grayfox said: "GARRY: Yes, I would like to hear about your trip to NS...we plan to go there maybe next year."
It was an adventure we did not expect. We arrived in Halifax by American Airlines (from Nashville changing planes in Boston). Date of arrival was 9/9/01. Bus tour of the area included Halifax and Peggy's Cove, a fishing village on the coast. On the trip we learned about some major disasters: Swiss Air crash off Peggy's cove, the Titanic, and a munitions explosion in the harbor in 1917 that killed some 3,000 people in Halifax. Peggy's Cove was named after a girl who was the only survivor of a ship wreck long ago. Ironic. We spent 9/11/01 watching the horrors on TV in our room. That day some 50 trans-Atlantic flights diverted to Halifax, and they closed all but one runway for enough space to park all the big planes.
We found that Nova Scotia is a wondeful place in which to be stranded. People could not have been nicer than the locals of Nova Scotia. Canadian flags were at half mast everywhere. US flags, too, were on display all over. Although, saddened by the 9/11 events we visited some parts of Nova Scotia and it was certainly beautiful.
The big question was how to get home. Even if available, flying was out of the question for us. It would be too frightening we thought. Renting a car one-way to the US would be too much money (about $3000!). The ferry boat to Maine was overbooked. Some people were pooling their reources to charter busses.
My wife and I, however, stayed in Halifax a few days until we could take VIA Rail's Ocean to Montreal. It was a great train and looked much like the original California Zephyr with all cars being Budd. We had a sleeper coupled just ahead of the dome observation and rode the dome for much of the trip's beginning. The full service diner had some great food for dinner as we watched New Brunswick pass by the diner's windows. We arrived in Montreal the next morning and had just an hour wait for the Toronto train.
We had plans to take the VIA train the following morning to Windsor, ON where we thought we could ride a taxi into Detroit. However, we learned that border crossings there were lasting up to twelve hours. We stayed an additional night in Toronto. Next morning, we caught Amtrak's International (now discontinued). I thought we would have a quick ride through the tunnel into Port Huron. I was wrong about that. Instead, all passengers were instructed to get off the train and board some busses that would take us over the Blue Water Bridge into Port Huron. It was a very long ride as all vehicles moved slowly through customs and immigration. By the time the last bus arrived at the Port Huron station, the train was hours late.
We got off the Amtrak train in Flint where we rented a car to drive one-way to the Nashville airport. There is no Amtrak service to Nashville.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
I probably won't be on much today. Being that it's the first of the month, I need to pay some bills and make my monthly drive to the LHS in Alexandria. They have some things there I want to look at. I don't know exactly what I'm buying today, but I'm bringing something home. I'm not gonna make a 120 mile drive and come back empty-handed.Today's Weather for: Sundown, LA 71446-6114 3/1/2007
Sundown Fire Dept., Station 23 Heat Index: 77°FHumidity: 83%Dew Point: 66°F So Far TodayHigh: 72°FLow: 70°FRain: 0.00"Rain Rate: 0.00"/hGust: 23mph SSW High: 74 °FLow: 44 °F
Today High: 72 Cloudy. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning. Clearing in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 70s. West winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Tonight Low: 40 Mostly clear. Much colder. Lows around 40. Northwest winds around 10 mph in the evening becoming light and variable. Who's up for pancakes and OJ?
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
grayfox1119 wrote:PHILIP: In about 15 years, you will be doing the chasing also....and they have "boundless" energy, just ask Mike (Inch), he needs 3 days rest after the grandkids leave....so do I !!!! LOL
I teach kids in sunday school most weekends.....I know about this "boundless energy" you speak of!
Good Morning All,
Back from Fla but a bit late. I'll try to catch up on the news later. Glad no one was injured (even the critters) at Inch's SIL's house.
