Depot Diner & Coffee Shop

[SactoGuy188]

Does anyone have any requests for Sunday Dinner this afternoon/evening?
If so, PLEASE let me know by 11 a.m. EDT.

How about food for sporting events like chicken wings, hot dogs, burgers and bratwursts?

 

[rvos1979]

Randy V-Having been meaning to ask about the "bagger" you mention in connection with the corn harvest.  I am not familiar with the term.  Can you explain?

Jay

Sure, Jay.  Many farmers lately, instead of building another silo (and going through the permit headaches that come with it) will rent a bagger to fill silage bags.  These bags are basically plastic tubes varying in diameter from about 8 to 12 feet, and 150 to 200 feet long.  These bags are installed on the bagger, which operates like a trash compactor.  Material is fed into the front of the machine, and then is forced into the bag (and the forming item the bag is resting on, called a tunnel) by various means, either an auger or a shaft with fingers forcing silage through slots in the tunnel.  The older baggers had a frame with a net connected to the bagger by long cables, being restrained by caliper brakes on the cable drums.  This keeps tension on the bag, causing the required compaction needed for fermentation (that gravity in a silo would otherwise provide).  Newer models have an anchor attached by heavy cable or chain to the tunnel and frame of the bagger.  Dragging this through the bag provides the necessary compaction.  I once had a talk with a representative from Ag-Bag, he told me they once had the cable break, digging out the anchor was like digging through concrete!

These baggers come in pull-type or self-propelled versions, it does take a lot of power to drive one of these, we had a 90+ horse tractor on ours, it was still bogging down at times.  The self-propelled models have larger engines, I have seen Ford Powerstroke diesels used, as well as 12-liter Caterpillar diesels.  These models also have different intake systems that allow rear-unload silage boxes and semi trailers to dump into the bagger.  These larger models are meant for large production farms that can run one all season long (filling hay, corn, and other crops), while the smaller pull-type models are for smaller farmers, and rental to persons like my dad.

Hope that helps.

[jeaton]

Randy

Thanks.  I am sure I have seen those bags loaded and I think assumed they were just a storage cover for a long row of round bales.  I see they have been in use for a number of years, just one of those things about the business that escaped my attention.

Jay

[railfan619]

Good afternoon everyone how is we all doin today fine and dandy. I hope well it's sunday and it's a real good day outside the temp is a blamy 72 degerees out and the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky but anywho. This is not going to last to much longer cause the temps and everything else is going to change sooner then later.But ohwell that it all comes with change but anywho that's really bout it from this end hope to be talkin to you all later.

[cherokee woman]

Does anyone have any requests for Sunday Dinner this afternoon/evening?
If so, PLEASE let me know by 11 a.m. EDT.

How about food for sporting events like chicken wings, hot dogs, burgers and bratwursts?

 

So be it:  chicken wings, hot dogs, burgers and bratwursts it is.  There is a selection
of the above, on the table.  Just took them off the grill. 

Message From:
The Cook

[Willy2]

It was 91 degrees today with more of the same expected for Monday. It cools down for mid-week and then temps shoot back into the mid 80s for the meeting in Lincoln next Saturday.

The weekends go way too fast! Be back in on Monday evening after school.

TTFN

 

 

[tree68]

What a day on the railroad -

Yesterday (Saturday) we had well over 400 riders for the day.  In fact, we sold out the two afternoon trains, so our "long distance" train left another coach before they headed back.  We added it to the consist on Saturday, and finished hooking things up on Sunday morning (the heat didn't work).  That made our consist four coaches and a baggage (used as an open air car).

First run on Sunday morning went without a hitch, even if we only had 13 passengers.  An omen.  The 6 miles is fairly flat.

Weather included some scattered showers.

Second run went well until we stopped to pick up canoes on the return leg.  Missed the platform and had to back up.  A harbinger of things to come.

Third run went fine on the 'downhill' leg, but on the uphill leg, we started to get bad feelings as soon as we started to climb the grade up from the river.  Over six miles, the average, uncompensated grade is about .75%.  We stopped a couple of times, getting started again after the crew put extra sand down by hand.  Then we stopped, and I heard the brakes apply.  There we sat.  The trainmaster happened to be on board, and he determined that we were a disabled train.  Fortunately, we weren't far from road access, so could have bussed the passengers back. 

But wait!  The 'long distance' train was sitting back at the station, waiting for us to come back so they could leave (boy, did we make them late...). At the head end of that train were two F's.  Just what we needed.  They finally showed up and pulled us the rest of the way up the hill (at a very nice clip).

We were only about an hour and change late - on a 1:20 run....

Moral of the story - wet rail can defeat an RS-3 with five pax cars on the coupler....

Talk about a long day....

Dog 'with' please.

