It's strawberry season. A strawberry special just made a fast crew change at Caprock, Texas, and they're picking up speed again. The DS lined the train through the freight house lead to avoid going through town on the passenger main.
@Number 90 posted:It's strawberry season. A strawberry special just made a fast crew change at Caprock, Texas, and they're picking up speed again. The DS lined the train through the freight house lead to avoid going through town on the passenger main.
Tom - in a word ... "STUNNING!!!!" Thanks for sharing!!
Btw - got to love the sound of an FM .... engine, horn and all
@Number 90 posted:It's strawberry season. A strawberry special just made a fast crew change at Caprock, Texas, and they're picking up speed again. The DS lined the train through the freight house lead to avoid going through town on the passenger main.
Wow Tom', that is a beautiful looking scene'... Let's see some more PLEASE'...😁
Very nice indeed. I love your black Santa Fe diesel. Don’t see many that color.
Tom, great video and wow I didn't even know Santa Fe came in black! Shows my lack of train knowledge.
FOR TODAY: TGIF! .... It's Friday and that means a busy day down at the public delivery track. Less than car load freight is being unloaded all morning. Giles Farnaby drags yet another empty pallet, which means one more partial load has been transferred from railcar to truck. Giles is wondering to himself ... " how many more of these gol dang things am I going to have to drag today?"
Skeets Purina carries another short stack of lumber to be loaded onto the VW pickup truck. The VW is owned by Booker Thompson of Tompson's Hardware Co., a local third generation hardware store in Patsburg. Skeets has already loaded a few barrels of nails ... good thing Charlie on the forklift helped out though! ( Charlie is now on break and not in the photo ). Foreman Sneezy Scaggs, standing in front of lumber pile, takes off his hat to wipe his brow. He's thinking that it's only 10 a.m. and it's a long while until quitten time. It's definitely going to be a looooooong day! Oh yeah .... that Boston & Maine boxcar? ... It's fully loaded with wood crates of maple sirup and needs to be unloaded after lunch. These boys are going to be busy clear up to quiten time for sure! And so it is .... Just another day on the railroad.
Very hard work and another great story.
@trumpettrain posted:FOR TODAY: TGIF! .... It's Friday and that means a busy day down at the public delivery track. . . Skeets Purina carries another short stack of lumber to be loaded onto the VW pickup truck . . . Skeets has already loaded a few barrels of nails ... good thing Charlie on the forklift helped out though! It's definitely going to be a looooooong day!
Gosh, Pat, I'm already sweating, just reading about what your little folks are doing. Your scenes and stories are always fun and interesting.
Thanks Tom ( Number 90 )! I certainly didn't mean for you to break out in a sweat ... lol! BTW - I have always loved your story telling!
FOR TODAY: The B&O Capitol Limited, with F7s on the point, is running at 90 mph due west. It's hot as blazes outside with temperature tickling 100 degrees but the passengers are cool and relaxed in the comfort of AC. Folks seated in the Strata Dome are enjoying the scenery tremendously! Tonight's special in the dining car is Maryland crab cakes from the Chesapeake Bay. Natty Bo and Baltimore American beers are on tap and ice cold! The desert menu feature Strawberry Shortcake Alamode. Yum!! 
Took this picture recently in Hyannis, MA on the Cape...I suspect the engine may be used to haul the dinner train that runs through the marshes taking in the scenic landscapes of Cape Cod...!
It's been awhile but here is my pic of the day. It is a view of my layout in the main room hope you'll enjoy.
Nice layout farmerjohn!!!!
@farmerjohn posted:It's been awhile but here is my pic of the day. It is a view of my layout in the main room hope you'll enjoy.
farmerjohn wonderful !!
I have a question about the mountains, What is background color that you used in the mountains?
Thanks!!
FOR TODAY: It's very early Monday morning and the sun is not fully up yet. As soon as fireman Carter Semple finishes "watering the bushes" he'll commence to building up steam pressure in old number 97. Her fire has been banked since quitting time on Saturday afternoon. There's big work to be done today by this little engine that can ... and does! 
Farmer John - Your layout is AMAZING!!!! WOW!!!
Patrick, what wonderful stories! It's great that some days everyone is busy and other days is relaxing.
Lee, sure is a good thing the cows don't care cause it sounds like a lot of work!
Paul, nice engine photo, but I also see 2 snow plows sitting there. Do you really get that much snow?
Farmer John, Wow what a great looking layout! It looks like your main room is bigger than my whole house!
Great photos everyone!
farmerjohn Nice Layout!
Mike, on the Cape, you go from years with no snow to a year every now and then with snow up to the windows...we were just visiting and passing through on a mini vacation a couple of weeks ago when I stopped to snap the pic as we crossed over the track. The guy behind us wasn't too happy though
Later that afternoon, I stopped into Centerline Hobbies in Hyannis to check out his O Gauge stock...not too much available, but I picked up two 1/43 cars for the collection and a box of four Harley's by Lionel that will show well in my highway scenes...hope you're having a great summer out there
Thanks for the comments everyone. Leandro the main colors I use in the mountain scenery is Tempra paint . Mostly black and brown mixed in a spray bottle a few drops paint and water. The plaster takes the colors really well.
