Wherever I work, if they have a race car, I'll get a model of it---especially if it's clearance priced with an added employee discount...
Yesterday was my first---and last day there. I had to face what men have had to face since Adam and Eve were first booted out of the Garden, namely, a body subject to the effects of aging. I simply couldn't live up to the physical demands of the job.
In any one situation, I am plenty brute enough to lift engine blocks and small environmentally friendly cars. However, the constant repetition involved in unloading truckloads of canoes, outdoor smokers and a near endless stream of boxes and repacks very nearly put me in the hospital yesterday (no kidding) and, had me bawling like a school girl at 4 o'clock this morning trying to loosen up my back and joints for another go at it.
This morning I had to humble myself before my supervisors and take myself out of the game, before pride put me in the hospital---or---they were forced to take me out of the game themselves. I now have some understanding as to why older football players tend to stay on a season or two longer than they should.
Unlike Brett Farve though, I don't have Sears ad revenue to fall back on, so the hunt for work continues next week...after a weekend of recuperation.
...is an informal club that meets once a week in a building owned by a club member. It is an impressive double stack layout that is built to represent the state of Louisiana. Visitors are welcome as well. It was nice to see a layout big enough to give a sense of distance and industries big enough to justify the car traffic to and from them. They are currently putting the finishing touches on a working signal system and Centralized Traffic Control.
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
...drain the boiler completely as it helps to avoid a nasty little thing called "boiler dezincification", a process where the zinc chemically separates itself from the brass, causing pinhole leaks. I use a modified marinade injector that seems to reach most of the excess water...
...I just cut off the point past the side ports on the needle. Then (as I have been so well taught at the Mamod forum), I leave the safety valve and whistle off until the inside is dry.
...gave me a opportunity to own a retro TYCO SD24 "Torpedo Boat", so called because of the noticeable air tanks on the roof...
A common practice in lower end model trains is the passing down of tooling from one company to another, most often through bankruptcy. "The best way to make a small fortune in model trains is to start with a large one." is a time tested adage in the business.
This set is made for the shelf queen collector market. The locomotive is all wheel drive, but only 8 wheel pickup and is impossibly light, depending entirely on the traction tires to pull the load. The cars are classic Rivarossi heavyweights that desperately need added weight, better couplers and good replacement wheelsets. Small details are left to the owner to apply. I give it very good marks for its paint scheme and extreme high praises for its resiliency---because it tracks so poorly, it took a header off of my layout, falling 4 and a half feet to the floor...interestingly, the only time the couplers held between all four cars...go figure. The locomotive popped apart like a school girl at a Jonas Brothers concert, but was easily reassembled. The train shows no signs of the fall, not even a scuff.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.---(Psalm 37:23-29)
...and I don't mean Sid from the movie "Ice Age". Been just plain too lazy to pull out the Inglenook Switching module that I've built for shows and posing pictures. Even after my beloved had built a special protective cover for it, the damage done from open storage gave me excuse enough to let it sit for over a year and a half.
Now it's time to pull it out, repair and clean it---and finish it, maybe in time for the train show in 3 weeks, by golly...
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Quench not the Spirit.
Despise not prophesyings.
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
...one of the more unique cars available in affordable ready-to-run rolling stock. They can fetch a nice price on Ebay if the right bidders find it, this one is another piece from the aforementioned widow's lot. I kinda like the radioactive glow produced by my camera's flash...
...purchased to help a friend help a widow settle her husband's estate. I have purchased several items from this estate at good, fair prices---not to earn brownie points with God or to be charitable---but because I could purchase several items from this estate at good, fair prices. The blessing is that it helps a friend help a widow settle her husband's estate.
Got that? The heart---my heart---is desperately wicked enough to feign charity to cover avarice, so I do my best to glorify godly virtue in the power of Christ, all the while understanding that there are plenty of other factors in play in every decision I make.
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I repaired/replaced both couplers and gave it a new Detail Associates Nathan M5R24 5 chime air horn. After a good cleaning and lube, it runs (and growls) quite well.
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. ---Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.
Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.
Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?
This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
...one of the early ones with two powered trucks, very difficult to install DCC decoders into---but not impossible. Picked up in a five piece lot, I like how it runs, and it has great detail, an impressive effort on Bachmann's part to supply an fairly common shortline hog that was never available before except in brass. It has directional lighting, see-thru screens, and separate grabs and uncoupling levers.
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying, Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
For those who don't already know, I received it from a retired engineer about 5 years ago, free for the taking. I've left it as he built it, only adding to it in the style of the builder as no layout is ever truly finished anyway. My days of doing my more detailed and realistic scenery are coming to an end as time and money constraints make their presence felt, and I do enjoy the rather charming tinplate-like/architectural model appeal of his work anyway.
