Christmas Train 2008

We had to take down our Christmas tree today because it had dried out. We put up a little tree with lights around the base. We did leave the Christmas train up. Here is a 2 minute video of that train as it passes through the little village. I added the sound from a sound track.



The train has 12 cars representing the 12 days of Christmas. Hope you enjoy.
You can also view in HD on my MobilemMe gallery (larger download and requires more bandwidth)

Fast Flying Virginian

Passenger Train - Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad ) (FFV)
Filmed this at Andy Schnur's HO scale C&O Layout in bay area
This short video is merely a teaser. If you have good broadband then go to the following link to
View good High Definition version which is longer (10 minute) and more involved.

Originally ran from Washington DC to Cincinnati. We set out Pullman at White Sulphur Springs & change Engines/pickup Diner in Hinton, West Virginia. Sound is in tender using Soundtraxx Tsunami decoders. (We know the bell is a bit loud).

John Provitz' N Scale layout

one of the most beautiful N scale layouts which lives in South San Francisco area.

From JohnProvitz_SP_BayArea

12 x 23 N Scale with SP & the State Belt RR along San Francisco's waterfront along walls. Central peninsula has NWP with Petaluma, Tiburon, & Healdsburg on one side and Eel River canyon on the other.

From JohnProvitz_SP_BayArea

Market Street has a cable car. The Ferry Building is busy receiving commuters from PCC's. The State Belt runs along Embarcadero & below Telegraph Hill & Coit Tower. 3rd & Townsend station receives the Daylight & Lark plus many commuters during the mid 1950's and early 60's. WP and AT&SF have limited trackage as well.

Link to photo album

Link to Video

WP heritage unit Youtube Test embed code

Test of better way of embedding youtube video I found from wherethehellismatt website.

This is regular youtube embed code:



This is embed with a change of code:

Just back from Sonora where I ran trains all weekend with freinds. Smoke better here. Hope we don't get more lightening.

Still only 1/2 mile visibility here due to wildfire smoke. Maybe next week but more lightening this weekend. Going south to get out of it.

Staying inside today mostly due to smokey outside.

Fire season here. Lightning strikes over weekend not only knocked out power for a while, but also caused almost 4,000 fires throughout Northern CA. Sunday was pleasantly warm and windy. Monday now is smoke filled. More like an August day, than June.




Feels quiet, subdued, almost eery outside.

Operating the Shasta Division

Got a chance to operate on Otis McGee's Shasta Division RR. 1952 era full steam, sound, etc. Signals working. Really a lot of fun.

Ran Extra West down the hill. then spent remainder of day running the Grass Lake turn from Klamath Falls to Dorris to Leaf and back.



CTC Panel is new but replica of original. tied in to CMRI signal boards and uses JMRI logic. Pretty cool.

More photos here

glad to be home tonight watching the US Open...and eating ice cream! Go Rocco!

in bay area for weekend to run trains, oh yeah, might eat some good food and sleep also...

iPhone, the day after...Now what?
At least the skunks are gone, thanks to 90000 BTU cayenne, and just about all the other mammels too.

listening to WWDC Steve Jobs Keynote

Just returned from Palo Alto where we held video conference with Seattle. Bandwidth problems forced us to use plan S....this after 40 manhours of work.

Rats, The Battle still rages. Spent 2 hours closing up ways Mr. Skunk can get into back yard, AND more cayenne..Mr. Skunk still ate the birdseed on the ground..sigh

Putting out cayanne pepper to discourage skunks...hope to see some trains this weekend

been trying to figure out how skunk gets into our fenced back yard. tonight there are 2 of them. double yikes!!

what is that in back yard? Skunk? Yikes!!

spring yardwork completed, 4 squirrels relocated, Leo had 5000 viewers yesterday..how much better can it get?

Zeroing in on completion of mowing. Got the blisters to prove it too.

Monday in the rural foothills can be busy. Today it, yet again raining so I will catch up on inside chores while the weeds continue to grow. Hope the wildfire threat is reduced a little.

Curve ball of rain this weekend curtailed mowing. Soft and moist is nice but I am chomping at the bit to complete the fire clearing work.

