Made it home finally about 6:30 PM. It’s a shame to go to another state and never see anything but the inside of a classroom, a cafeteria, or your dorm room. Oh well, one day I’ll hope to get up there and do some sightseeing. It looks nice from the air.
Nice chat with RT on the phone today, but his computer needs further work so it will be a couple more weeks without it. Further nice chats with Joe, SJ, John and Kevin tonight - a big gang!
TARDIS is AWOL - anybody remember where you parked it?!?!
To obtain intelligence information we plied a good ol Suthern Boy with spirits last night. Needless to say it took several gallons. After we were able to get his mouth moving by threatening to put the wheels back on his house and hiding it, he came forth with Roseyville information. He said someone had really made a mess of the Roseyville Flat Prarie RR, whcih of course I credited to our artillary manned by Sgt. Blueberry frequent and accurate snow Ohio attacks. He also advised me to enter the community of Roseyville at a high speed, at least double the posted speed limit. Apparently, the radar gun in Roseyville manned by Roseyville Police Sgt. Fife is calibrated to handle mule drawn wagons speeding into town.
Now to put on my bibs and head north. This hooking tactic worked extremely well for past Buckeyes in the 1860s. [(-D]
Today turned out to be a very easy Saturday. I was able to have a quick chat with SJ, Brutus, John, and Kev this morning. Afterwards, we decided to hang around the house and I finished wiring the UTB RR. I created some grooves in the foam so I could hide the block wires and also attached the toggle switches to the wooden frame. The wires are now hidden and everything looks clean. I wanted to take the family to a train museum located not too far from us, but it was too cold for the wife and kids. The museum has many outside attractions. Tomorrow we need to build some more Lego structures.
Banks - It looks like you should have some fun this weekend with the grandkids. The museum looks as if it has a lot to offer.
Dennis - I’m not surprised about Courageous; it is a great movie.
Good morning. It’s 47° and mostly clear. The high will be 59° and it will be mostly sunny.
I have a whole lot of nothing planned for today. I’ve been doing enough and I deserve a break today. Now my parents will probably think I need something to do and come up with bunches of ‘do this’ and ‘do that’ things.
Got two the F7-A’s decaled yesterday. I went and got an early morning shot of L&A #600. That’s today’s photo. The roof of Ezra Johnson’s garage makes a great vantage point.
Nice chat last night with Brutus, SJ,Joe, and John.
Buckeye, congratulations on the attack on the Rolesville rail system yesterday. [oX)]
I hear that Chief and the 14 other brave residents of Rolesville are preparing for today’s frontal attack. They have apparently not learned from history that they will not survive a Yankee invasion. [yeah] [:-,]
On top of that, the news here is Obama found out about Chief’s post from yesterday. So he is sending in additional back up troops from the Chicago Rainbow Beach area to help Buckeye. Something about they have had relatives who passed through that area in the past and that will help them in the fight. [:O] [(-D]
With all of the preparations going on Chief if you find time once you have been captured I am still waiting for a $ number from you. [;)]
Bob My wristwatch is still sitting where I put it three years ago when I retired. I have not put it on since. [:)]
Doug, I saw that on the news about Capt. McHome. It was a nice thing to do. [tup] And what is with kids finding skulls out there by you?? [xx(]
Joe, here is the snow you said you wanted last night. I took it when I got up today.
I can guarantee you will pay for that statement before the night is over. [:-^]
Turned cool last night but warming fast in honor of the arrival of Buckeye. Got several “things” planned for him. [(-D] Finn, Lucy and Burg have not been fed for two days. [:O] Been waving a Yankee uniform in front of them. If all fails, we have a strong rope and a rotten limb on a tree.[:(!]
Santa Ana winds yesterday, today and tomorow. Really windy last night frightening gusts. Something about the mountains Sylmar where I live gets wind when nearby towns have none. 78 today 76 tomorow.
This is from Christmas day LA Times only now read, about the Pasedena Rose Parade floats. 3 major float manufactures,with a few made by their sponsors. The Rose Parade generates 181 million in direct spending. 58.6 million from the Rose Bowl game. The average float has 250,000 flowers that cover a area of 5,000 sq. ft. It cost 60,000 to buy and modify a truck chassis to carry a float. They use the same chassis for at least 10 years. A typical float cost a advertiser 225,000.
Been incognito for a while. Finishing the layout for the Plano train show, travel, got sick, more travel, and closing on the lake house yesterday ate up all my spare time the last 2 weeks. Will spend this weekend taking it easy and recovering. [zzz]
News from the Mt. Graham and Arizona Eastern Boiler Shop
Finally got around to installing the liquid smoke unit in the 2025, however it was a somewhat entertaining project. Here is the blow by blow account for your enjoyment:
Disassembled locomotive. Not too much of a problem there. Whoah…now I see why they say you should not add too much smoke fluid, fortunately it cleans up easily.
Remove old smoke unit top w/ original element.
Remove the covering on the new element per JimT’s advice.
Figure out how best to wire in this thing. Finally decided inline is the way to go to avoid covering the air pump hole (see below).
Fiddle fuss around w/ the high temp insulation that came w/ the unit. Half was already frayed out already. Pull it out of the hole in the cap in the process. Trim off frayed area to try and get it back in. Succeed, but in the end this stuff is so flimsy I ended up taking it off anyway.
Solder in unit and heat shrink connection.
Reassemble, or attempt to. OK, the wire w/ new insullation will not fit on top, fine, but heat shrink is too thick to get past the smoke unit and the frame. Blast.
Remove unit and swap the unit top end for end so the power wire is toward the rear so I don’t have to try and snake it around everything.
Reassemble. Smoke unit mounts to pilot casting. But hey this thing doesn’t line up real well. What’s the deal? Meanwhile dislodge, retrieve. and realine the smoke unit gasket about 3 dozen times.
Realize that I am trying to install the smoke unit backwards as I’m trying to line up the smoke unit, pilot casting, valve gear on both sides, smoke plunger, and that blasted gasket.
Remove unit and resolder so the bracket is now in the front like it should be. (If I hadn’t left the book at home, prob would have figured this out earlier. Part of the fun of having all your stuff
Well got my putor back but it was still broke they said they needed to replace the main board ( mother board) but when it got there they replaced the power supply ( to which I and my 2 brothers who are computor guys ( they repair and build networks for businesses) so now the company is sending me a lable to return it to them so they can fix it right. So I went out and bought a laptop as I really wanted one any way. So it will help me in the long run.
Got some things back up and running that I needed to have ( ie check book lol)
Hope all been having a good couple of weeks. It going to be 2 weeks until I have my big putor back so I had to get something as been 3 weeks with out a putor already lol