The test sessions went well with the cars and we were done Sat eve so we packed up then and sent the truck north. Sun I visited a couple of hobby shops in the Palm Beach area finding one real good one in Lantana with tons of the detail bits my LHS never has. Monday morning my flight was cancelled and they told me "maybe Thursday, probably Fri" to fly out so it was off to AMTRAK for the 30 hour ride to NYC. Interesting ride if a bit too long (no sleepers - the train was full of people stranded in Fla by their airlines - some had been there as long as four days already). If you ever want ideas for you model pike, this si the ride to take as there are lots of sidings, industries, work yards, and enough clutter to make Fibber Magee look like a clean freak. Every type of station imaginable - covered platforms, newly restored stations, closed stations and we've not left Fla yet. It's also ideal for MRR's as the terrain is doable with just a little warpage in a sheet of plywood - flat anyone? It was dark by Jacksonville and I slept in my reclining coach section seat (pillows provided by AMTRAK). Woke up a lot to see some more stations etc and a few passing freights, but mostly Georgia nd the Carolinas were pitch black dark. Sunrise was around Rocky Mount N.C. so we saw the woods of Virginia and the approach of D.C. From there up the scenery was like a war zone. We had changed to electric power at D.C. which was quicker than diesel but with the flight of industry out of the northeast - tax and spend = close and run - there was closed run down factory after half razed building and abandoned tracks everywhere. The station at Baltimore was particularly depressing because you could see where they had simply poured concrete around the crumbling parts of old steam era iron stairs and platform supports. I doubt that lot could ever be salvaged or restored it's just too far gone. On a positive note around DC we started to see a lot of mass transit rail with nice equipment and reasonable if utilitarian terminals. We got to Penn Station in NY around 5 pm couldn't deal with the subway to Grand Central (confusing maps, no instructions, couldn't figure out the method needed for a token) so it was by cab there. Onto Metro North for the ride to Danbury and now passing familiar stations Greenwich, Darien, Rowayton to South Norwalk and the start of the Danbury branch. Left at 10:45 am Monday, arrived Danbury 7pm Tues. And bollocks to U.S.Air.
Retreived my car from Bradley airport last night and now I'm ready to get back to normal craziness. Hope the rest of you are doing ok. CUL,J.R.
SilverSpike wrote: PC, glad to hear that your wife is feeling better now! Prayers must have helped some!
PC, glad to hear that your wife is feeling better now! Prayers must have helped some!
Like there was ever any doubt!
I'm glad too! I was quite concerned for a while there!
pcarrell wrote:I teach kids in sunday school most weekends.....I know about this "boundless energy" you speak of!
Yeah, I'm just not sure how "ethical" it is to put a kid on a treadmill under the hood of your car!
But I digress............
Hoople wrote: Well guys...Expect a BIG storm on the east. I have 2-3" of the fluffy stuff, but the stuff on the road melted, so I have school.Expect low temps... Again...
Ah, yes, I just noticed that!
Anyways, time for some lunch! General Tso's Chicken, here I come!
pcarrell wrote:Anyways, time for some lunch! General Tso's Chicken, here I come!
Philip, It is not quite time for lunch out here, but I will have some anyway.
Sue
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
Afternoon, just coffee Zoe,
Still waiting on the rain to get here. There's been some all around us [some heavy], but nothing to speak of here yet. We're under a tornado watch till later tonight. Temps 53 with a stiff S. wind.
On the fire at our youngest boys house, they did have insurance, but that part is still up in the air on settlement. The adjuster was there yesterday and told the kids it was a total loss and to get out what they thought could be cleaned and saved. They were having some fancy outfit do the cleaning.
About an hour after that a contractor showed up and said the ajuster had called him to repair the house. the kids were suppose to meet the adjuster, their agent and the contractor this morning, Haven't heard anything yet
The little ones are doing better now. Tuesday night was kinda rough for them and us, but the new toys and clothes seemed to help. J Birds really happy, she likes stuffed monkey and some one gave her a trash bag full. Herman and Jocko's both gotten more than enough toys
The kids and us want to thank ya'll for the thoughts an prayers from every-one here. Thats one of the great hthings about this group.
Their staying in a freinds house that was empty, other than furniture and such for now, so they've got a roof over their heads.
DICK, one thing we don't need is a baby bed, but the thought is appricated.
PAUL, this is a old farming town and the old time spirite seems to be hanging on some how, but I don't know for how much longer with the way the world is around us is.
Best get out here, J Bird was taking a nap and is starting to strirr some. Try n catch with ya'll laters
inch
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/4309
HI ALL !!!