[JoeKoh]

good morning

after church and great grandmas birthday yesterday it was time for a nap.at least it was a nice day for it and everyone could come over and make it.the leaves are starting to show their colors a little.over the weekend ran into a former buddy of mine in the other building I was working in.seems his son likes a little blue engine too.so after matt gets off the bus we have a delivery to make.

stay safe

Joe

[tree68]

Breakfast fixin's on the warmer.  Barrel of coffee (just the way you like it, trust me) is ready, too.

With regard to yesterday's adventure on the railroad - we were lucky that most people were willing to consider it an adventure rather than an inconvenience.  We apologized profusely and they just said - "it was fun!"

[cherokee woman]

Good Monday morning to one and all.

Gee, looks like I really slept in this morning:  just woke up a little bit ago.  And I
went to sleep at a decent hour, too!! (Like before midnight!)

Larry, thank you so very much for getting the coffee on, and making breakfast.
You did a fantastic job! 

See you all later.

[CopCarSS]

Hi All,

Sorry I haven't been in lately. One of my co-workers was off last week, and I had to pick up most of his duties. Alas, he's gone this week, too, so I'm not sure how much I'll be in here.

Don't know a whole lot. I am contemplating a switch from Canon to Pentax. The new K10D looks super sweet, and then there are those 24 million K-mount lenses already in the world! Each and every one of them is an image stabilized lens now! Come to think of it, M42 lenses are easily adaptable to K-mount, too, and I've got a good collection of them. How crazy is it to think that 1960's lenses could enjoy a re-birth as image stabilized gems?

Anyways, I had better start tending to the massive pile of work that has accumulated on my desk. Hope you all have a great week!

[CNW 6000]

Morning all.  Thought I'd pop in for a bit today.  Things in here seem great as usual.  I suppose I'll snag an OJ and a donut then it's off to my b-day lunch.  Later...

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

Morning all.  Thought I'd pop in for a bit today.  Things in here seem great as usual.  I suppose I'll snag an OJ and a donut then it's off to my b-day lunch.  Later...

Is it your birthday today, Dan? If so, well then, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

[blhanel]

I am contemplating a switch from Canon to Pentax.

Traitor!

j/k- I too am a former Pentax user- still have a K-2 stowed away with three fixed focal length lenses.

, Dan!

[CShaveRR]

Another October birthday!  Congratulations, Dan!

(We're going to have a little party this weekend for at least four Forum members and friends whose birthdays are coming up this month.  Brian--can you convince Mrs. H to come along?  I presume you know where to go by now.  And Chris, are you still thinking about coming, I hope?)

[cherokee woman]

Thought I'd slip in between laundry loads, and get lunch on the warmer bar you all.

Today's lunch menu is:

1.  Italian spaghetti w/garlic bread and garden salad
2.  Meat loaf, mashed taters, green beans and whole kernal corn
3.  tomatoes stuffed w/tuna salad on a bed of Iceberg lettuce

Hope everyone enjoys the specials tor today.

Dan, hope you can make it back in for supper tonight:  please let me know, and
let me also know what you would like for supper, and I'll take a birthday cake out
of the freezer (hope chocolate is all right:  if not, let me know what flavor to take
out of the freezer.

Message From:
The Cook

[jeaton]

Greetings all.  Just popping in between chores, still hope to have a few pics posted from the trip by the end of the day.

Would like to be able to make the upcoming gathering, but I am off to a four day event next week and if I do too much more traveling, there won't be any thread left on either set of wheels.

ttyyl

Jay

[tree68]

Thought I'd slip in between laundry loads,

Please be sure to sort the socks..... 

[CNW 6000]

Thanks everyone for the bday wishes.  I'll pop back in tonight for a bit.  CW anything you do would be great!  Chocolate cake is always welcome here!

[CShaveRR]

Aw, shucks, Jay!  We were hoping that our consummate professional could attend--and tell us how to turn this into a tax break!

Oh, my!  Thunder can be heard clear down in the dungeon here, and the Bug says we're under a warning for the next 20 minutes.

Willy, I hope your long-range forecast doesn't include any rain, especially for Saturday!  (On the other days, a driving rain might be allowable, 'cuz we'll be driving!).

[Mookie]

Dan - yes, yes, yes.  Oh, and Happy Birthday!

Tree - you are working too hard.  You need to relax and smell the leaves! 

CW - meatloaf.  Please.  Did you see I slipped in a small fur coat to be washed?  Thought maybe you could put it in with something delicate.  (Like a hot pad or Mutt's socks!)

I am changing my name - I will now be Mrs. Tail's-a-draggin'.  Too much.  I need less D-Tail!

Randy - you owe me a splanation on field & sweet corn and silage. 

Willy - need 75 degree weather for this coming weekend.  See what you can do!

Jay - this one's for you - @  (that's a nap cat style!)

I am off - down the garden path to smell the roses.  (Ah Choo!)

 

[tree68]

Tree - you are working too hard.  You need to relax and smell the leaves! 

Actually, I enjoy the 2 hour drive each way, knowing that I get to "play" on the railroad all day, and despite the long day caused by our problems, it was still better than sitting here at work....

