I know that when the amount of dust, be it grain, flour or whatever reaches a certain concentration it doesn’t take much to set it off. Just a small spark of static electricity can do it, a person running their hand through their hair. In my home fire safety classes I used something people thought to harmless as an explosive. Coffee creamer. Got any powdered coffee creamer in your kitchen? Sprinkle some over a flame and see what happens. Be ready to step back though! I did a demonstration in which a fan circulated a small amount of the stuff around inside a 3’Wx3’Hx4’L plexiglass box that had a flint striker on one side. The box had several flaps on the top. I would open a (one) packet of powder coffee creamer and sprinkle it in front of the fan then spin the striker. The result was dramatic not to mention explosive! There would be a small flash from the striker followed by a BIG flash from the powder, the force of which would lift the flaps on the box almost vertical and nearly everyone could feel the concussion from the blast. That was an attention getter and could forever change how and where you prepared your coffee! This can happen with other powdered things you use in the kitchen. Flour is one. Believe it or not pancake mix can explode. I myself had a very eye opening experience with chili powder that came in contact with a gas flame.
Thanks, Jeff! I guess those various additives and such need a wee bit of caution, eh? I never thought the grain dust was flammable, let alone explosive, but I guess it’s like how fuel injection engines provide a bigger bang in cars (though more controlled…).
Jim in Cape G.
Evenin’ folks!
Zzzzzzzzzzzz…! Uh? Oh! Janie, just a decaf please.
Long, long day. The Division Meet went exceptionally well. Had around 40 people there I think (haven’t done a complete count from the sign in. All the clinics were well received, had a huge number of Model and Photo entries, and I got railroaded again to be Superintendent of the division for 2 more years (all the officers will stay the same). We also had the current Niagara Frontier Region President as a guest today. He helped to present one of our members with his Master Model Railroader at the end of the meet.
I left home at 6AM this morning and arrived back home a little before 6PM tonight. I will have a lot of putting stuff away, “dis-aggregating Data” and such, then I can spend a few days w*rking on the layout I hope.
Debating lighting the wood stove or just putting on another layer of clothing…
Later!
73
After a hard day at work today I came home and just vegetated…also I do not have my truck right now due to a repair I need…a new power steering pump…and I just fixed the one on my mom`s car a week ago.
A pic of a project I`ve been working on…an Atlas HO scale RS-1…you can see more pics of this in the “Diesel Modeling” thread.
.
SSHHH! Don’t tell my vans engine about fuel injection! You’ll spoil it. It has a standard non-electronic two barrel carburetor. It wouldn’t know how to act with something better.
Curt - I spent 23 years on the fire department at Greater Pitt Int’l Airport, with about 18 of those years working the ambulance as well as the trucks. I can say without hesitation that it is a proven fact that every whacko in the world has come through the doors at least once in their life. And more often than not, on my duty hours.
Tom
Well I’ve been working on the elevator project off and on today. Printed up three wall plates just to see how it would look. Lots of work to do on that yet. My work area is a disaster area!
It’s been raining all day, sometimes just a sprinkle, other times coming down in buckets. Radar shows more nasty stuff on the way. Rain chance tonight is 100%, tomorrow 90%. In plain language, wet!
Powers been out several times today. At least today had a reason. Over the last week the power has gone out more than two dozen times and never for long, just a few seconds to a minute then back on so it can work on ruining ac units and fridges. They don’t like that on and off stuff one bit and neither do I.
Well it’s time for me to call it a night. See y’all tomorrow.
Ulrich: I wonder if this would help your toothache. Is there a product in Germany that mothers rub on their babies’ gums when they’re teething to ease the pain of the teeth breaking through? Here, we have a product called Ambesol (I think I spelled that correctly) that is a mild topical anaesthetic that numbs the gums a little to ease the babies’ pain. I’ve used it on a toothache in the past and it does work, although it’s not a strong anaesthetic. After all it’s designed for babies. One thing, though, don’t get any on your tongue. It will numb the tongue and feels really weird.
Good whiskey will have the same effect!!![:D]
Good Evening gang!
