A few CVRR pictures and some other related pictures....

[MurphOnMillerAve]

I much appreciate the vote of confidence, Roger. That was very nice of you.
Murph

[Rufus T. Firefly]

at Trout Run, Pa

[Rufus T. Firefly]

[rogruth]

And another. Maybe this one for you, Rufus since Murph ays he is no longer modeling.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

And another. Maybe this one for you, Rufus since Murph ays he is no longer modeling.

I'm busy building and building and building, and writing already. There was probably a store front entrance around the corner, but what is on the opposite wall is open to be filled by whatever. Liberating.

But, I have no room on my layout for anything now nor do I wish to just store stuff forever. And, while I enjoy the building aspect, when I am done, I have a building that I cannot use, and strangely enough, I am also unable to sell.

I can sell freight cars and rolling stock, but O scale modelers will not buy structures. Such is the culture....

If Murph is no longer modeling, and it no longer provides him with entertainment and fun, perhaps he should tear it all out, sell it off, and do something new, like raising chinchillas. Or, he could rent out the basement to the bears....

[MurphOnMillerAve]

And another. Maybe this one for you, Rufus since Murph ays he is no longer modeling.

...If Murph is no longer modeling, and it no longer provides him with entertainment and fun, perhaps he should tear it all out, sell it off, and do something new....

We enjoy sharing the layout with friends and family. There is always somebody new who has heard of the layout, usually through our spontaneous contacts in our family or parish (somebody just this past Sunday asked,) and wants to see it. We are happy to receive them , and nobody goes away hungry afterwards.

However, I'm done climbing all over and/or under the layout to make changes. I'll dust, and I'll spray for any wintering spiders underneath, but no bears have been a problem yet.

My wife will not hear of the layout being dismantled, and certainly not sold-off. And I would not be lugging parts of it to the TCA Meet @ York, either, to sell, that's for sure.

Different things for different times on our lives, I have learned.

Used to be, when I was younger, I'd spend every weekend day in NYC, and sometimes a couple weekdays, too. Driving into and parking - no problem. Now? We rarely consider making a trek in, and would likely take a hired-car in and out if we did go, like my wife arranged for my 70th B-day party she gave at Carmine's in Times Square. I fact, we have had our eyes on going to Neary's, an Irish Pub, on the Upper Westside, for the first time, for us, but haven't quite gotten the oomph to do so as yet.

I am doing "something new." I am giving of my time and energies to people, like the children, in our parish, as they have needed me. I was just named a Trustee this week, and given a seat representing our parish on the Bishop's Diocesan Council, yesterday, joining my wife there.
daMurph
Thank you, both, very sincerely, for your interest in my layout and endeavors.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

And another. Maybe this one for you, Rufus since Murph ays he is no longer modeling.

...If Murph is no longer modeling, and it no longer provides him with entertainment and fun, perhaps he should tear it all out, sell it off, and do something new....

We enjoy sharing the layout with friends and family. There is always somebody new who has heard of the layout, usually through our spontaneous contacts in our family or parish (somebody just this past Sunday asked,) and wants to see it. We are happy to receive them , and nobody goes away hungry afterwards.

This is good! I'm relieved that you still value sharing it with others. If you were to just turn out the lights on it and not go downstairs, that would be something else entirely.

However, I'm done climbing all over and/or under the layout to make changes. I'll dust, and I'll spray for any wintering spiders underneath, but no bears have been a problem yet.

Watch out for hibernating chinchillas!

My wife will not hear of the layout being dismantled, and certainly not sold-off. And I would not be lugging parts of it to the TCA Meet @ York, either, to sell, that's for sure.

Good and supportive - does it even disassemble at all anyway? Would it not be better to have someone else come and disassemble for you anyway - it's physically demanding to deal with tearing out a layout just to be rid of it - done that service for others. Taking it out intact can be far more challenging.