Back to two hands shoulder and arm are feling better more drugs Dr. said so
INCH;
Glad everything turned out better just watch out for those contractors hired by ins. people , sometimes they are a little ???? .I've had some trouble before .
HOOPLE ;
We are about 300 miles south of you and the coast range had 12in of snow on tues. nite then 6in. on wed. nite so no going over 26 [highway ] to portland ..
ALL ;
MRR room is warm now and Kathy is feeling better so I've got a chance to go out and play there. Got to tear down the rest of old mtn and start to continue to paint the rest of the walls and the ceiling.
Again I was cleaning out parts of old workshop and found a metal car in parts and I remember that one of us has a son or daughter that collects model cars of this type. So I will send this wherever it needs to go , all you have to do is send me an e-mail with adress and the post office will deliver. It's in pretty good shape don't know about all the pieces but I think the instrections are there OK.......
Its so nice to hear the ocean again, last nite was the first time since Christmass that we have been able to open the window at nite. Kathy gets soooooooo cold at nite even with an elec blanket, and its been colder then we are used to at nite. Below30 degrees at nite.
I've read so many pages and forgot to tke notes. Please forgive me , but I remember to say that to ELLIOT get better to Sue I"M BACK ........................and to all prayers and good health comes when you work at it and prayers to all.
CHUCK and KATHY[who is now sleeping and watching Perry Mason re-runs]
Good afternoon everyone.....the wife is feeling better today, I have caught whatever she had, but I have been able to fight it off better, probably because I had just come off anti biotics from dental surgery last week.
Looks like the big storm will hit us tonight with about 3-9" before it changes to rain tomorrow noontime.....the weathermen are having a tough time trying to plot the course and where the rain/snow line will be. Areas that stay all snow...18 -24" forecasted.
J.R. : That was some train ride, but I would have loved it anyways. I just wish the tracks ran through better scenery along the major cities.
GARRY: That was quite an experience. We were in Alaska in August of 2001 and just missed being stranded there by 2 weeks. I would not have minded being stranded in Ak or in NS. NS is a beautiful province, and the people there match their province, top notch people.
MIKE: Any word on what happened to the Furnace? I can see a gas furnace causing a fire if there was a leak, but oil fired furnace fires are pretty rare. Do the kids have enough cloths?
JEFF: Now don't tell me your driving 120 miles to a LHS and coming back home empty handed....NO WAY THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN !!! FESS UP JEFF !!!
PHILIP: Ahhhhhh now I understand. With all those youngsters to care for, you are well experienced. It's just that when you get past 65, something happens to our bodies that is hard to explain in words. Your mind says you can do anything, but your body just doesn't get the word. LOL
HOOPLE: Remember, every day off from school for snow days means one more day in sunny , warm, beautiful June that you are still in classes!!! hehehehehehhehehehee
COX47: Watch the skies, tornado warning are up.
10-4
grayfox1119 wrote: PHILIP: Ahhhhhh now I understand. With all those youngsters to care for, you are well experienced. It's just that when you get past 65, something happens to our bodies that is hard to explain in words. Your mind says you can do anything, but your body just doesn't get the word. LOL
I'm not quite to 65 yet, but I'm workin' on it. My dad gave me some words of wisdom about growing older a few years back though that might help. He said that there's three things that happen as you get older. The first is that you loose your memory, and he couldn't remember the other two.
sunsetbeachry wrote: KATHY[who is now sleeping and watching Perry Mason re-runs]
KATHY[who is now sleeping and watching Perry Mason re-runs]
'splain how that works again?????
Evenin' All,
Zoe, I'll have a ginger ale. Thanks, you're a dream.
Boy, that was a long, slow, freight and it never did stop. I finally had to jump off, otherwise I'd be still riding the rails. Think I twisted an ankle, though.
Been dodging tornados all day and thankfully none hit too close to home. But south of us they took a pasting. Eight people were killed in south Alabama when one hit a high school. Please remember them in your prayers.
The CFO is down with the strep and I've been feeling a bit punky as well. She was supposed to go to Nevada for two weeks to audit Army work. But since she's sick she won't go. That makes me feel better.
PC: It's good to know your wife is feeling better. Our prayers are with her.
