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Jeffrey's Trackside Diner: September, 2024 Locked

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Posted by CNCharlie on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 1:00 PM

Simon, I bought a plugin hard drive to copy the photos but my wife was afraid to use it as she thought her photos might get 'damaged'.  I had the repair shop copy them all to that drive so we now have them backed up. They are mostly from our trips to Africa. 

CN Charlie

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  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
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Posted by gmpullman on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 9:48 AM

CNCharlie
Simon, I bought a plugin hard drive to copy the photos but my wife was afraid to use it as she thought her photos might get 'damaged'.

I was curious about some files that I have stored on 3½" Floppy discs. These date to around 1995 or so. I have a plug-in USB reader and when I popped these old discs in they were read just fine in my Windows 11 PC. Can you imagine? These things are nearly thirty-years old. 1.44 Mb.  Today I wouldn't even be able to store one tenth of one photo on one of these. Video? Forgettaboutit!

I just bought a stump grinder for my tractor. Downside is that it might take 4-5 weeks for delivery. Still, I'm really looking forward to trying it out. I can think of about a dosen stumps that need leveling and 'my guy' that used to do it for about twenty-bucks apice has since retired!

THIS is the machine he used:

 Stump Grinder by Edmund, on Flickr

Mine is more like this...

 


A busy time in the shop! (The GE plant in Erie, Pa.)

 CUT_P1a-construction-Erie by Edmund, on Flickr

Cheers, Ed

 

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Posted by maxman on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 3:26 PM

gmpullman

 

 
 

 

 

 

Mine is more like this...

 


 

Doesn't seem to have much power as it seemed to stall a couple times in the video.

And why doesn't it operate when the tractor moves backwards?

  • Member since
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  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 3:57 PM

It seems plenty powerful to me, and it appears to be operating even with the tractor moving backwards. Given the size of that stump, that seemed to accomplish the task pretty quickly.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by maxman on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 4:44 PM

Yes, it was running with the tractor moving backwards.

I didn't see it cutting with the tractor moving backwards.

  • Member since
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  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
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Posted by gmpullman on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 10:25 PM

The primary carbide cutting teeth face the 'forward' side of the tractor. The idea is to take small cuts while travelling slowly forward. The PTO remains engaged while you reposition the tractor for the next cut thus it continues to spin while moving in reverse.

I've watched several videos with the same grinder mounted to a variety of tractors with PTO horsepower between 15 and 40. Even the smaller tractors seem to handle the grinding OK. My tractor has 26 HP at the PTO output. Should be fine.

I think the 'stalling' you're seeing is the result of the frame rate of the camera not meshing with the rotational speed of the cutter wheel. Kind of like seeing the spokes of a wagon wheel 'standing still' on a fast moving surrey.

Here's another example of that:

Or this:

Regards, Ed

 

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Posted by "JaBear" on Thursday, September 12, 2024 5:12 AM

Gidday, Mr. Tf, I see you've found my Flickr account. The Forum search function still "works ," and if you type in CISX 500 it  should lead you to my build thread on that particular depressed centre car.

Got to "talk" to Mike Lehman,  and some of the Illinois lads today, and they shared photos  and videos of the Big Boy on her travels through that area. What an impressive bit of kit!

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 AEP528 on Thursday, September 12, 2024 2:30 PM

maxman
Doesn't seem to have much power as it seemed to stall a couple times in the video. And why doesn't it operate when the tractor moves backwards?

The cutter only has teeth on one side. No info on why on the manufacturer website.

There is definitely the camera optical illusion going on, when the cutter is under load the RPM changes enough that it appears to start turning in the opposite direction. It does appear to stall once at the beginning of the video, although it's hard to tell if the tractor stalled or the operator shut off the PTO.

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Posted by gmpullman on Friday, September 13, 2024 6:37 AM

AEP528
The cutter only has teeth on one side. No info on why on the manufacturer website.

The cutter teeth run about $20 each. It has 34 teeth. I suppose the cost to provide another set of teeth on the back side wasn't really worth the cost or effort. Most users seem to do OK with cutting in one direction only. Like my circular saw blade, It works best going forward?

Here's a better (short Yes) video showing the machine while cutting:

I guess these trailers are called "Lo Boys" for a reason?