Used to be, when I was younger, I'd spend every weekend day in NYC, and sometimes a couple weekdays, too. Driving into and parking - no problem. Now? We rarely consider making a trek in, and would likely take a hired-car in and out if we did go, like my wife arranged for my 70th B-day party she gave at Carmine's in Times Square. I fact, we have had our eyes on going to Neary's, an Irish Pub, on the Upper Westside, for the first time, for us, but haven't quite gotten the oomph to do so as yet.

I rarely go into any city unless required - I spend my free time (whatever that really means....) at my place in PA where is quiet and restful.....except when I'm cutting wood. A bit noisy then, but enjoyable resting later by the fireplace with a book, a drink & snack, and some Advil.

I am doing "something new." I am giving of my time and energies to people, like the children, in our parish, as they have needed me. I was just named a Trustee this week, and given a seat representing our parish on the Bishop's Diocesan Council, yesterday, joining my wife there.

Seems like a very real extension of your teaching activities, but you get to do it together. My wife may be joining me next year working on one of my publications.

Thank you, both, very sincerely, for your interest in my layout and endeavors.

One needs things to do instead of sitting on the porch watching the grass grow.....

[rogruth]

Rufus,
I had never thought of cutting wood for the fireplace as noisy because
i always pictured you with an axe splitting those logs.
Had not thought about chain saws. That just doesn't seem right for you.

[healey36]

at Trout Run, Pa

That stretch of Rte. 14 heading north from Rte. 15 just west of Williamsport, PA to Elmira, NY is a fabulous piece of asphalt. A great sports car road, two lanes winding along Lycoming Creek through the mountains, it's just lovely.

[Mitch]

healy36, I made that trip quite a few times back in my truckin' days. Haulin' ladle brick out of Freeport up to the mill in Syracuse, the company wanted us to drive east and north to go east, but timewise, it would have been faster to take 422 west to I-79 to I-90 east. There are some pretty good pulls on route 15 and 14. Did some time on rt.13 too. Nice country up around Cortland. Didja ever stop at the restaurant/truckstop on top of Steam Mountain? Pretty decent place when ya needed a break.

[healey36]

Mitch, I can recall stopping at a joint called Steam Valley for coffee a couple of times, but that place was very near the interchange with 15. I don't remember Steam Mountain. There was a nice place in Troy, PA, we hit a few times.

We would take 13 out of Elmira to head to Ithaca, then 34 to Aurora. My sister lived on the east shore of Cayuga Lake. She's since moved to the east shore of Seneca Lake, so now we just stay on 14 all the way up to Watkins Glen. Damned nice country...

[E7]

That Pic above is similar to the Walnut Street Bridge, Harrisburg. Old steel job.....river ice took out a span or two on the West side several years back and it remains as such today. Used as a walking bridge from the East shore accessing City Island, home of the Harrisburg, Senators minor league team and other amusements.

https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/sea ... tion=click

[MurphOnMillerAve]

healy36, I made that trip quite a few times back in my truckin' days. Haulin' ladle brick out of Freeport up to the mill in Syracuse,....

Hi Mitch, When you refer to "ladle brick," would any of that brick been used in either of these....?

[Mitch]

Yeah, Murph. There's all different shapes of ladle brick depending on use. They're used to line pouring ladles, furnaces, BOFs, liquid steel railcars, hot pots, etc. There's also sleeves and nozzles, made out of the same type of clay, for pouring from a drop bottom ladle into ingots. When the brick is spent and done for, they use a Gradall to dig them out. The Gradall is equipped with a large air hammering chisel instead of a bucket. With the ladle on it's side, they dig it all loose, pull it all out, and then the ladle goes back to the shop to be relined with firebrick again. There's also other types of refractories used for furnaces; some of it very expensive. I've hauled brick like that from A.P.Green Refractories in Mexico, Mo. up into Canada, and 12 pallets of brick (for customs duties purposes), was valued at $250,000. Some of those bricks were called "Delta Clad", and they're black in color as opposed to the yellowish clay of ladle bricks.

[E7]

I wonder if "Delta" means river mud/clay as in maybe "Black Water"?