While all buildings are still in their boxes, I decided to add some more of my own touches to this layout. Now, I am adding and rearranging some gift and freebie trees as well as working streetlights, found on clearance at Hobby Lobby. The view blocking effect of the tree clumps at eye level is already quite pleasing and I'm only halfway there. Each building will be placed once it has proper interior/exterior lighting. Cars will have working head and tail lights as well. My only wish would be to find the old gent and see if he approves.
BTW, the Sheriff's car seen in the lower left is one such lighted car, it is wired to a crossing flasher circuit under the road. I made it from a Micro Machine vehicle, drilling for two 1.6mm LEDs that had been filed flat...
...summer of 1984. Sifting through a storage unit revealed some pics I took 26 years ago when I had better eyes and a bigger budget. I started it in 1983, just before I went to NCO school. It was a single track folded dog bone that went under itself. Built it from job site scraps so I could concentrate on motive power and rolling stock. You could have had a brawl on it and it wouldn't have dinged a rail. Just before I went into Bible College in '90, I left model railroading for about 2 years and donated the whole smack to a local club. Still see bits and pieces of it all over their N-trak and permanent layout.
The Eastern Shore Line was a mythical operation that theoretically ran the length of the Delaware/Maryland/Virginia Peninsula. Locals like to think of it as the state of Delmarva. Please forgive the yellowed and grainy pictures.
Once in Berlin Yard, we find a New Haven Pacific wondering where the heck are we?....My roads were done with 400 grit emery cloth with seams finished with plastic model putty. Once down, I'd paint the lines and go over it all with Dulcote.
Route 113 is two lanes through Maryland. Here it is passing the ESL Berlin Yard office to the left and Harrison Hall hotel to the right. That Pacific was an Atlas product and quite a good runner, one of my best locos and capable of pulling a string of 15 cars up the 3% grade into town.
That bus was a Wiking product I picked up on a whim. When I realized how European it was, it was too late to return it, so it became my first foray into Prototypical Plausibility Stretching 101.
The ESL's one bridge over what was since named Confederate Gap, near the town of Snow Hill, a quiet reminder of where the Peninsula's sympathies lay back then. In 1986, the remains of a Confederate soldier were found near there and buried with full military honors some time later. (True story, only the location has been changed) My bridge was built one piece at a time, in place, with trains in operation. I would glue the ties directly to the bottom of the rails and, once halfway across, removed any temporary support. A little hairy for my LPBs but, it kept the trains rolling.
Looking east into Berlin Yard and Roswells Processing Plant....
A glimpse of my control panel can be found in this shot, built on company time in the sheet metal shop My two most faithful runners, a Life-Like F unit and a Con Cor PA (gee, I miss them, sigh) idling at the ESL's Selbyville servicing facility. As seen on the panel, with some clever positioning of track, I was able to stuff in a 3 track mainline on a layout only 2'6" x 3'8" in size.
The last shot shows Route 113 passing through farm country. The gray house to the right was one of my first scratchbuild projects, a farmhouse built in a crumbling condition, using cardboard and split match sticks. It is in the first picture, shown with the junkyard that grew around it. One can barely make out Bubba's puddytat standing on the railing of the house on the left. My trees were lichen spray painted dark green then rolled around in a box of ground foam, then poked onto a twig trunk. Hope you enjoyed this little excursion into my modeling past.
How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
...after a successful move. For those given to prayer I would ask that you would petition for His Wisdom in our next steps now that we are here.
On a modeling note, there was nary a scratch on anything. Even the layout survived 270 miles on its side in a 26 foot U-haul. We drove through rain that was as hard and as large as crank pins and pistons and over roads once thought only to exist in lunar landscapes. The only things dislodged were one poor LPB on a park bench and a tree...
...both have been remounted and await further usage on a layout that is now in a more horizontal stance...
O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.
---If you decide to make thrills your regular diet and try to prolong them artificially, they will all get weaker and weaker, and fewer and fewer, and you will be a bored, disillusioned person for the rest of your life. It is because so few people understand this that you find many middle-aged men and women maundering about their lost youth, at the very age when new horizons ought to be appearing and new doors opening all round them.---C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
I see so many newcomers to this hobby blow in and burn a wad of money on model trains, only to lose interest and try to sell off what they bought 6 months later, expecting full or near full retail.
Christ promises food and raiment sufficient for the day, everything else is cake. Don't be the next Bozo with a dust covered "Plywood Pacific Railroad" in your basement and a wife you haven't taken out and wooed in over a year...make sure your house is in order, with the Blood of The Lamb on its doorposts and lentil, before you try to build a layout in it.
Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.
--To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.-- Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
I find myself in the midst of all this packing, feeling like the character Red in the movie, The Shawshank Redemption, as he is riding a Greyhound bus to Fort Hancock, Texas..."I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain."
