A nice lemonade would do here near the end of the w…k day. Came in early to beat the rain which never showed up.
Colby - It’s always something isn’ it? Politics and business have always been a lousy mix. It sounds to me like you do a lot better raising money than we do here, but 65k a year is still alot of moolah. Your board should be looking first to the city for a block grant to either pay the rent as a stop gap, or build a proper museum (perhaps at the station as one of the people suggested in the newspaper links). The other thing is to fund raise from local businesses especially those connected to the tourist trade. It would help if you have a signed guest book or some way of showing how many people you attract every year as that represents income for the city as well as yourselves.
As to operating expenses - we were given the restored original station gratis after the city got a state grant for the cost of the restoration (over 1 mil in 1993 dollars). We pay about dollar a year rent for the station and a similar amount to ConnDot for our yard. We do our own yard upkeep and are negotiating with the city on building maintinence costs and are responsible for our heat and electricity. In addition our lease spells out our responsibilities as far as running a museum there goes.
Well I just wanted to pop in and say hi - the puter wouldn’t let me in the door this morning at all and Chloe I swear the check for my tab really is in the mail!!! Well back to iit and get ready to finish up and head home. CUL,J.R.
Howdy All…Just dropped in for a Diet Coke before Sallie gets up from her nap…Had a couple of goes at cleaning up walls on DPM building and messed around trying to get computer back to normal…Guy down the street is selling Watermelons and I went down and picked up a couple he brought them up from Southern Indiana…Can’t wait to cut them if they are good I’ll bring some in to the Dinner tuesday…Have a good evening…Jerry
Hi folks! 12 pages behind, so not much chance of catching up. Glad to see Scott and krump have dropped in again. [#welcome] back guys.
Finally started on a house maintneance project that I’ve known has needed doing for some years now. Now I’ve got into it, there is of course more to it than I have at first thought. I’ts coming along in the early going, but he weather isn’t helping too much, except that it isn’t a problem keeping the concrete that’s involved from drying out! (I’m doing micro-pours patching a 1950’s foundation somewhat the worse for entropy.)
Also, haven’t been able to get up to our daughter’s place to fix the post for the balcony. This week looks better, and I did get some materials prepared ahead of time on that one.
Fergie: Is the Coast Guard Research vessel you are on the Hudson? I’m asking because of the ATV news item this evening showing some of the deep water corals and scallops that were discovered on the last trip.
Have been waiting all day to hear from a family from Alberta (I know the dad) who are touring the Maritimes and were supposed to come down to Sheet Harbour from Cape Breton today. We waited supper as long as we could, and then fixed somethignfor ourselves. If they come tomorrow, we’ll do the dinner then, but it would be good to hear something soon.
July’s MR was supposed to come into our library from Dartmouth over a week ago. Still nothing., and we know it’s just sitting on the shelves, according to the computer.
No mrr for ages. The blue desert project has ground to a halt, but not abandoned.
Good evening to all, the results from the eye doctor was new long distance lenses for both the wife and I. Not enough of a change for the computer glasses though.
JEFF: I was going to send you $$ to get your PS early, but the bank got robbed today at the optometrist…LOL. I did get to Wal-Mart this afternoon, hunted high and low for the Aztek airbrush kit to no avail. I hit the craft dept, the paint dept, the auto dept…no dice. I went online and I see that Testors owns Aztek, so there are several online outfits that carry Aztek kits, so I guess that is the root that I will take, Mico-Mark carries them, and a hobby shop in Sprinfield, Ma carries Aztek airbrush kits also, but they are about an hours drive west of here, so online will be cheaper considering no sales tax.
DUKE: Too bad you missed that ride on the COG RR, that is one h***** experience!!
RYAN: More pics to come, just feeding them in slowly.
Anyone heard from Mike lately? Is he at his camper in the woods with no internet connection or something?
Ryan the aircraft that I mentioned is a De Haveland Mesquito. It was a twin engine fighter bomber powered by 2 Rolls Royce Merlin engines and built of plywood. The aircraft was so fast that the German’s Me 109 was not able to catch it. The Mesquito was used extensively for photo recon work because of it’s speed. Today there is one aircraft being restored.
I got the Walthers sale catalogue today and it had an add for the Hiawatha. I guess I’ll have to call them and get the full skinny on there speical deal. I’ve dug out my books on the Milwaukee Road Hiawatha and the depot in Milwaukee. Years ago friend of mine gave me drawings of the trackage and buildings at the depot. I’ve always had a desire to model it. My father used to take me down there to watch the trains and later I went down there with three friends to watch trains. I guess I’m going to get the stuff together and look for a space to build it. I’m sunk!
