To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Good Morning Diners. Janie, coffee and three poached eggs on toast please.
My daughter got another offer from another college soccer program. I could easily see her accepting this one. She really likes the school, the soccer coach, and the players she met. They have a great physical therapy program (which is what she wants to study), and she is eligible for a special program they offer where you can apply for your spot in the PT school as an incoming freshman and, if accepted, they will hold that spot for you until you finish your undergrad studies. It's incredible. She has one more college visit planned out to a different college and is waiting until she completes that to make her decision. Exciting times!
Speaking of physical therapy, Otis the dog has decided he does not like his. Honestly, I've been questioning if it's really necessary for him. Three times a day we apply heat to his knee, go through some range of motion exercises, and then apply ice. He tries repeatedly to get away during this. If he wasn't using his leg, it would be one thing, but the fact that he does AND will routinely stretch that leg out straight on his own (which getting that leg to go straight is kind of the whole goal of the PT) makes me question it. Still, doctors orders so we fight through it. We'll all be glad when that's done!
While not a photo of mine, this is my favorite reefer on my railroad. Let's see yours!
Mike
Good morning, everyone. Chloe, I'll have bacon, eggs, and black coffee, please.
It seems to be shaping up to another beautiful day. The dog and I woke up for the morning walk and it is 72°, with a high of 80° forecast. Not sure how it could be any better.
Mike, that's great news about your daughter's college offer. That sounds like the college wants her and is willing to work with her. It's a feather in your family's hat to have raised such a student. Enjoy the process -- I know it goes by fast.
David, that sounds like a good program you attended. I assume the primary school corresponds with our elementary schools. I also understand that your secondary system is much more varied than the U.S. system. Today in our country, secondary is basically middle school and high school. These can be private, public, or in some states, charter schools. There are some other minor choices, but not like in the UK. One bad thing here is that vocational high schools have almost completely gone away, leaving a bad situation for some students who struggle in academics.
Charlie, I've never heard of the passenger train cars cooled by ice. I don't know much about the history of passenger trains other than what I experienced in the 1950s and 60s.
Growing up in the 1950s, my parents cooled our house with a big swamp cooler. It was noisy and didn't work very well, so I was happy when they replaced it with a modern air-conditioner. Even with that, I slept in our basement during the summers, since it was dark and cool. I don't know if swamp coolers are even sold anymore.
Mister Beasley, the only alcohol I like is beer, but I really don't like IPAs. Something about them just doesn't taste right to me. I have very poor taste in beer -- I buy the cheapest and am happy with it. I do not like any beer that is warmer than ice cold.
Dave, I'm glad to hear your wife enjoyed her trip. I hope your health continues to improve and the layout progresses to your satisfaction.
TF, Brent, and anyone else still visiting the diner, I hope you have a great hump day.
UP 8424 East by Britt Johnson, on Flickr
York1 John
York1. David, that sounds like a good program you attended. I assume the primary school corresponds with our elementary schools.
David, that sounds like a good program you attended. I assume the primary school corresponds with our elementary schools.
John It appears our schooling system is different. I gave up some time back trying to work out the differences.
There are differences in teaching here in the U.K.. Depending on the areas the children live teaching is different.
In poorer areas teachers know the children (when they become adult) will live from week to week in poorly paid jobs (like their parents). Hence the teachers teach enough 'to get by'.
In the more affluent areas teachers there know their pupils will 'make a life' for themselves. Teachers know what they say to their students it is listened to and taken on board.
All children should be told they can have anything they wish/want (legally) provided they work for it. Do not let anyone take 'the dream' away, because someone will try.
Time for a cup of tea and then to the train room
David
Mike:
Great news for your daughter.
Be prepared to spend money. While both of our kids attended college on scholarship; what we saved on their education we spent on travel, their travel, food, hotels, etc. to get to their games (both were 1,000 miles away, in different directions; with three years of both in school). Son started for three years at Purdue, so we tried to make as many games as we could. First world problem, was money well spent, with great memories on top of that. Both got excellent educations; both have gone on to get masters, and both are self-sufficient.
Mike Excellent news about your daughter.
Girls - Women's soccer is on an upward turn. Who would have predicted it so, ten years ago?
Good Morning Diners. Zoe, french toast, bacon, and orange juice please.
