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.
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."
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.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
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
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.
York1 John
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
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
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!
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 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.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Good Morning Diners. Zoe, french toast, bacon, and orange juice please.
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.
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!
Mike
Mike Excellent news about your daughter.
Girls - Women's soccer is on an upward turn. Who would have predicted it so, ten years ago?
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.
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
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
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!
Glad to hear that Ulrich is still around.
Thanks, John for the information.
Good morning, everyone. Bacon, eggs, and coffee, please.
What a great morning! A cool front went through, and the temperature at 6:00 a.m. was 70°. It was great for walking the dog this morning without coming home soaking wet. We won't make it into the 90s today for the first time in quite a while. Of course, the humidity this morning is 100%.
I heard from Ulrich in Germany yesterday. He is doing better after a serious health issue. He said to say "Hello" to the forum members who remember him.
He sent a link to a video he shot of some steam trains in his town. It is a nice video of some narrow gauge German trains:
I hope everyone has a great day.
Good Afternoon,
I have an article in the CN Lines magazine about the use of ice in passenger cars to keep them cool in summer. It went into bunks under the cars and fans blew across it with the cooled air being ducted into the car.
I also remember ice being delivered to a few houses on our street when I was about 4. It was delivered in a horse drawn van as was the milk delivery. That was in 1951. The horses were gone a short time later.
Mike, please join TF and I for a few "Goldens". If you can find it in your area, Alexander Keiths IPA is quite good. It has been brewed in Halifax since 1820.
Not much new here.
Mike, my go-to beer is an IPA. I always have a few in the beer fridge, and it's what I order at the local watering holes. I consider it the un-Bud, un-Light beer. I basically only drink craft beer now. Being diabetic, I shouldn't have that much, but my only other drinks are water, coffee and milk, plus an occasional wine with dinner.
When I lived in Concord, Mass., I came across some reading about the "Concord Ice House" which was a commercial facility before refrigeration was common. It was not located by the railroad, and was used for home ice boxes in town. They would cut the ice from frozen ponds and streams in late winter and early spring and store it, insulated with sawdust, in the ice house for as long as they could. Walden Pond was a source of ice blocks back then. The Fitchburg line of the old B&M still runs briefly by the shores of Walden, but it's just a commuter line now, no freight.
Massachusetts was too cold to be a source of food early in the year, so there was no reason to refrigerate outgoing shipments.
Good Morning Diners. Flo, coffee. Make it two.
I'm on call for work and after finally falling asleep last night, my phone rang. It was an operator who was having issues with an alarm. Long story short, he was essentially asking how to do his job. What's more, the alarm help on the control system said to contact his supervisor, not me! I was out of it when the alarm went off this morning. Going to be a long day.
BATMANI will never be a snowbird, I wouldn't last long just living a life in search of air conditioning.
gmpullmanThe money we saved on the nursery stock will probably go to ibuprofin and lidocane now!
Ed, fingers crossed on the health front for you.
CNCharlieTF, I'd be happy to share a few "Goldens" with you.
Bear, I saw your haul from the train show. Good on you for taking that Life-Like caboose. It's the exact one that came in my very first train set. Seeing it brought back a flood of memories. Thanks for showing it!
This contraption would make for an interesting addition to the icing track. Wonder if its ever been produced in HO...
TF, I'd be happy to share a few "Goldens" with you. Back in the day it was only available in bottles and they were stubbies. Bet you have never seen a stubby. They were the short, fat bottles that were used for all beer in Canada right through the '70s.Not sure when the long neck bottles started but supposedly they were more elegant.
Ed, hope those PSA numbers stay down.
Time to turn out the light,
BATMANDave, how was your wife's trip to Haida Gwaii?
Hi Brent,
Dianne's trip was fantastic! It was the trip of a lifetime. Great hosts, great accommodations, great food, great scenery and lots of activities. She was exhausted when she got home.
Good evening all. Had a lovely day meeting the family at our daughter's house. Good food with BBQ and everybody bringing something to eat and drink. I was driving, so drank juice.
Caught up on the gossip etc., then a safe journey home.
Getting on to nearly midnight here, so time for bed. An early start in the morning
Thoroughly enjoyed reading your post, and just want some Molson Golden Charlie
I'd sit and drink it in good company at the table with you
TF
I guess there's a saying that if you have too many freight cars jamming the tracks of your layout you must not be an 'operator' since nothing can move without empty tracks to move on. Well, I guess that holds true for the PRR in Pittsburgh:
Reefer_Madness by Edmund, on Flickr
Looks like there's a chunky I1 simmering away in there.
On Friday Dee Ann and I went to a local nursery where they were having a 50% price reduction on some stock. As usual, we overbought and came home with a truck load of Hydrangeas and Hybiscus plus a dozen or so Hostas plus a paper bark Maple. While I have a handy little front-end loader there was still a lot of digging and stooping and lugging! The money we saved on the nursery stock will probably go to ibuprofin and lidocane now!
[edit]
CNCharlieEd, how are you doing?
We posted about the same time, Charlie, so I missed your comment.
Doing well, thanks. Still some lingering effects from the radiation. I didn't expect it would be like this. Nothing major but taken collectively the symptoms can be annoying.
I saw the oncologist on the first of July. My PSA has inched up ever so perceptively. Was .049 before radiation now it is .053 ng/mL. So I asked were the radiation treatments all for nothing? Well, we'll know more in about a year or so — come back and see me then.
Insurance/Medicare was billed $120,000 and my out of pocket was about $1,500.
Afterall, they do call it a practice.
TF, Golden was the beer I drank when I lived in Ontario but it wasn't sold in Manitoba so I haven't had any since 1978. I understand that Molson discontinued it in Ontario for many years but apparently it is available there now. Back in the day it was sold as an ale. I liked it as it was very smooth and less fizzy than many beers.
Another quiet day here. Spent the afternoon sitting on the patio watching the birds and the squirrels. We have a grey that will do a begging pose for a peanut if you say her name.
I have been wondering if I should bother with getting an oil change on the car this year. In 11 months I have driven 1800 miles. The oil is synthetic and seems quite clean on the dipstick. Getting it done at the dealership costs $250. Mind you it does take 8 quarts which is a lot of oil for a 3 litre engine.
Ed, how are you doing?