FOR TODAY: Two kinds of mornings.
1.) The organic emergence into the day. Surrounded by the sounds, sights, and smells of nature ... there's time for a more natural flow of things
. 2. ) The hustle bustle of rush hour! Slam down a couple cups of high test coffee which catapults us into conscousness! Let the stress begin! ... "Next train in 5 minutes. Have your ticket ready." 
Pat, what a contrast between the two scenes!! I would rather be at the cabin in the woods, but the passengers at the station pay the railroad's way!
FOR TODAY: "In the middle of nowhere."
Something a little different . Coal mines of western KY. 
@farmerjohn posted:Something a little different . Coal mines of western KY.
Incredible scene, John. Is that P&H 4100 1:48 scale??? I saw a tv show all about that monster (or one very similar) - truly an amazing machine. One scoop would fill the biggest dump truck I’ve ever seen.
FarmerJohn love your coal scene!!!!
Yes. Apple55 that unit was used in many coal mines in western KY. When they stripped the coal from my family farm 16 years ago they used a much smaller version of this unit . The model of the unit I have on my layout is 1.50scale lighting is led it's a beautiful unit which brings a lot of attention to the coal mining area of my layout.
FOR TODAY: School's out! A boy on his bike finds adventure as he explores the area down by the railroad tracks. After all this is the 1950's and what better summertime entertainment could there be!? Since he can only set up his 8 x 8 layout of o gauge trains during the Christmas season, hanging out down by the tracks fuels his imagination for when his own railroad begins to come to life the day after Thanksgiving. Well ... Turkey Day seems a long way off in this sweltering heat of mid July.
Chucky's brow has broken out into a full sweat as he slowly pedals his Huffy bicycle up the steep bumpy dirt road which leads to the railroad yard. About to reach the peak, Chucky's eyes feast on the switch tower and he becomes very excited as he can even see the levers inside. From reading many issues of Trains Magazine, he is well versed as to what these levers do. With great anticipation Chucky looks forward to what sights the railroad will have in store for him today. Once he reaches the peak Chucky will stop for a minute to catch his breath. "Whew that was a loooong hill!! I can't wait to save up enough money to get a Raleigh 10 speed. Sure will make this hill a lot easier!" he thinks to himself. Now rested, Chucky's eyes drinks in the view before him as he hears the clanging of a locomotive bell off in the distance and .... what is that sound? Could it be the shrill whistle of a steam switcher? Wow!! Feeling great joy, Chucky gleefully inhales the wonderful aroma of the railroad ... creosote. As Chucky plans to spend the day, his mom has packed him a full lunch. It's going to be a great day on the railroad! 
Chucky, on his bike, takes in the sights, sounds, and smell of the freight yard. Lots of action going on for sure! He hopes to be able to replicate some of this action on his o gauge pike this Christmas season. 
Patrick - If Chucky did a 4x8 he could be a charter member of the 48 Club! Ahh the smell of creosote in the morning. Thanks for the story.
The Mrs. in the early days standing by her red '68 VW...
Hi guys, I know I am a few days late. But you all have posted so outstanding photos!
Patrick, wonderful photos, and great stories. I'm with Mark, the cabin looks like the place to be. But then again if I was like Chucky I could just ride back and forth to the rail yard.
John, what a great coal mining scene, such detail! When I got out of the corps I got a job at a local coal mine, they just used huge front end loaders to load the off road dump trucks.
Paul, great looking HWY scene and please don't take me wrong, but you sure have one hot looking wife!😎
Mike..no worries...the Mrs. is happy to hear any and all compliments these days...
Pat, oh to be Chucky! The story and photographs took me back to for me the mid ‘60s for a few minutes.
@Mark Boyce posted:Pat, oh to be Chucky! The story and photographs took me back to for me the mid ‘60s for a few minutes.
I'm glad you liked today's story Mark. Nothing like re-visiting our earlier years.
Your wife must have stopped by to see my Mom on the way home. 
Actually, maybe not. That VW looks more orange. I wonder if my Dad bought a VW and didn’t tell my Mom. I know she had her heart set on a Thunderbird. (That is actually what happened and Mom was mad at him for a week.)
So, just what exactly is up those stairs', behind the Savoy?
Looks like we're not the only ones that are curious'....
It would appear that back door is well guarded. I wonder what happens when that phone rings'...😲
Ted - great story and wonderful photo!! Got to go .... the pay phone is ringing!!
It looks like things are getting as hot as the July weather' around here tonight'...
Nice Quarter Gauger 48!! Ladies of the night out in full force tonight.. love it
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