Front "yard" is mowed (all one acre) and snipped. Back yard (2 acres) on Saturday. We only mow once per year when the grass is 3 feet high and dying. Don't need a tractor. Going to new Indiana Jones movie now for a treat.

Mowing season once again here, albeit earlier than past 2 years. Good news is how cool it is outside, bad news is that it might rain..

Think I will go to office today and see what trouble I can cause.

Well, fun time to have a little bronchitis isn't it? Need to NOT work in yard for a couple days...darn...

Whew..DSL line performed flawlessly. Video conference live broadcast to 3 continents. Really incredible...now if we can just get the mic adjusted next time

Got the video conference system working with broadcast. Now if the DSL line holds up it might actually work on Monday...

catching up on Battlestar Galactica this morning. Season 4!!! Great way to spend too hot day while sick

Mexican dinner at Meditation retreat last night with play about Turkeys. Did you know Nabha can speak Gobble?

Whew! Just received email from my friends in Jaipur India to say they personally are well and not affected by bombings. I am sure it is not easy though.

Getting warm here in foothills. Expect +90 on Thursday. Guess I will get to finally wear shorts.

This sore throat is hanging in there for over a week. Woke up middle of night coughing fit..Ugly...what to do...

In town tuning errands. Nice to have library for wifi. Now onward

Thunderstorms last night Lightening was great!! More today.

Watching really cool documentary on that great American 20th century icon: History of Lionel Trains

First Saturday in May is Rajarsi Day where all of the community spends the day on community work projects. Always fun.--I am weed eating and painting

Fridays are technically my day off...I am going into office

Yes!!! VPN is restored. Now I can resume sitting in my Lazy boy chair while remaining connected to the world!!! (no iPhone yet though)

Hopefully VPN will come back up soon. My man is on the hunt!!! More for domestic tranquility than for me anyway.

time to get the shorts out as it will be warm today. Going to the big city to see some freinds!!

Great day with friends today. Tomorrow we rum trains all day.

Worked most of day on getting owNry layout ready for next weekend's guest. 8 guys coming down from Portland...should be fun

If you want an all body exercise that is quite aerobic, then try pulling scotch broom, the scourge of the sierra foothills. watch out for the poison oak

local community clinic looking for providers

our community clinic is looking for new providers let people know
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwPVqAgEfUE

Blog it application

Just added Blog it application which enables me to post a blog to multiple sites at same time while updating my microblogs- Twitter and tumblr. Wonder if anyone actually reads this stuff. http://www.typepad.com/features/blogit.html

Gardens at Crystal Hermitage today http://ping.fm/GBw8v

not a cute post here. But effective: Round-up Rendezvous at 7:30 AM on the road. let's spray those thistles before the neighbors wake up. Ah Sunday!!

Watching Master's Golf tournament. Saturday is "moving day" as it is called in golf lore

Yeah!!, finally got Dave's SMD82 devices programmed so now his staging tracks all work!. Satisfaction.. Long trip though. Late night

United Way visit went well at clinic. Still have the financial review next week....

today, United Way visits our clinic. Sierra Family Medical Clinic (sierraclinic.org). Hope they want to support our community clinic for low income patients

At the market having burgers and fries

No iPhone yet so practicing on iPod touch

Cold this morning. fire roaring. starting to warm up. Little cabin in the woods... Ha!

building scenery on the owNry

I have been busy over past few days building scenery with Jim Younkins. We built up Hoyt industrial as photo to right shows.




and we spent most of time building up east end of layout wehre there are multiple levels.

more photos here.

6 trains in North Fork bridge before the storm

Went to Feather River Canyon yesterday in between storms and saw 6 trains Here are some photos. Will also post movies on my youtube site later on

Operations on the OWNRY October 27

Had a lot of fun. 11 crew and 23 trains.
more photos here

Winter slow down

Haven't been doing much in layout room. Had a business trip to India in December then holidays, then sick..yada yada. Then snow and too cold so stayed by warm fire in living room. Photo at right was taken at pond below our house.

but I am getting back into groove. Jim Younkins is visiting in 2 weeks to help kick start my scenery so I am going out to work on the Eugene staging lead track and fix the switch power in Pasco Yard prior to his arrival.

Stay tuned