Dick those were great shots of the cog railway. Thanks.
Short weather report from down here in Paradise, [8D] hot and humid. So what else is new.
As predicted, we did get out to the orange grove yesterday. Generally it’s in pretty good shape. The guy we have doing most of the work on it does a nice job. But it’s been a drier than normal summer so far, and we’ll need some rain soon for the fruit to develop properly. Looks to be a decent year, but nothing great. Most of the Monicas (our most numerous orange variety) appear to be taking the year off, so that will be a big hit to total production. But the Mandarins, the Queens (our second most numerous variety) and the juice oranges look like they will have decent production.
We’re still a few months away from starting to pick oranges, but we did come home yesterday with some limes, avocados, papayas, and bananas (two different varieties), enough to fill the back of the Blazer. I’m already enjoying some of the bananas in a cream pie that Fran made, [dinner] and I enjoyed some of the papaya this morning.
One more day here at home, and we’ll be busy packing. We head back on the road Wednesday morning. This time it will be a relatively short (9 day) trip, mainly to attend what passes for the annual national railfan and model railroad convention down here. It wouldn’t hold a candle to a decent club show up north, but it’s the only game in town. And the best opportunity to meet up with a bunch of my railfan buddies from down here. The convention is in the center of the country, in Aguascalientes, an old traditional rail center down here. After the convention we’re heading to Zacatecas (a silver mining center) for a couple of days. Zacatecas is the second highest city in Mexico, at about 8,000 feet, and will take a bit of getting used to. But spending 3 da
I just returned to Land-Between-the-Lakes region a couple of hours ago from Michigan and Ohio. Again, it was good to meet Duke at National Train Show. They did have food there but it’s no match for the food here in the diner. Good thing I didn’t get too mcuh at the show because the vehicle was full of other stuff to bring home. I purchased an Empire Builder car, a California Zephyr car, some decals, a neat book, some tools, and a bunch of other goodies.
I see lots of interesting stuff here. You people are a busy group. I liked Dick’s pix of New Hampshire steam. I beleive the tilted boiler on the cog engine keeps the boiler tubes close to level as well as keeping coal off the fireman as Dick said.
I really like the Gear Jammer stock yards, Sue. I can already hear the moos. BTW, I’m getting stick yard sound effects (electronic) complete with “moos” soon for the stock yards at my meat packing plant.
Der retruned to the diner I see. Der, we have a Michigan daughter who left for Nova Scotia today for a week there. Shelley and I still woul like to return some day.
Your videos are great, too. It always amazes me when I see those smooth sweeping curves with cookie cutter style layouts.[tup] I keep forgetting to ask Larry which media tools that he uses. I know it is on his laptop in the truck, so I just can’t look.
Garry, The moo sound chip is a good idea. We got the sawmill chip for the old layout and have not had it out on this one.
Excellent, I made it in for fresh coffee and donuts! [;)]
I’ll be off to Washington DC here in a bit to go for my Amtrak Interview. I’m taking the train down and then will be doing a little railfanning at Union Station. Double the pleasure, double the fun!
I’ll see y’all sometime this afternoon or evening! [C):-)]
A regular and a donut please Zoe. I see I’m still paying from yesterday but thanks for going easy on me. Not much to report ATT with painting of the DPM buildings ongoing and some progress on the switching part of the home layout. Still haven’t decided what I’ll do with the switching motors - manual or electric. I still admire what Fergie did on his, but with turnouts on three levels the only practical thing is going to be all electric i fear. I have the upper level and incline/raised area all wired and set up, but the switching area is still to be done. Has anyone used the stationary decoders to run the turnouts? looks like having all of that in the controller instead of twenty to thirty switches around the layout might be the way to go.
Good to see Ed and Der back - good job you don’t need to water the orange grove daily Ed - you’d never get any trips in.
Loved the pics of the stockyard and the cog railway from Sue and Dick. I still have my little Tyco stock pen all painted up and languishing in a box somewhere. Not much use on an urban layout unless I do a stockyard and then it’s too small. Scott - hope the interviews go ok. With your people skills from the salesman gigs, Amtrak passenger service may be calling your name. If not NS has a pretty good rep with the RR guys around here.
I’ll have some of that fresh coffee Zoë! Thanks for the Xtra large cup too!