As some of you know, though most dont, I severed my ties with the local modular club this year. After 19 years, I’d had enough of setting up for shows, dragging 28+ feet of modules, dealing with transportation and set up issues, and the new physical limitations placed on me after having a stroke last year… Not to mention there were a few newbies that I was about to clobber if left to my own devices.[B)]
Besides, I figured it was about darn time I build my own layout[:D]
So my outdoor project today was to drag out the trailer that hauled those modules, and get it cleaned up and checked before a possible sale. 1st item, check wiring. No lights working![:O] Oh wow, finally figured it out, The 4 wire connector fed into the harness, which went into a 7pin plug, then to the lights! Traced the voltage loss to somewhere inside the 7 pin plug, but the screws that held it together were rusted in place. 2 hours later, with drill bits,easy outs, screwdrivers, wire cutters and strippers and a whole lotta blue language, I had her fixed![yeah] Gave the trailer a good scrubbing, checked for leaks (none) and
Gooooood Evening,
JIM (from Missouri): JEFF described the whole "why grain elevators go BOOM and BOOM! very well![bow]. Here’s how persnickity these facilities get to try and keep the big bang from ever happening. The following is Cargill’s instructions for UPRR crews switching their Blair, NE facility:
“A: Matches, lighters, igniters or other sources of sparks or flame may not be carried into the elevator. These items and cigarettes, cigars or pipes must be left in a place outside the elevator area. Smoking is absolutely not allowed within the elevator area or within 50 feet of the car or truck unloading area. B: Flashlights - only flashlights and electric lanterns approved by the Company are to be used within the elevator department. C: No internal combustion engines are allowed in the elevator (except locomotive). D: Electrical appliances, such as fans, motors or clocks may not be used in the elevator area.”
On another topic, JIM, my home office is the “digital darkroom” and my desk pulls multiple duties including being “the sports desk.” I only go to the company office when I absolutely have to: “facetime” or (like tomorrow) to drop-off photo files since they’re too large to e-mail and our “free” file transfer service is too time-consuming. I can e-mail my articles to Mr. Boss, and on the weekends I send them direct to our proofreader. Otherwise, I do all writing and photo editing/processing from home sweet home. The benefits? Less wear and tear on my truck, nap time is whenever I feel like it, beer for lunch (or breakfast)? why SURE! Rerun likes having me home too. I do depart my bunker to cover events, and fulfill assignments. But instead of having THAT Editor peeking over my shoulder all day, I get to return home to put it all together. Some would applau
Evening Folks!
Flo, why thank you for the [B]
Work Front Well I can say I did not deal with any Idiots today, just one Butt Head.In fact I all most did not deal with any customers today, I think I had 5? I showed up at 11:00 AM and there was a small flurry and after 3:00 PM I think we had 3 more cars? Bright side was I walked out at 7:12 PM (we close’s at 7:00) down side I only made a extra $40.00 in commission. And here I have been wanting to work Saturdays because we are busy?
Talked to my new friend Paul in GA tonight. I am helping him with a layout idea based on a 5’ X 14’ layout. I do enjoy talking with Paul. He is having a rough time with a love one, so lite a [angel] candle for him.
Ulrich I am using the Atlas 8.0 program, how do I make the track a single line? Been a few years and I have forgotten how?
Trains are running great tonight! Big Boy is still running well. Got the sound balanced t where it and the Y6 b sound good running with each other.
See you all later!
Ken
Good Morning Gang!
Sunday! Flo, I´ll have my big Sunday breakfast with all the works, please. Make that hot cakes, sausages, fried bacon, scrambled eggs, buttered toast, a glass of OJ (not the Simpson brand) and lotsa coffee, dear.
Well, the teeth are not acting up as much as they did before. A good “flushing” with some old brandy (didn´t even know I still had that stuff) helped a lot. [swg]. I hope it´ll last for the next four weeks.
Ken - click on “view”, then select “properties” and there you can select, whether you´d like to have the track drawn as a single, double or double-filled line.
Johnboy - nice reading about the “hanging” trains of Wuppertal. We lived not far away from Wuppertal in my childhood days, so I had the joy of riding these trains a number of times. Actually, I did not feel well doing so, knowing that there is no solid ground underneath my feat gave me a queasy feeling to my stomach. The line is now in its 111th year of operation and sports an all-time low of accidents. The most spectacular accident happened in 1950, when the Wuppertal Zoo used the line to transport a baby elephant to a photo shooting. The poor animal did not like that at all and somehow managed to open a door, falling into the river below, where it was rescued unhurt. To honor the brave baby elephant, all products of the local dairy now bear its name “Tuffy”. 1999 saw the first fatal accident, when 5 people got killed when a train “joined the birds” and fell into the river.
