a picture a day....

Another train park we went to in North Platte was Cody Park. They had a Grey Challenger there as well a DD40 with mail car and caboose. A original UP station is there as well.

@farmerjohn posted:

Another train park we went to in North Platte was Cody Park. They had a Grey Challenger there as well a DD40 with mail car and caboose. A original UP station is there as well.

Really appreciate the cab interior photos John.

Nicely done sir.

Those are really nice photographs, John!!

FOR TODAY: It's 1953 -  In anticipation of the harvest season beginning next month, crews from the Car Dept have decended upon the RIP track to repair a string of vat cars.  In this photo we see one of the vat cars in need of repair.  Access door to several of the vats need some TLC.  That's Jitterbug Hackley on top of the car observing the fine welding work of Jess Larkins.   Big Sid Carmichael  takes his hat off hat as he ponders the words of Lars Keeling who brags about his recent fishing trip.  At the rear of the truck Les Moore and Bernie Glow discuss the unfair calls made by one of the umps in last night's game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Washington Senators.  Wearing the silver hard hat, Car Dept. foreman Clancey Higgins ponders his crew's next move.  ... just another day on the railroad!

Patrick, great scene above with some serious conversation taking place around the red pick-up!

Patrick, another cool scene with perfect dialogue to match.

Gene

@trumpettrain- Another great story Patrick!

Don

@trumpettrain posted:

FOR TODAY: It's 1953 -   ... just another day on the railroad!

@Capetrainman posted:

Patrick, great scene above with some serious conversation taking place around the red pick-up!

@Genemed posted:

Patrick, another cool scene with perfect dialogue to match.

Gene

@Don McErlean posted:

@trumpettrain- Another great story Patrick!

Don

There are times I wonder if I should skip looking for your entries on the forum Patrick ( not going to happen )and wait for ' THE BOOK '. 

So many imaginative stories sir.   So much fun . So much life.

Happy Fathers day everyone!

@farmerjohn John what great photos of your trip and the cab photos are amazing!

@trumpettrain Patrick, wonderful photo and what a story! I just hope nothing needs to be moved on the tracks where all the red trucks are parked! LOL

Paul, Gene, Dallas, Dave, and Coach Joe - thank you all for your wonderful comments!!  Your support means the world!   AND the book just may be coming!  It's in the percolation phase

Summer time has come back to the river with camping and fishing the norm . Guys hoping for the big one even if they have to stretch  the truth to talk about their big catch. WOW.  So much fun.

FOR TODAY:  Chucky is making the best of his summer vacation!  He's down at the railroad yard by 7:30 a.m. sharp every morning!  He doesn't want to miss one bit of  the action.   He says one day he will buy handlebars for his bike, but until then he's perfectly fine going without.  Most folks who live in Patsburg say "one of these days that boy will end up as a stunt man in Hollywood or join the circus!"  Time will tell don'tcha know.    

Over on the express track, truck driver Otto Klemsky leans up against the cab door of his truck.  Already loaded on the bed of the truck is the first crate of fireworks transferred from the baggage car.  He's waiting for the unloading crew to load two more crates.  After all the crates are loaded he will take the load to the local American Legion post as the post is sponsoring this 4th of July's fireworks display/celebration.  ... just another day on the railroad!!

Farmer John, great scene.  That dam makes for a lot of recreational activities.

I love the use of corrugated cardboard for steel sheet piling.

Patrick, just another day on the railroad.  A million stories one at a time.  Thank you.

@coach joe posted:

Farmer John, great scene.  That dam makes for a lot of recreational activities.

I love the use of corrugated cardboard for steel sheet piling.

Patrick, just another day on the railroad.  A million stories one at a time.  Thank you.

Thank you so much Coach Joe!

  I agree with you too about Farmer John's scene ... it certainly is great!!!  The corrogated cardboard piling is most convincing1  I love the illuminated hydro-electric powerhouse just below the dam on the right and the the reflection of the spillway on the water.   The meticulous placement of the stones along the shoreline, the boats, and lone fisherman bring a great depth of realism to the river bank as is the dirt roadway leading down to the boat drop at the river's edge. The headlights of the car and the roadway safety cables strung alongside of the road also add a deeper dimension of interest within the context of this scene ... all framed by the arch of the bridge.  I interpret the  scene as very early morning at first light sometime in the 1950s.  

Thanks guys for all of you're comments. I am working on my little town again and took a few Arial pics for fun. Hope yall like them.

Great photos everyone!

Patrick your story about Chucky getting handle bars made me laugh! when I first seen the photo I was like there he goes again with no handle bars! LOL

John, I always love the photos from your layout! The Dam and spill way being the focal point when you first enter the train room to all the little details you give everything!

As for your little town I think your doing a bang up job, things are really looking great! I might add you might want to hire a police officer or two as the guy in the red truck behind the row of business is driving down the wrong side of the street!

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe 4th of July weekend!