Haven't been doing anything about the railroad but think. I do know that Lewistown is in the rightr place. I'm very interested in doing a backdrop with shallow buildings kind of layered. I think I'll be visiting Pennsylvania in a couple of months, so I think I'll got o Lewistown and get a good close look at the station. I have the photos from PC but I'd like to see it myself.
Boy, It's not even eight and I'm ready for bed. Didn't sleep very well last night and it's catching up with me. Lately I have been working so hard I come hope and do very little. I don't even check my email until the following morning. I can't wait for longer days and spring weather. I noticed today that the daffodyls are in bloom behind the house. A good sign.
Well, I'm must be off - at least that's what my wife tells me.
KJ
Paul: Aren’t you glad you are retired now, and no pressure to get things done on time?
Der: That was Mel Brooks in To Be Or Not To Be. " All I want is a little peace. A little peice of Poland, A little peice of France. " A very funny film. I liked the part where Brooks as Hittler opens the door of the pub and asks, " Is this England? "
Mike: Glad the kids are more settled. That’s pretty frightening for them. (and imagine what it’s like for those who are in a war zone!)
Sounds dodgy about the “total loss” then they want to renovate?
Chuck:
…sleeping and watching Perry Mason re-runs
Was at a memorial service on the island here for the 101 year old mother of neighbour friends of ours today. Too crowded in the church to get a seat so stayed outside. Sunshine was great, and 5 minutes before the end the clouds came. Temperature must have dropped 10 degrees straight away! On the way into the Harbour for the tea it was snowing. About an inch down by the time we got there, but when we got back home there wasn’t a trace. Tomorrow night will be a different story. Wind, 2-4 inches of snow, and then rain / freezing rain for Saturday. As to that second storm…we have a don’t ask, don’t tell policy on that one!
Printed off a couple of photos of the Front Range Light I took yesterday. I’d measured various bits I could get at, and from the photo and those measurements hope to be able to work out the proportions I need to build the somewhat taller Rear Range Light for the layout. Surprised to find the thing has a stainless steel door and frame. Makes sense really. Can’t remember if I showed you what the light I’m doing will be modeled after. Mine will be on a cliff ledge about 30 feet above the tracks, with another 70 feet of rock wall behind it….that photo may have to wait because Photobucket is doing maintenance, and it may not upload. No, we are in luck, and here it is
These Range Lights, if you are not familiar with them, are used for guiding boats through shoals and rocks into safe harbour. There are two to a set. They both have that red stripe. In day light you align your boat so that the stripes on the front and rear Range Lights are lined up. Keep them that way as you come in through the shoals or rocks, and there you are. At night of course the lights are lined up instead. In the UK they are called, or used to be, Leading Lights.
I’m using this one on the layout to give a Maritimes flavour, and also as an indicator light to tell me that the “light at the end of the tunnel” (some CS folks may remember that) is on or off.
Garry: That's a story that our tourist people need to hear to chear them up. Numbers have been dropping yearly since 9/11. On the Ocean to Montreal...that's the oldest continuously running train in Canada,and it may vie for those honours in North America. Sadly the Budd coaches are not used on that run except for the domes and observation cars. They've been replaced by sleek looking, but not as comfortable (we're told) used cars out of europe. I finally got to see the entire train in Truro last Sunday. Didn't have the camera, of course, but was first at the grade crossing and had a good view.
Once more time for bed.
Goodnight all, and God Bless. Prayers for all in need of healing, comfort and peace.
"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.
der5007: I hope tourism picks up there. NS is just beautiful.. .. Another recollection is Lunenburg (if I spelled it right)......... sea food at an old "fish factory" was beyond belief! We did not get to Cape Breton as we wanted, however. Thanks for explaining the Front Range Lights.
Anybody interested in Nova Scotia and wants to learn more should Google Nova Scotia and find their tourist department. Time for a nice trip with your better half.
Good evening ! from Indiana.
03-01-07
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
I got two new locomotives today. An Athearn RTR AC4400 and a Proto 2000 SW9/1200.