--To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.-- I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
I try to be careful with how I write such things, knowing full well that there are ministries---real, Godly, necessary ministries---that could use that 6 bucks in ways and to lengths I could never dream of, so I believe I should expand on that.
Long ago I rejected the idea that I needed the latest and greatest offerings in the hobby. I also purposefully limited myself to one hobby (my recent forays into live steam being a subset of my model railroading). I buy junk, I take freebies offered by friends, I use the eyes and experience that God has blessed me with to see treasures in places most modelers don't.
My recent Wilesco purchase was a birthday gift from my mother-in-law (yes, I detest M-I-L humor, mine has been a true blessing in my life). My two cylinder engine was purchased through funds raised by selling off other models that I own...any profit goes into the household fund, to be used wherever my beloved sees fit. In short, my hobby is all but self-supporting, taking nothing from the various ministries that I feel God has directed my giving towards and very little from my family...I spend much more on the allowances my kids earn.
So the next time a loco you prize takes a header off the layout and on to yon floor...as this Mantua Classic 2-6-6-2 logger did...
...or you find a box of "cheap toy junk" in the attic just taking up space, know that there is a loving home out there with a cranky old Bible thumper sitting at his workbench, tinkering away, pining for such fodder.
In the midst of boxing up for the move, I still find time to tinker. After making the hardware guy's day (I suspect not many get to work on a 1" scale steam engine), we put our heads together and came up with a safe, solid way to run air into the engine for under 6 bucks...
It starts itself on less than a pound of air, the video shows it on 2 psi, an amazing accomplishment on a scratchbuilt motor. It has quite a bit of torque and could easily twist out of my hand if not careful. I'm currently looking for a good pressure cooker to re-plumb as a boiler as I really would like to see this thing under a full head of steam.
After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord.
Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Been giving it a rub down and lube, it was coated with a varnish like goo that was pretty tough to remove. I also relocated the lubricator so that it was more inboard and tighter to the engine. I think it looks better that way, the only trade off I see is that it places the drain cock over the fly wheel, but that isn't a big thing and can be remedied by placing a rag over the flywheel when draining it. I'm really anxious to hook this up to my compressor and see it running...
The lack of a center bearing on the crankshaft limits this to a display type motor, it doesn't appear to be designed to take the load of a passenger behind a model built with this. Being primarily a marine engine design, a boat built with this would be too impractical for me to have around the house or to work up the desire/time to commit to such a project. I'll be content to mount it on a piece of granite that I have, it will still make quite a showpiece that way.
...of unknown make or origin, an opportunity I couldn't pass on from an online friend.
With a major move coming at the end of the month, the last thing I need is another thing to pack. However, it has become a blessed relief from the stress of packing to play with it and investigate its builder, whoever it may be. The 6" machinist's square is set alongside for perspective...
It has a 5/8" bore and a 3/4" stroke, making for a potent little beast. It appears to be completely handcrafted from the minor mistakes made during its fabrication and because the base shows the measured scoring of a machinist throughout...
...note the dimple just to the left of the valve rod, made by a drill bit placed just off its mark, but note also the excellent taper of the piston rod...
...and the ever so slightly off center placement of the otherwise carefully turned control valve handle on the displacement lubricator...
At just a half ounce under 3 pounds, it is a hefty little piece as well. My plan is to mount it on a piece of polished granite slab I have and run it on air while looking forward to the day when I can build a proper boiler for it.
The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
There's a line that is drawn through the ages On that line stands an old rugged cross On that cross, a battle is raging To gain a man's soul or it's loss On one side, march the forces of evil All the demons, all the devils of hell On the other, the angels of glory And they meet on Golgotha's hill The earth shakes with the force of the conflict And the sun refuses to shine For there hangs God's son, in the balance And then through the darkness he cries
It is finished, the battle is over It is finished, there'll be no more war It is finished, the end of the conflict It is finished and Jesus is Lord
Yet in my heart, the battle was still raging Not all prisoners of war had come home These were battlefields of my own making I didn't know that the war had been won Oh, but then I heard the king of the ages Had fought all the battles for me And that victory was mine for the claiming And now praise his name, I am free.
When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
Long ago He blessed the earth Born older than the years And in the stall a cross He saw Through the first of many tears A life of homeless wandering Cast out in sorrow's way The Shepherd seeking for the lost His life, the price He paid
Love crucified, arose The Risen One in splendor Jehovah soul Defender Has won the victory Love crucified, arose And the grave became a place of hope For the heart that sin and sorrow broke Is beating once again
Throughout Your life You felt the weight Of what You'd come to give To drink for us that crimson cup So we might really live At last the time to love and die The dark appointed day That one forsaken moment When Your Father turned His face away
Love crucified, arose The One who lived the died for me Was Satan's nail-pierced casualty Now He's breathing once again
Love crucified, arose And the grave became a place of hope For the heart that sin and sorrow broke Is beating once again
Love crucified, arose The Risen One in splendor Jehovah soul defender Has won the victory
Love crucified, arose And the grave became a place of hope for the heart that sin and sorrow broke is beating once again
Love crucified, arose The One who lived and died for me Was Satan's nail-pierced casualty Now He's breathing once again
He could hear the crowds screaming "crucify" "crucify"... He could hear the hatred in their voices, These were his chosen people. He loved them, And they were going to crucify him. He was beaten, bleeding and weakened... His heart was broken, But still He walked.