FOR TODAY:  Ahhhhh!   Just arrived at my cabin on the lake.  It feels absolutely freeing to be here!  On this long Independence Day weekend, I'm looking forward to having no schedule or agenda other than to eat, sleep, and sit on the front porch observing nature.  No shoulds, no have to dos.  I will be like a leaf in the wind and go where ever the wind takes me.  However, I did bring along a few fireworks .... just keep that twixt you me

A view from up yonder a few hundred feet from the cabin.

@trumpettrain posted:

FOR TODAY:  Ahhhhh!   Just arrived at my cabin on the lake.  It feels absolutely freeing to be here!  On this long Independence Day weekend,

Wow......what a great angle on this area of your layout Patrick.         Did you get wet getting this photo ? 

Have a great time at the lake, Pat!!

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Wow......what a great angle on this area of your layout Patrick.         Did you get wet getting this photo ? 

Thanks Dallas!    Actually I was able to stay in my canoe and make the shot .... LOL!!  

@farmerjohn , Wow, I see your doing aerial views from the airplane that circles your beautiful layout. Your village is coming to life and thanks for sharing your layout with us this week. I love your little town… This is a picture I took. Happy Railroading Everyone

@Mark Boyce posted:

Have a great time at the lake, Pat!!

Thanks Mark!  Will do! Hope you have a great 4th!!

There was a rally in town last night in between the rain drops...the turn out was huge... 

FOR TODAY:  The Western Maryland Railway had an extremely modest passenger operation.  Equipment, including its' fleet of K2 Pacifics were kept spotless.  

In this photo a Western Maryland train ( pulled by a BL2 diesel which was not passenger equiped ... but could do the job during the summer months because passenger cars did not require steam heating.   arrives at Patsburg Station.  The train brings a load of people to spend the weekend swimming and boating  along the lake.  Patsburg offers a wide variety of summer recreational activities.  It's still time to make your summer reservations!  

Nothing like spending time canoeing and swimming in Lake Christopher!   By golly!  There's o'l Claude T. in that there  inner tube!  Ain't seen him in a month of Sundays!

Great pictures guys!

@Capetrainman Paul, love the towns nighttime rally! If I didn't know better, I would say it's just a big party with all the folks with the hot looking cars!

@trumpettrain Patrick, any day at the lake beats being stuck at work or in traffic! Great shot of Claude T!

I hope you all are doing well!

@mike g. posted:

Great pictures guys!

@Capetrainman Paul, love the towns nighttime rally! If I didn't know better, I would say it's just a big party with all the folks with the hot looking cars!

@trumpettrain Patrick, any day at the lake beats being stuck at work or in traffic! Great shot of Claude T!

I hope you all are doing well!

Mike, thanks for the comment...the party usually goes late into the night...when the bars on North Main empty out, things get interesting...

Turn your back on a running layout for just a couple minutes and look what happens.

The Chessie crane comes to the rescue!

FOR TODAY:  Throwback to 1949:   It's hot and humid and it's been a long run on the main.  It's now time for a crew change.   Fireman Manny Noble has just stepped down out of the cab as hogger O.D. Jeffries inspects the running gear one more time before handing his engine over to the new crew.  Good thing Ethel's Watering Hole is on the other side of locomotive 2065.  These fellers are due for an ice cold beer ... or two!  AND they might be able to catch the first few innings of the ballgame as Ethel just bought one of them their new fangled TV sets! ... just another day on the railroad.

FOR TODAY:  Station announcement:  " Last call for the B&O Baseball Special to Camden Station Baltimore.  Train will depart in 5 minutes on track one.  Remember B&O stands for Baltimore and Ohio and also  Baltimore and Orioles.  Go Orioles! "  

FOR TODAY:  It's another hot August day and these kids are out playing early this morning, taking advantage of the cooler temps before the day really heats up.   Mom sweeps off the front porch and keeps an eye on her young quintet.  Sally Ann is enjoying her new jump rope as Sarah Leigh contemplates which swing to ride.   Lisa mows the lawn as the twin boys Benny and Lenny ride their pedal cars.   A B&O Docksider creeps along the track in back of their house and a solitary N&W covered hopper has been set out on the elevated track.  .... just another day down by the railroad.    BTW - the N&W hopper ,by Lionel , is the fist add on car to my layout from when I was 5 years old.  

@trumpettrain posted:

FOR TODAY:  It's another hot August day and these kids are out playing early this morning, taking advantage of the cooler temps before the day really heats up.   Mom sweeps off the front porch and keeps an eye on her young quintet.  Sally Ann is enjoying her new jump rope as Sarah Leigh contemplates which swing to ride.   Lisa mows the lawn as the twin boys Benny and Lenny ride their pedal cars.   A B&O Docksider creeps along the track in back of their house and a solitary N&W covered hopper has been set out on the elevated track.  .... just another day down by the railroad.    BTW - the N&W hopper ,by Lionel , is the fist add on car to my layout from when I was 5 years old.  