Here are some recent shots:
Good Morning! from Tipton IN.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Former NKP (LE&W) depot (now NS)-Tipton IN
Good Morning!!
Weather here be sunny and a little bit of cloud…very dry as well[*-)]
Hello!! I spent a couple of days cuddled up in bed with the rum toddies and the quilts and now is all better…especially since I just finished the ding dang cancer treatments…[|(][:-,]…now I am all well again!!
Anyways…Ulrich…The HO scale layout over the overhead train looks really interesting…[:P]…WANT!!![:D]
Off to check the rest of the forums!!
grumble snort snort snffle
My one eye that is open tells me it is SUnday!!!
GOOD MORNING!!!
Some think our hobby is a bit NAMBY PAMBY. SO:
Namby Pamby: meaning Childish and weakly sentimental.
Origin
In 1714, the English poet and playwright, Ambrose Philips (1674 - 1749) became tutor to George I’s grandchildren. The position gave him a status amongst the aristocracy and he took the opportunity to advance his place in society by writing sycophantic sentimental poems in praise of their children. These were written in rather affected and insipid nursery language, of the ‘eency-weency’, ‘goody-goody’ sort. This didn’t go down well with his rival poets and playwrights and when, in 1725, he wrote the execrable ‘To the Honourable Miss Carteret’, he was widely derided:
Thou, thy parents pride and care,
Fairest offspring of the fair
…
When again the lambkins play,
Pretty sportlings,fu
Good Morning!!!
Coffee and the breakfast buffet please, Thanks.
I, didn’t stop in yesterday cause I just jumped in and started doing stuff. Thought I’d get an early start[tup]. Waste of effort as I doubt I got anymore done than if I’d stopped in here[tdn].
Thanks guys for the European bumpers lesson. I didn’t know that about the couplers.
Galaxy- I lived in a trailer….er Mobile ho….er…manufactured home for about 4 years so I know the woes of that. Fortunately, it was a Shult and it had fixtures and the like were standard house sizes so any time there was a repair just a trip to Menards. Furnace I know was for a trailer and water heater I think was special, everything else (excluding windows) was “normal” Never stepped foot in a mobile home parts place. But do call the manufacturer. I know it’s apples and oranges, but when the transmission went out on my old pickup when it was 8 years old with like 43,000 miles and the warranty was for 7 years/70,000 miles, the dealer called Chrysler and they said they’d cover it anyway. Never hurts to ask.
Yes I said the dealer called and that is unheard of because they make less money on warranty than they do selling me the trans and install. (labor is figured different and less when dealing with the manufacturer. They give mechanics less time. Basically reimburse the dealership as opposed to profiting)
Light bulb issue- CFL’s I llllllllike ‘em. Not for any reason other than they last longer than incandescent. The price has come way down from when they first came out and even the cheap Wallworld brands last. Well, mostly[:-^] [(-D]. Now you can get them to replace almost any type bulb even, I think, those little chandelierpointy bulbs, though we won’t be using them there, probably end up getting new fixture instead, she has decided she doesn’t like the one in the dining room. It has those and eats those
Good morning. Great weather we have here if you’re a duck! Temp: 72°. Humidity 100%. Rainfall 0.07" since 12am. Mostly cloudy. Wind gusts 15 mph ESE.
No outdoor activity planned today. I’m not into water sports. It looks like the wet weather is moving out.
Today I’ll likely make some small changes on the wall plates for the grain elevator or I may leave it like it is.
Barry - I have seen a layout featuring one of those, and I really must say it looked great. Here is a link to the manufacturer with ordering details …
Zoe, would you please come here quick, I think Barry has fainted and need the kiss of life [:-^]
Good morning, Diners. Coffee, please, Chloe. I am sore from cutting wood yesterday. I guess the run before hand didn’t help either.[(-D]
I guess I will put a few sticks on my car shop today.
Sue
Morning All,
Flo I would love another coffee please.
The rest of the family is still snoozing so I have been soldering wire extensions to LED bulbs for some more buildings on the layout. I also framed and hung a drawing of the PRR S-2 that came in the quarterly PRRT&HS publication. I have to decide if I want to start drilling the holes for the lights or let the others continue to sleep…hmmmm[:-,]. I think we are going to the movies later.
Ulrich- I looked at that link and with those prices I would have to win the lottery to even think about it, but it is pretty neat.
JohnBoy- Thanks for the history lesson again.
Hope everyone has a good day and prayers for those in need.