We had plenty of time to smell the leaves while waiting for the rescue train.  And to hear the rushing water of the nearby river, something lost when we ramble through under normal circumstances. 

We're thinking that the colors may have peaked in that area.  Have to see what thing look like next weekend.

[JoeKoh]

mookie bless you here are some tissues.will take some meatloaf and smashed taters for tonight.

Dan to you and many many more!.time to go get matt off the bus.

stay safe

Joe

[locomutt]

Dan, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

Mook,changing your name to that, rather sounds like a PBS Kids program,
"Dragon Tales"
(and your 4 paws could easily fit into one of my socks,don't think that
that should be construed as delicate! )

The "Powers That Be" have already given the rainfall totals for us for Sep.
Looks like Sep. 2006 was the second wettest on record since they started
keeping them. 

[CopCarSS]

Brian,

Yes, I may be a traitor, but Canon hasn't really done much to impress me lately. They've either A) brought out cheap consumer zooms that I have no interest in or B) bring out lenses that I really really like, and then price them insanely high.

For example, my 70-200mm f4L is probably my favorite zoom lens ever, and delivers image quality like some very good primes. When I bought it, I chose to go for the f4L version over the f2.8 IS version because of the weight savings (my back appreciates that when I do really long hikes). I had always wanted an image stabilized version of the f4, though. When Canon brought it out, I was ecstatic. When I saw the price ($1250) I wasn't so much so. It still doesn't include a tripod mount, so by the time one adds that price in, it's priced only a couple hundred dollars awa from the f2.8 version.

Another example involves the updated 85mm f1.2L (the Mk. II). When they announced that, I was pretty happy becuase I thought it would drive the price of used Mk. I's. Lo and behold, Canon added enough to the price of the Mk. II that used Mk. I's in good condition have actually appreciated!

I've done a bit of research, and I think Pentax may be more suited to my liking. They've got some insanely good primes (take a look at this comparison between the old A* 85mm f1.4 and the aforementioned Canon 85mm f1.2L Mk. II. In all aspects except the Digital "Blooming," I feel the Pentax is at least the equal of the very highly regarded Canon and in many cases even outperforms it (how are those corners so sharp!)). Plus, take a look at what Mike Johnston has to say about the best autofocus lenses out there. The 77mm is rumored to perform at least as good as it looks, and my goodness! I think I enjoy looking at it as much as I do Nicole Kidman or Natalie Portman!

For starters, I'm just going to get a K100D, a 16-45mm and a couple primes. If I like it, you can put me down for a K10D and a whole plethora of glass just as quickly as I can get the Canon stuff sold!

[Willy2]

Dan -

Mookie and Carl - Weather is still a bit iffy for Saturday. Right now it looks like lower or mid 80s with a chance of some afternoon thunderstorms in Lincoln. The forecast is quite uncertain right now, so things may completely change by Saturday.

I still don't know what I got on my test over the Odyssey. Teachers are sure good at taking their time grading things.

I'm off to do homework. TTFN.

[CNW 6000]

Thanks for the cake and all the well wishes!  I'll pop in tomorrow night again!

[cherokee woman]

Good Tuesday morning to one and all!  Coffee is ready to pour, fresh juice is in the
fridge, and there is iced tea or hot tea also available this morning.

The following is on the warmer bar:  bacon, sausage, toast, biscuits, sausage gravy,
scrambled eggs, bagels, fresh from the oven.

Heard on the news this morning, that there was another train accident around our
area last night, early this morning.  In New Albany, In, there was someone walking
on the tracks.  I believe the report said that the person was taken to the hospital.
That's two in 24 hours, something we don't see or hear about too often in our area.

Guess that's about it for right now:  people are beginning to ring our doorbell, to
sign up for Tuesday Produce.  See you all later, and have a great morning.

Message From:
The Cook

[Mookie]

^ ?

Still warm here - 90-91 here yesterday. 

Today we talk about living in the wild west!  Yesterday they shot a mountain kitty out west-central NE and had an elk running through north Lincoln.  The mountain kitty got too close to a school.  Too bad they can't shoot bad people that get too close to schools!  They seem to do more harm.

The elk was looking for our football team to sign autographs, but they weren't in house, so he left! (someone said a 5 point for you hunters)  I, fortunately, have only one point - and yes it is up there.

Need some hammock time.  Had to do a little dusting in here yesterday and it just plain wore me out.  Plus I got a dirty tail and had to (shudder) wash it!  Ack!

Thought for today - you can tune a piano, but you can't tune a fish!  Tuna fish - yum - ........is lunch ready?

 

[tree68]

Nice day here, cool, but nice.  See some rain headed in from the west, but don't think we'll get the junk they got in the midwest.

Spoke with #2 child last night.  He and his wife are in transit from the upper left corner to DC, and will be stopping here.  Sooner than I'd expected...  Better finish up the dishes...  Wasn't expecting anyone for another week....

I used to hear a radio show by a guy who used the name "Charlie Tuna" on the air.  His signoff?

"Stay Tuna'd!"