooters than a Swiss Army knife!
Trains in snow:
Looks like this one is about to disappear!
This one's not going any further for a while!
This one too!
Deep snow!
I wonder if this one is still on the rails!
Here is some flying snow!
These views are somewhat more tranquil:
More to follow soon.
Cheers!!
maxmanNo intelligence insult intended. And no, I didn't expect that you would bring a gargantuan tree in.
Hi maxman,
I apologise for overreacting. In any case, we have decided to stick with the small artificial tree. Even getting that and the decorations out of the crawl space killed Dianne's back.
hon30critterDo 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!
No intelligence insult intended. And no, I didn't expect that you would bring a gargantuan tree in. I was only trying to point out that the root ball on even a small size live tree probably weighs much more than one would expect.
I know that I would not want to move one around.
Snow! You want snow a the theme for December.
If you follow this film for its four hours you'll like the tunnel sections for a breather.
Al to Bergen Freight Depot.
On the way it passes Myrdal a favourite place of mine, especially in Winter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6Y-1X5EdL0&ab_channel=RailCowGirl
Got our seven inches a few days ago. A 38° tropical heat wave today, then a below zero flash freeze tonight with 40 to 50 mph winds. Oh, and some possible freezing rain along with the drifting snow to get it extra crispy too! All our Winter goodness coming down from our Canadian Friends eh... Hot chocolate season indeed.
Enjoying the snow pics here.
Stay warm gentleman
Good Morning Diners. Chloe, black coffee and one of those giant cinnamon rolls please.
I was always at awe of RR Mel's work with custom figures, passenger car interiors, and vehicle lighting. I hope at least some of his work ends up salvaged as too often works of art like his are doomed for the dumpster.
Long day at work yesterday, and another long day coming today. It's been a crazy hectic week, but one positive is that it is somehow Friday today. Feels like it should be Wednseday. Maybe Tuesday. My week has gone that quickly.
Loving the winter railroad scenes so far. I've often thought about modeling winter on a layout, but never pulled the trigger. My current plan is for a someday layout to have a stretch between the main layout and staging set up in a sort of shadowbox arrangement to keep it separate and have that one scene be a small town in winter. Hopefully it happens for me.
Cheers everyone!
Whoa, top of the page! Nothing better on a cold winter day than a nice mug of hot chocolate. Help yourselves.
Mike
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
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
maxmanAnd how do you intend to lift that?
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.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
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
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 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
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).
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.
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.......
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
BATMANNot to mention all those plastic trees that eventually end up in the landfill.
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
Amen to that my friend!
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.
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
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.