I'd be willing to bet there's a sign there showing raised track above roadway height.

[edit] Yep, there it is... "But my GPS says I can go this way!"

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by maxman on Friday, September 13, 2024 10:16 AM

Another video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgfQ1wRxTgY

Around 9:30 he mentions not grinding in reverse due to some bolt wear they noticed when grinding previously.

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Posted by snjroy on Friday, September 13, 2024 11:35 AM

Our trees on our 1 acre lot were decimated by the ash borer. The tree stumps were everywhere. We hired a guy to grind them down and it was a good option cost-wise.

Later (about 3 years ago) I had other stumps to deal with, but I tried something else: using a drill, I made a series of 1/4" holes on top of the stump and shoveled some dirt on them to accelerate the roting process. I think it does. I live in Eastern Canada, the humidity level might be a factor.

Simon

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Posted by maxman on Friday, September 13, 2024 11:59 AM

Supposedly filling those holes with water helps.  Over the winter the water freezes and the expansion helps split the stumps.

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Posted by Water Level Route on Monday, September 16, 2024 6:07 AM

Good Morning Diners.  Chloe, coffee and wheat toast please.

Was traveling for work last week and I sure am glad that's over.  Looong week.

Ed, I like the stump grinder. Yes Looks perfect for a weekend warrior.

I hope everyone is doing well and are otherwise just having login issues or something.

Mike

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Posted by gmpullman on Monday, September 16, 2024 6:23 AM

Water Level Route
Ed, I like the stump grinder.  Looks perfect for a weekend warrior.

Thanks, Mike! Made a quick inventory yesterday and I've got 22 23 stumps already lined up. A few still have to be brought down closer to ground level. There will be more! Hope it arrives before the snow flies Confused


 

Big and bigger!

 Union Pacific Steam Shop - Cheyenne, WY by Zach Pumphery, on Flickr

Not a fan...

 Union Pacific 6925 - Chamberlain, South Dakota by Jeff Terry, on Flickr

I'll just hang around for a while —

 Union Pacific Railroad - UP gas turbine electric locomotive Nr. 75 - Salt Lake City Workshop, Utah by Historical Railway Images, on Flickr

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by CNCharlie on Monday, September 16, 2024 9:47 AM

Good Morning,

I am still logged in on my tablet but typing with a rubber tip pen is a slow process.

Our warm weather is hanging on for another week but it is cloudy today with showers. My wife's garden still looks great, just like summer. Last year we didn't get frost until late August rather than the usual mid-Sept. Looks like a repeat this year.

No plans for today other than a grocery pick-up.

Time for coffee.

CN Charlie

 

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Posted by "JaBear" on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 3:40 AM

Gidday  Chloe, just checking in. Some good photos,there, Ed. Simon described how to post photos from his Flickr on his phone, but the ability to do so from my phone still eludes me! Confused

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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  • From: Ludington, MI
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Posted by Water Level Route on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 5:56 AM

Good Morning Diners.  Zoe, scrambled eggs with sausage and cheese, and a coffee please.

Busy night of catching up on home stuff and then watching the final episode of The Grand Tour.  I am truly going to miss that trio, their antics, and chemistry on screen.  None of the copycats have ever come remotely close.  It was a sad night in my house.

Bear, on my phone I have to go to the main flickr page and then once it loads, hit the option in the browser to request the desktop version of their site.  If you try to log in on the mobile version of the site it will push you to their app which isn't useful for trying to post something here.  I may have had to force it to open the login link in a new browser tab to keep it from going to the app as well, but once I did it a couple times, it now remembers that I want to stay on their website and doesn't fight me anymore.  Good luck.

Caption says he was painting the car.  Quite the sprayer!

Work is calling.  Got to go.  Have a good day everyone!

Mike

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  • From: Ludington, MI
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Posted by Water Level Route on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 8:25 AM

Good Morning.  Janie, I'll have coffee and an english muffin please.  I'd ask for more, but I don't want you to have to wake up the rest of the staff by clanging around in the kitchen.  

Mike

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Posted by snjroy on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 2:54 PM

Water Level Route

Good Morning Diners.  Zoe, scrambled eggs with sausage and cheese, and a coffee please.