We went out to the local Mexican restaurant Las Margaritas to celebrate my promotion and my stomach paid for it last night. Oh boy…Chiles Rellenos were great! Remember that Alka Seltzer commercial…“I can’t believe I ate that whole thing.”[xx(]
Scott good luck with the interviews today! Your Steasel project sounds interesting.
Duke Thanks! And now that I have the full explanation from Paul, I remember building one of those Mosquito in miniature kit form years ago. The video is great, looks like the loco was clipping along fairly fast rate too! I bet it brought a chill down your spine and raised the hair on your next being that close to the live action! Or just plain exciting!
Paul thanks for the Mesquito descrip!
Ed I appreciate the crop report! Fall OJ futures just jumped up 5 points! Another trip? You and Fran spend more time away from home that at home now! Have a great trip, and we expect a full rail fan report upon your return!
Garry glad to hear you had a great trip!
Sue, your cattle pins are really shaping up nicely! Are you going to stain or paint them?
Good morning …how is everyone this morning…we awoke to clear skies, lowering humidity and dew points headed down out of the tropics zone, nice clear air for a while. So today I have to till the garden and do some weeding. If you don’t do that this time of the year, gardens go nuts with weeds, as their clocks tell them the sun is headed south again, so grow and produce seed pods.
NOVA SCOTIA TEAM:ALERT!!! A named tropical storm has just formed off Cape Cod and is headed off the east coast of Nova Scotia. Waves are expected to reach 20 to 25 feet !!! Good thing Fergie is not out to sea this week!!! John, better pull in your wharf at Sheet Harbour.
J.R. : Glad you enjoyed the photos, I have more shots of the steamer which I will post soon.
Has anyone heard from MIKE???
JEFF: No luck finding the airbrush at stores like Wal-Mart. Micro-Tool and a few other online companies have them, but it seems they have the model 470 which has the ability to select either single action or double action. Of course it also costs more. Any thoughts?
Time to get outside and get going, see you guys at lunch,
I should have told you to look in the toy dept in the model section. You may have to settle for what you can get. I try to avoid the internal mix guns. With my numb hands it’s just too difficult to disassemble them.
I should have mentioned I visited several booths at the show. i shook hands with some MR editors.
The Intermountain booth had their new SP cab forward operating. It’s impressive! Beats the pants off my 30 year old Rvarossi cab forward. I suggested to the man that Intermountain’s next articulated should be an NP Challenger. He was receptive to the idea. Our resident NP fans will be gald to know that.
Ryan… congrats on the promotion. Suggest you use some of the extra pay to buy a stomach pump if you plan to eat at the same Mexucan restaurant regularly.
Mornin… I’m back from the trip to hell… 'scuze my french.
I learned that Florida+Summer=BAD. It rains cats and dogs, (Worse than here!)and when the sun is out… it’s hot. Thats why I got heat exhuastion and felt like junk for 3 days at the end of the trip. At least I got to see the behind the steam trains tour in disney world… One of the few good things. Now I’m glad to be back!
Top of the day All…Its sunny and warmer here today…I’ll have a Pork Burger drag it thru the garden and top with some sharp cheese,order of Valdalia onion rings and a stramberry shake…Please…Thank you…Worked some more on DPM model and fiddled with computer…You all asking about Mike This is County fair week here and his Wife works just about 24/7 during the fair so probaly won’t hear much from him this week…You all have a good one…Jerry
Ahhhh noontime whistle from the 4-8-4 on track #3 outside the Diner. Too hot to eat anything big, I’ll just have a Chicken Caesar Salad, and a rootbeer float.
Just finished most of the rototilling, that should keep the weeds under control in the gardens, maybe have to do this one more time this season. Manit is hot out there in the full sun, 82F, 47% RH and DP of 60F, not too bad for air quality, but still sweat like an overworked Mule.
Ordered an Aztek airbrush kit and a small compressor from Micro-Tool in NJ today, it comes with a video and instruction book, so this might help me become a Michaelangelo like Jeff.
RYAN: Congratulations on your PROMOTION !!! Are you now the lead IT person? If so, I have a technical question for you . Are you familiar with the operation of SMTP mail servers at all ?
HOOPLE: Have you not been paying attention to Jeff, PC Dave and I when we give in- depth weather reports??? Summertime in the Gulf states is HOT and HUMID. All Northerners stay NORTH in the hot summer, why to you think OJ ED comes from Mexico and visits his relatives in NFLD, Canada in Summer? Does he go there in Winter when it is Cold and buried in ice and snow? Nooooooooo, he goes there when it is ideal, July. Northerners go to Disneyland in Nov through April, and even April is pushing it.
Time to get back to work, see you guys for supper…