Thanks for all the kind words regarding my daughter. I can't tell you how giddy she was to tell me. So cool.
Otis had another vet visit yesterday and she is so pleased with his progress that, while still requiring 3x/day physical therapy, we no longer have to do 10 minutes of heat prior to starting. That is down to 1-2 minutes, but only if he will let us. Also, no more icing the knee when we are done. He still doesn't like the PT, but it is more manageable this way.
Got a few cars in I bought off ebay. One of them needs to be put together, but is one I've wanted for a long time. It's an old MDC kit with a cast metal floor, but single piece body. Biggest issue with it is it has coupler pockets molded into the metal floor, but no covers or screws included. Shouldn't be too hard to solve that.
Hitting the point I'm going to have to start rotating cars on/off the layout, especially with another dozen new ones on order. Don't tell my wife though!
Have a (hopefully) fun weekend of camping with the family on tap. Weather looks good. Truck is gased up. Ready to roll!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Good morning from the very warm Westside where 204 wildfires are burning in the Province, 77% lightning caused.
Mike, good to hear all your good news. My cousin's daughter was an Olympic calibre swimmer (backup for the team) and was courted by major U.S. Universities from across the U.S. Even with the 75% scholarships they could not afford to send her South of the border and she was not willing to go into debt, so she went to a Canadian University and swam for them and eventually became head coach of the team. She is now a medical Doctor in London England.
Having kids ain't cheap.
I had a day yesterday doing one of the things I hate and that is buying a car. We said we would buy my daughter a car when she graduated from University as we did for her brother, but she is likely going to be a lifetime student getting a couple of Ph. D.s in a couple or three years. She has done more than enough with her hard work thus far so we went to Vancouver and bought her a Honda CRV-EXL AWD. It's what she wanted, it's what she got. I really enjoyed the day with her.
No 10km scoot today, I'm beat, must be getting old. I'll hop on the Deere and then prune some trees and call it a day. My wife is at another dog show and my daughter is back to school work, we don't see her for hours at a time. Could be Sushi night.
Wonder how many blocks they would put in each car.
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."
Water Level Route Thanks for all the kind words regarding my daughter. I can't tell you how giddy she was to tell me. So cool. Hitting the point I'm going to have to start rotating cars on/off the layout, especially with another dozen new ones on order. Don't tell my wife though!
My daughter went to college with an academic scholarship. The tried to recruit her for the lacrosse team, but she flat out told them she was there for academics, not athletics. She graduated Summa Cum Laude.
Some years ago, I went to a small local train show. I bought a piece of rolling stock from a small vendor. He had a bunch of sub shop bags, white paper with a sub shop logo printed on them. He packed my freight car in a sub shop bag. He said a lot of husbands ask for them.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasleyHe had a bunch of sub shop bags, white paper with a sub shop logo printed on them. He packed my freight car in a sub shop bag. He said a lot of husbands ask for them.
My wife would want to know why I bought a sandwich without asking if she wanted one, and she would then want to know why I'm taking the sandwich to the train room.
York1My wife would want to know why I bought a sandwich without asking if she wanted one, and she would then want to know why I'm taking the sandwich to the train room.
I guess I'm pretty lucky as my boss is usually the one who picks up all my orders at the mailbox. She never bats an eye. She looks after paying all the bills and when my two Rapido D-10s showed up on the CC statement she didn't even mention it.
I also have a wish list and on two occasions, for no reason, she stopped in at PWRS on the way home and bought me a locomotive. She comes into the house to my office, kisses me on the cheek and passes it over my shoulder saying, "I bought you a present".
It took me 40 years to find someone I wanted to marry, but as all my friends and family keep reminding me.
York1 My wife would want to know why I bought a sandwich without asking if she wanted one, and she would then want to know why I'm taking the sandwich to the train room.
My ex-wife and i were having lunch at a small seaside place in Maine. I had a really good burger, and she ordered a chicken salad sandwich. As soon as the food arrived, she wanted to swap half my burger for half her sandwich. I asked her if, in all the years we'd been together, she'd ever seen me eat a chicken salad sandwich. I told her if she wants a burger, order a burger next time.
Ex-wife has a meaning.