Busy night of catching up on home stuff and then watching the final episode of The Grand Tour.  I am truly going to miss that trio, their antics, and chemistry on screen.  None of the copycats have ever come remotely close.  It was a sad night in my house.

Bear, on my phone I have to go to the main flickr page and then once it loads, hit the option in the browser to request the desktop version of their site.  If you try to log in on the mobile version of the site it will push you to their app which isn't useful for trying to post something here.  I may have had to force it to open the login link in a new browser tab to keep it from going to the app as well, but once I did it a couple times, it now remembers that I want to stay on their website and doesn't fight me anymore.  Good luck.

Caption says he was painting the car.  Quite the sprayer!

Work is calling.  Got to go.  Have a good day everyone!

 

Hmmm... Painting when there is snow on the ground? 

Simon

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  • From: Ludington, MI
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Posted by Water Level Route on Thursday, September 19, 2024 8:27 AM

snjroy
Hmmm... Painting when there is snow on the ground?

I had the same initial thought.  But then, he clearly isn't power washing or steam cleaninig.  Nothing to lubricate at that spot.  Then I wondered if the old oil based paints might have been okay to use in the cold.  Not sure.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Painting_a_car_at_the_repair_or_rip_tracks_at_North_Proviso_1a34633v.jpg

 

Mike

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Posted by maxman on Friday, September 20, 2024 10:36 AM

Seems the restaurant boycott, girlcott, peoplecott continues.

I guess we'll show them.

 

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Friday, September 20, 2024 11:15 AM

Hey!  This is the most active thread on the whole MR site!

Seriously, my current thinking is that Firecrown is intentionally letting the forums fail.  Then, when they look at the economics of replacing the old system, they'll just say it's not worth it for the small number of people it serves.  There are probably a dozen or so contributors to the forum now.  A few have left, and a few have been locked out by the decrepit software.

Firecrown doesn't have an online aviation forum like this one for trains.

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

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Posted by Water Level Route on Friday, September 20, 2024 5:30 PM

You guys are probably right.  Makes me sad. 

Perhaps this is the future for the diner forum:

Still, hoping it is more like this.

Shiny and new.

Mike

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    August 2007
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Posted by CNCharlie on Friday, September 20, 2024 8:50 PM

Good Evening,

It is indeed sad to see what has become of the forum. I see a few former patrons have moved to another forum. I won't be joining them but will stick around here as long as it lasts. My last copy of Classic Trains arrived without the usual plastic cover so it was in poor shape. With that and the state of the forums I don't plan on re-newing any magazine subscriptions until I see what happens. 

Not much new here. Sure wish I knew how Dave was doing.

CN Charlie

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Posted by CNCharlie on Saturday, September 21, 2024 11:44 AM

After several failures I was finally able to get into the Diner. I see the staff aren't here but the did leave a pot of coffee.

Typical fall day here, about 60F, showers and windy. Summer is supposed to return later in the week.

The squirrels and chipmunks are very busy. One of the chipmunks is very tame and will sit on my knee while it shells a peanut and stuffs the nuts in its cheek pouches. Takes about 30 seconds. 

Saw a white throated sparrow yesterday so the migration is in full gear.

CN Charlie

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Posted by maxman on Monday, September 23, 2024 2:04 PM

Coffee is starting to burn.

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  • From: Ludington, MI
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Posted by Water Level Route on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 5:31 AM

So many 504 errors Sigh

Mike

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Posted by Water Level Route on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 6:13 AM

Hmmm.  Success.  I'll try another.


Good Morning everyone (anyone?).  I'll have some of that coffee, but I'll thin it back out a bit with some water.  It's a bit thick.

Not sure how many will be able to read this, but to all our forum friends, I hope you are all doing well.  I miss hearing from everyone.  I do hope we are able to connect here again in the future.  

Grand Trunk's Montreal shops - 1859

Mike

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Posted by maxman on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 1:34 PM

Water Level Route

So many 504 errors Sigh

 

One would think that they would have found a cure for those by now.

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  • From: Ludington, MI
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Posted by Water Level Route on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 3:18 PM

You would think.  I know it likely isn't a revenue stream (or at least a very big one via ads), but it is a very forward facing part of the magazine.  A great way to draw in, or push away, eyes to/from the magazine.  

Mike

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