Pat, tell Dad to put up a fence up in that back yard'... We don't want those youngsters getting too close to those tracks...  😏

@Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

Pat, tell Dad to put up a fence up in that back yard'... We don't want those youngsters getting too close to those tracks...  😏

Good idea Ted!   Coincidentally, I bought fencing specifically for that area, when I was in Columbia SC two weeks ago.    You must be clairvoyant

Patrick, great scene...summer recreation in the city!

Boy Patrick you are a travelling man, Columbia SC, two weeks ago, Freedonia NY, last week.  Where to next?  Any train travel involved?

@coach joe posted:

Boy Patrick you are a travelling man, Columbia SC, two weeks ago, Freedonia NY, last week.  Where to next?  Any train travel involved?

Yep Coach, I've put quite a few miles on the car this spring/summer.   Trip to Laurentian Mountains in Quebec end of May into beginning of June.   New York City by Amtrak in mid June then off to western NC over July 4.  End of July at USC in Columbia SC then SUNY Fredonia in August.   After Fredonia, it was nice to visit Hamburg NY and see the Western NY Railroad Historical Society's collection of rolling stock and locomotives and stations.  It's also great to be back home taking it easy for a while.  Here are some pics I took during my trip to Hamburg.   Hope your layout is coming along!  

ALCO HH660 built in March 1940.

Pennsy Decapod

Jordan Spreader

Business end of the Jordan Spreader.

FOR TODAY:  The Railroad Express Agency ( REA ) ships everywhere!   Here, two REA boxcars have been set out on a team track.  The first boxcar sits empty after having its load transferred to REA trucks. Once the REA tractor/trailer is loaded the second car will be empty too.   It's hard to believe that only 6 hours ago these cars comprised one third of the head end cars of a Pennsylvania RR passenger train where they were couppled behind a GG1.    While the train was stopped at the Patsburg Union Station, these cars were cut out and brought here to the team track  by an SW1 switch engine.  Seen at the left of the tractor/trailer truck driver Ziggy Elman, leaning against the boxcar, chats it up with, unloading crew worker,  Badger Thompson.  ...,. just another day on the railroad.  Way

Forklift driver Waylon Clomford has been steadily going at it all morning!  Not having much breakfast, his stomach is growling something fearce, which trigger thoughts of that overstuffed ham sub sitting in his lunch pale.

FOR TODAY:  Whenever doing work in town BIG HOOK always commands an audience! I think those o'l codgers sitting on the deck of the switch tower would pay big money to watch BIG HOOK in action any day of the week.   Today the price of admission is free as those o'l fellers gather to watch the show and exchange BIG HOOK stories ... some true ... some enhanced ... some not true at all.   Never - the - less all the stories are well worth hearing according to that young feller standing by his bicycle.  

Now o'l Smikie Joe Smith has got his new triple axle lowboy trailer backed up real nice.  Whew!  Now that's one pretty trailer! And it's about to get all scuffed up once that load of logs is on its' deck.  

The crew will have all those chains and steaks removed  shortly and the main part of the show will begin.   Once the spreaders are attached to the hook o'l Elmer Snodgrass, the crane operator, will swing the boom toward the flat car. It's going to be a great show for this Friday morning for sure!!  Grab yourself a soda pop and come on over to the switch tower ...  pull yourself up an o'l milk crate to sit on ..  and watch the best show in town!  Ya can't beat the price of admission!   just another day on the railroad.

@trumpettrain posted:

A dfferent look to your scenes Patrick..........looks really good with the overview. 

( only my 2 cents ......but did you get a new drone ?  )

@trumpettrain posted:

FOR TODAY:  Whenever doing work in town BIG HOOK always commands an audience! I think those o'l codgers sitting on the deck of the switch tower would pay big money to watch BIG HOOK in action any day of the week.   Today the price of admission is free as those o'l fellers gather to watch the show and exchange BIG HOOK stories ... some true ... some enhanced ... some not true at all.   Never - the - less all the stories are well worth hearing according to that young feller standing by his bicycle.  

Now o'l Smikie Joe Smith has got his new triple axle lowboy trailer backed up real nice.  Whew!  Now that's one pretty trailer! And it's about to get all scuffed up once that load of logs is on its' deck.  

The crew will have all those chains and steaks removed  shortly and the main part of the show will begin.   Once the spreaders are attached to the hook o'l Elmer Snodgrass, the crane operator, will swing the boom toward the flat car. It's going to be a great show for this Friday morning for sure!!  Grab yourself a soda pop and come on over to the switch tower ...  pull yourself up an o'l milk crate to sit on ..  and watch the best show in town!  Ya can't beat the price of admission!   just another day on the railroad.

Patrick, ‘just another day’ on the OGR forum reading your outstanding and descriptive stories in the world of model railroading!

Gene

@Dallas Joseph posted:

A dfferent look to your scenes Patrick..........looks really good with the overview. 

( only my 2 cents ......but did you get a new drone ?  )

Actually Dallas, since my layout is set in the late 40s to late 1950's before drones,  let's just say I climbed two  big o'l oak trees this morning to snap those two photos.  LOL!!   So glad you like them!!