My wife and I nearly always order the same thing.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Actually Ice Activated passenger cars were somewhat common. Of course more so in the heavyweight era but there were still a few still running in the U.S just prior to Amtrak. Many of the Pennsy's P20 coaches were ice-cooled. Here's one being reloaded in Altoona (or Anootla):
Icing P70 Passenger Car at Altoona by Edmund, on Flickr
In my youth I was involved with a railroad club that had three ice-activated cars. When there was a trip in summer months several tons of ice would be purchased (it wasn't all that expensive) and we would load them into the ice bunkers as the fellows above are doing. It was actually the cold melt water that would be recirculated from a sump into the cooling coils. I think some cars may have used brine.
Pullman Ice Cooling by Edmund, on Flickr
Now as far as a system I haven't quite grasped yet, Steam Ejector cooling systems!
Cheers, Ed
gmpullmanActually Ice Activated passenger cars were somewhat common. Of course more so in the heavyweight era but there were still a few still running in the U.S just prior to Amtrak.
As old as I am and how long I've loved trains, I'm amazed I did not know this about passenger cars. Am I too old to learn something?
As far as my wife and my hobby, she spends far more on her bird-feeding hobby than I do on model railroading, so she generally says nothing when I buy a new locomotive or car. She thinks it justifies her spending even more on the birds.
Good Morning,
Ed, thanks for the info on the passenger car ice cooling. I'm sure the same system was used here as piping cool water makes more sense than using fans. Will have to dig out that article.
John, I'll bet my wife has yours beat on the bird seed front. Now we are feeding squirrels too as we can't have hungry critters in the yard. As migration is done we are down to $400 a month. We also feed peanuts to the squirrels and blue jays. A few greys will take one out of her hand and one comes to the back door doing a begging pose. I could easily justify some RR purchases but I have largely been in a culling mode for a couple of years. There is one brass loco I wanted but have decided not to buy one.
Brent, nice car you bought for your daughter. I too hate car shopping and plan on keeping my current one as long a possible. Besides I really like it. Nothing like the sound of an inline 6 winding up.
Nice day today ut may get thunder storms later. If will get to see if my roof sealing worked. We have had a leak around the kitchen skylight. Just glad I can still climb up on the roof but for how many more years who knows. The roof has a very low pitch so shingles can't be used. Originally it was tar and gravel but we replaced it with torch on. At the time the contractor said a new tar and gravel would not last nearly the 45 years of the original as the tar available now isn't as good.
Have a nice day,
CN Charlie
T
Good evening all. Internet has been down all day.
Temperature is 25 degrees C.
We looked to buy an old railway house in the land of the North British Railway. Not for us though. It had been gutted and had lost its 'railway charm'.
In the garden was a large ice house underground. That was overgrown and useless now.
Granddaughter staying two nights.
Good morning from the beautiful West Coast. 253 wild fires burning 86% lightning caused.
Ed and Bear, great photos.
Dad used to take us on rail excursions when we would be on vacation and back in the mid-sixties we were down South in one of the States along the Canadian U.S. border and I remember watching ice being loaded into the passenger car we were in. Can't remember where it was though.
Wife was out the door to the dog show at 0600hrs. Got her loaded up and on her way and had a second cup out on the patio. It was so quiet it felt like something was wrong.
55 years ago today we held our collective breaths for 12 minutes.
Time to get out for my scoot, it is much cooler today, 19c, so will probably do 8km then come home to a pile of bacon and eggs. We also have to keep an eye on the dog(s) that I take and remember to feed them extra if they start piling up the distance with me.
A Neighbour came by yesterday and told us there was a bear up the road, yep, went out and had a look, he's a big guy. Apparently, he has been around for about a week. Maybe I'll take two dogs today.
Dave, hope you are making progress on the health front.
Generally, Her-in-Doors and I order different meals, but then share.
We do the same.
Terry
Terry in NW Wisconsin
Queenbogey715 is my Youtube channel
Good afternoon from the beautiful Pacific Rim. In B.C. 318 fires are burning, 89% lightning caused.
https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/dashboard
Bear, thanks for posting that PDF, it was great reading and it answered a lot of questions I have had for a long time. I now want to run out and buy some SF reefers as they did run to Canada.
We haven't heard from Ray in a while, he could be over the pond visiting his son, hope he is having a good time.