He could see the crowd as he came from the palace. He knew each of the faces so well. He had created them. He knew every smile, every laugh, and every shed tear, But now they were contorted with rage and anger His heart broke, But still He walked.
Was he scared? You and I would have been So his humanness would have mandated that he was. He felt alone. His disciples had left, denied, and even betrayed him. He searched the crowd for a loving face and he saw very few. Then he turned his eyes to the only one that mattered And he knew that he would never be alone. He looked back at the crowd... At the people who were spitting at him Throwing rocks at him and mocking him And he knew that because of him, They would never be alone. So for them, He walked.
The sounds of the hammer striking the spikes echoed through the crowd. The sounds of his cries echoed even louder, The cheers of the crowd, as his hands and feet were nailed to the cross, Intensified with each blow. Loudest of all was the still small voice Inside his Heart that whispered "I am with you, my son", And God's heart broke. He had let His son walk.
Jesus could have asked God to end his suffering, But instead He asked God to forgive. Not to forgive him, but to forgive the ones who were persecuting him. As he hung on that cross, dying an unimaginable death, He looked out and saw, not only the faces in the crowd, But also, the face of every person yet to be, And his heart filled with love. As his body was dying, his heart was alive. Alive with the limitless, unconditional love he feels for each of us. That is why He walked.
When I forget how much My God loves me, ...I remember his walk. When I wonder if I can be forgiven, ...I remember his walk. When I need to be reminded of how to live like Christ, ...I think of his walk. And to show him how much I love him, ...I wake up each morning, turn my eyes to him, .......And I walk.
Just a Believer who happens to model trains on a very tight budget, providing a place to showcase my own model work as well as the work of others, regardless of type. Considerations for posting are always welcome. Please check out the modeling links I've put together as well...
Less than God could not have borne your sin so as to put it away; but the infinitely glorious Son of God did actually stoop to become a sin-bearer. I wonder how I can talk of it as I do.
It is a truth scarcely to be declared in words. It wants flame and blood and tears with which to tell this story of an offended God, the Heaven-Maker and the Earth-Creator, stooping from his glory that he might save the reptiles which had dared to insult his honor and to rebel against his glory; and, becoming one of them, to suffer for them, that without violation of his law he might have pity upon the offending things — things so inconsiderable that if he had stamped them all out, as men burn a nest of wasps, there had been no loss to the universe. But he had pity on them, and became one of them, and bare their sins. Oh, love ye him; adore ye him; let your souls climb up to the right hand of the majesty above, this morning, and there bow down in lowliest reverence and adoring affection, that he, the God over all, whom you had offended, should his own self bear our sins.
Though thus God over all, he became a man like unto ourselves; a body was prepared for him, and that body, mark you, not prepared alone, and made like to man but not of man. No, he was not otherwise fashioned than ourselves, he came into the world as we also come, born of a woman, a child of a mother, to hang upon a woman’s breast; not merely like to man, but man, born in the pedigree of manhood, and so bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, yet without a taint of sin. And he, in that double nature but united person, was Jesus, Son of God and Son of the Virgin; he it was who “bare our sins in his own body on the tree.”
From a sermon by Charles Haddon Spurgeon entitled "Death For Sin, And Death To Sin," delivered November 16, 1873.
Men, protect your daughters....
“Picture this: Some 17 year old snot nosed punk comes over to take out your daughter, and you say, 'No you aren't worthy of her.' (Immediately everyone is up in arms over your 'judgmental' and 'harsh' position, and for 'breaking your daughter’s heart.') Ok, so let's put it another way now: You have a beautiful, brand new $200,000 Ferrari Testarossa in front of your house, and a snot nosed 17 year old punk comes over to take it for a spin. Would you hand him the keys? See, what your problem is, is that you value a car more than your daughter. Men, protect your daughters!”
My sole purpose for this blog is to lift up the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified on a no nonsense, no ad platform showcasing my work and the work of other modelers, and to practice my hobby with the world behind me, the Cross before me and Kingdom of God in sight. All Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible as I have found on my own that there is none more faithful to the original languages. Unless otherwise noted, all text and photographs are mine. Old ads and product reviews are respectfully posted in good faith that any copyright privileges are not being infringed upon, with no intent to profit or disparage in any way and will be removed upon request of their respective holders.
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