I had a problem with the AC4400. It runs around 18" radius curves just fine all day long. The rub was when it came to pulling a train. It did all right through the curves until it came to one to makes an 'S'. At this point it yanked the first car off track. An investigation revealed that because of the long end throw on the locomotive the rigid coupler pocket wouldn't allow the coupler to swing very much. So out came the Dremel with a cut-off disk. I opened up the rear pilot and modified the coupler pocket so the coupler can swin 45 degrees both ways. Now it has no problem pulling a train around the layout. A minor problem was the light weight out of the box. I packed the top of the shell with Rose-Art modeling clay, which increased the weight nicely. No more weight problem.
This is a scanned view of the AC4400This a pic of it on the layout.
And here's a scan of the SW1200. It's being repainted for KCS.
G'day Trackside diners.
I've been away from here for the last week or so because I haven't had much time to get a lengthy post in.
I received some Freight car kits to assemble, completely unpainted and unassembled, they look really good, and I look forward to doing them. I got Three coal hoppers and a Box van and LSR 'shunters' wagon. I'll post some pics sunday night.
Speaking of sunday, I'm chasing the Steam train sunday excursion, with the recently refurbished C17 'Brown Bomber' #974. We now have five Operable steam locomotives in the QR steam heritage fleet, one Diesel Hydraulic, and two steamers in the repair shops, one needing a whole new boiler, and the other (a Garratt) needing a complete refurb. I'll post some pics from sunday, sunday night, too.
all for now,
Oz
James, Brisbane Australia
Modelling AT&SF in the 90s
Good morning ! from Indiana.
03-02-07
Good Mornin All,
Jerry - Our prayers for Sallies speedy recovery. Hows the layout doing? With luck we'll start on the N gage stuff at the museum soon and I'll keep you posted . We have 2/3 of a layout of the Danbury railyard as it was in the fifties - loop track backshop and all, but it needs lots of cleaning and a fair bit of rework on sidings and structures. Shoulld be interesting work as we need to recreate the buildings that were there at the time.
Jeff - that's quite some roster you're building. Are you using a book to guide you on what power was used on the prototype for the era you're doing? Nosey people want to know.
Not much doing on the layout this week. Spent most of my time cleaning and reworking a little drain culvert and stream before I tackle the larger inlet. Time for work, CUL, J.R.
Mornin, an irish coffee Zoe
Missed the rain yesterday, other than a few showers. Even got a little sun, had a high 56, almost spring like. But not a spring like day today with highs in the mid 30's, cloudy, and a high wind advisary [possable gust to 45].
GMT,, that may have been a long train ride, but it sounds like you kinda enjoyed the sites along the way. How did the testing go down south.
JERRY, hope Sally's feeling better today, seems like she's had a time of it lattely.
CHUCK, We're keeping an eye on the contractors and their agent. I told the kids to get a couple estiments of their own. The adjuster had 40,000, contractor 70,000 figured for repairs. The kids and their bank want it torn down, the house is figured worth about 30,000.
DICK,,, turned out to have been eletrical in the gas furnace. the kids have plenty of clothes for now I think. EJ and Heather were going last evening to buy some stuff for themselves
DER,,, it was frighting for them and I'm afraid it's bothering J Bird more than the others now. She keeps talking but not being able to go to her house and her toys burning up and how sorry she is for not picking them up when mommy ask her to.
Best get started on chores, J Birds going to be here for awhile today and she is just to much help some times. Hope ya'll has a good one
Mornin' all!
Chilly one this mornin', but at least it stopped raining. All the rivers are at full flood stage because of all the rain the last couple days, so it's good that they'll get a chance to go back down before the next wave hits tomorrow. Right now it's pretty nice out, except for the cold.
Got lots of work to do today. Gotta turn in my final for English Comp 2 tomorrow, so I'll be busy on that in all my spare time today.
Oz James, can't wait to see the pics. I always enjoy some good stuff from down under.
Jerry, take care of Sally. I'm prayin' she gets better soon. Poor girl, she has had a tough time lately!
inch, good idea on the extra apraisers. Sounds like house hunting might be in their near future.
GMTRacing wrote:Jeff - that's quite some roster you're building. Are you using a book to guide you on what power was used on the prototype for the era you're doing? Nosey people want to know.
I don't model any particular era. I just do what I want. I've been known to lash up an 1860's wood burner with an SD40-2. Hey, it's on it way to a railfan trip someplace.