The dog and I did 10.36km this morning as the arthritis was in check and I ran pretty much the whole way and feel like a million bucks. Burned 986 calories, and the wife has already asked how big a steak I want for dinner. I was ringing wet when I got home as it is on the warm side, wished we still had the pool to jump in.
My wife, daughter, sister her husband and three sets of our closest friends are all leaving for various parts of the planet over the next ten days and I am the one to call if something goes wrong at their houses. I hate that as something goes wrong all too often. Maybe I just won't answer the phone.
My wife came home to two RCMP cruisers in the driveway as our alarm system gave a glass-breaking alarm. Yet another false alarm from our useless alarm company. We would not have a system at all if it were not for the wife wanting the fire alarm set up to be monitored for when we leave the dogs home alone. Half the time we never even lock the doors when we leave.
The winter harvest is on.
“The glow of one warm thought is to me worth more than money”. -Thomas Jefferson
Hi Everyone,
Checking in. And, a double good morning to all whoever you might be. This last week was eventful for a lot of my friends and associates. Not sure why, but it seemed like a lot was going on with everyone. This last week my son had a birthday, and my Frau and I had or 46th anniversary. At our 20th anniversary party, someone asked me what it was like to be married 20 years. I replied that it was 20 long grueling years that went by in a blur! Now, we're at 46. We didn't do anything this year. I had to work.
Hope everyone is safe and well.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Good morning from the West Coast. 324 wildfires today, 87% lightning caused. It is supposed to be hot again today to the mid-30s.
One of my neighbours has about fifteen old cars, all pre-1940, including a steam car. Today is his annual get-together where people from all over Western Canada, Washington and Oregon show up at his house with their old cars, all pre-1940. There will be at least 100 or so, I will get my scoot done early and head over, it is quite something. They go for a 100km drive through the countryside and then return and hang out into the evening. I stopped for a beer yesterday with him when he called me in as I was going by, he is a really interesting neighbour. He can be seen in a lot of movies that take place in the early 1900s where there are old cars driving by, he is the driver. He gets $6000.00 a day on set. He said there will be a small steam tractor today as well.
Best get my shoes on and get out the door.
Good evening Diners. A Pusser's rum please, Zoe.
Just calling in for a quick visit.
Dawn is feeling fine these days. Much better than me. Still battling on though.
Brent Sounds an excellent get together.
Just a few shots of my neighbour's guest just starting to arrive this morning, I will pop back after they get back from the road trip.
Good Morning Diners! Janie, coffee and a plate of glazed doughnuts please.
Good to see plenty of activity in the diner while I was gone. Hope I'm not the one keeping people away! Overall had a great weekend and that included our one bit of usually bad news. My wife's grandmother passed away this weekend. This was not unexpected though and there were no tears shed. It has been a long time coming. (She set a record for longest resident in the assited living facility she was in, and it wasn't close. Beat the old record by MANY years.) Honestly, it's a bit of a relief for everyone. Not that you necessarily want to see someone pass, but with her dementia she was not anywhere near a state she would have wanted to be in. Odd to say, but this was a good thing.
Brent, I know several people with CRV's and they all like them a lot. Guessing your daughter will too. Sweet old cars at the neighbor's by the way. Would love to spend a few hours looking them over.
Mr B, good for your daughter in keeping her priorities straight. Sounds like a good egg. Your sub wrapper story sure made me chuckle!
My wife and I almost never order the same thing at a restaurant. If I have something I think is really good, I'll usually offer to let her try it. She rarely will.
Ed, steam ejector cooling systems?? The power of evaporative cooling I suppose. Kind of like refrigerators that burn propane I imagine.
David, hope you had fun with the granddaughter visiting. I'm sure you did.
Terry, nice to see you are still around.
Bear, I suppose it would be a bit odd for you to be researching ice houses right about now. Do you get any snow where you live?
Jim, we've been married 21 years at this point and don't do much more than maybe a nice dinner. Our anniversary is in December and with all the happenings around the holidays, we keep it low key and low budget.
Good afternoon Diners. A day of showers.
Afternoon tea please, Chloe.
Weekend with granddaughter went well. She kept Dawn and I entertained.
Clearing out old household items we no longer require.
Water Level RouteSweet old cars at the neighbor's
Were all the oil drip collector pans I saw in the photos standard equipment, or optional extra?