Good Morning Everyone. Partly cloudy and 40°, the drizzle stopped sometime during the night and left .6" in the gauge over 24 hours. The ever changing forecast is now predicting mid-60's from Wednesday through Friday with snow/freezing rain Saturday. Yesterday, along with other household chores, I baked bread, which worked out despite the high humidity. Helped to warm the house (with pleasant aromas to boot) and fills the void in the freezer from eating last spring's ever diminishing vegetable harvest. I'm growing concerned about this spring's garden since it has been too wet to get out and till the ground. Planting time begins in about another two weeks. I may be skipping some vegetables this year, won't be the first time though. Speaking of housework, does anyone else hate those little "thumbscrews" that are on light fixtures as much as I hate them?
Out in the train shed yesterday, I continued doing many minor tasks. Did a little more track inspection of industrial spurs before getting the vacuum going and found (much to my surprise) a Kadee coupler spring! Probably wouldn't have found it if that track had been ballasted. I also painted little people since I felt lazy and sat at the workbench for a while. Inspected a few more cars for drooping couplers and any other irregularities and found only one. It wasn't a problem, but I decided that since I had it at the workbench I would replace the McHenry couplers on it even though they appeared to still be working.
I am glad that so many folks enjoyed my post regarding the train shed build. It is indeed a great place to retreat to and get away from life's other pleasures. My wife generally does not venture out there, but unfortunately I now have a cell phone (after steadfastly refusing to get one for years), so now she calls me!
Thanks again,
Jim,
Greg,
Garry,
Mike,
Erik,
Sherrel and anyone else that I may have missed. If you got the room on the estate, go for it!
Sherrel - Meant to comment on the U-boat recollection that you posted the other day. That was a great story, very similar to some that
Joe posts about his experiences. I do remember watching GE diesels belch fireballs years ago; they were usually UP locos running in SP consists. Kinda looked unnerving to me.
Chet - Those buildings in Butte really do look like DPM prototypes!
I hope to be able to get down to the train room today and run some trains today. I did look into the room the other day just to make sure they were still there, but never got to run them.
And you just thought that you would have more time once you retired!
Greg - Can you spread an old bedsheet over the layout under their access point?
Tom - That's a nice size area for a layout. Looking forward to your progress.
Trolley's, buses, and subways...As a kid in Brooklyn, we rode the subway from Brooklyn to the Bronx Zoo with my aunt a few times. I was always enthralled. My family normally only made short hops. When I finally returned to NYC in my early 20's, I spent a day just riding many lines out and back before finally returning to my origin point. I was able to ride the Canal Street Trolley in New Orleans once when I was eight years old while my family resided in New Orleans. I don't remember it being too notable at the time. Rode it again in the mid-70's when I took my newly acquired wife back to experience Mardi Gras. A bit rowdy that time. They had electric buses in Dallas in the early 60's but the trolleys were gone. The tracks were still in the streets and if I recall correctly, the buses used the same overhead lines. Lots of sparks and re-connections, and I once saw a driver out with his pole knocking ice off the line so he could move. I never rode in one though. Dallas has resurrected one of the old trolley lines as a tourist trap.
Everybody have a great day and an awesome weekend. Today is National Kiss A Ginger Day, so see if you can find one (that you know) and plant one on the cheek.