...it has developed a nasty grind, especially climbing grades. Further inspection revealed a gear that has had half of its teeth chewed off by the worm gear...
...what it should look like...
...what it now looks like.
By removing these three spur gears, including the offending one, I am now able to run it still...albeit with greatly reduced traction ability...
I wonder if Kato still stocks 35 year old locomotive parts?
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
I detest most group movements and boycotts as they almost always start with finger pointing at some boogeyman or another that needs knocking down. An honest assessment of our nation's current situation starts with realizing that, for every finger we point, there are three pointing back at us.
With that I offer this -- slightly edited version -- of a current movement that has caught my eye. Without further comment, I ask, "What say you?"
Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition
As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide North Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods -- merchandise that has been produced at the expense of Canadian/American labor. This year could be different. This year North Americans could give the gift of genuine concern for others. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American or Canadian hands.
Yes there is!
It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?
Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local hair salon or barber?
Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.
Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, locally owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.
Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking down the $$$$ on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.
There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town businesses with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.
How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?
Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.
My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.
OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.
Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.
Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.
Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of lights, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.
You see, Christmas could no longer be about draining North America's pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas could now be about caring for our neighbors and encouraging small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about our neighbors, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.
THIS could be the new Christmas tradition.
Consider forwarding this to everyone on your mailing list -- or posting it to discussion groups -- or throw up a post on Craigslist in the Rants and Raves section in your city -- or send it to the editor of your local paper, radio stations, and TV news departments. This could start a revolution of caring about each other as a people, and isn't that a part of what Christmas is about?
Having wanted one for many years, I was pleased to have the opportunity to have one come my way...even if it was only to repair damaged running gear.
Pretty tight work for my beastly mitts---keep in mind that the drivers on this locomotive are just over a 1/4" in diameter and that rod is a half inch long with a 1/16" hole to line up with a 1/32" hole.
A beautifully detailed locomotive and an excellent runner, its one shortcoming appears to be the egg shaped eccentric. Unlike the rest of the rod work, it is made of plastic and appears to crack, but only enough to pop the rivet out under stress. Because the rivet is peened, it simply snaps back in...albeit with the aid of high powered magnifiers and a jeweler's needlenose pliers.
I wish I could have taken better pictures but I simply don't like to take chances with such models in my house. Though 30+ years old, they still command a premium price, usually $200-250 easily. They came in four colors, each a representation of an actual color used on the Bavarian Railways at the time: black, blue, green and tan and all with the colorful red running gear.
So, like some "catch and release" fishing trophy, one more picture before I sent it back to its owner.
Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?
There was a day when stores were closed on Sunday and stew bones and chicken wings were priced so that the poorer folks had some form of affordable meat on the table. Lest there be finger pointing though, it helps to remember that SIN is spelled S-"I"-N...not S-"T-H-E-M"-N. You'll find God an ever present help to those who don't forget that...
...(B)e clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.---(1Peter 5:5b-11)
From a sermon by Charles Haddon Spurgeon entitled "Stephen's Death," delivered May 24, 1874.
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.---(Matthew 25:1-13)
Something that escaped my noticed when I examined the building...it was in fact, offered by Arnold Rapido, not Revell...
What I did not know at the time was that Rapido and Revell had joined forces, effectively pushing out Rapido's stateside importer, Charles Mertzbach, who went on to introduce the Charmerz HO scale train line. The engine house was reintroduced in 1969 under the Revell name with more roofing detail...and...
...without the automatic door feature evidenced in the Rapido issue of the model. Note the elements necessary to raise the doors with some under the track type mechanism shown on the doors and in the center aisle.
Charmerz HO scale rolling stock ad, November 1971...
...because it does not have the see-thru spokes or working headlight as advertised in February of 1969, I could only conclude that this would be one of the earlier ones...
It runs quite well, having survived a trip across the Atlantic from the UK. It has a diecast metal boiler and frame (no zinc-pest, yeah!!!), and features something rarely seen in N scale, electrical wiring that runs from the tender to the engine, quite a feat in its day. The valve gear is metal and exceptionally fine for the time as well.
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
A long standing mystery for me has finally been solved.
For years this little truck graced my grandparents Christmas garden. My earliest childhood memories of this garden always included this little truck, primarily because it was so out of scale to the surrounding details, it being near N scale vs the near HO size of everything else. I was always told it came from a box of cereal.
When Pop Gus went home to our Lord some years back, Mom passed this and several other vehicles that graced that layout all those years ago on to me. Upon finding a link to "Ken's Cereal Car Collection", a favorite vehicle on my N scale layout now has a more complete history...
I've always enjoyed stumbling upon "ancient" model railroading...this piece dates back to the late '60s, when N scale was in its infancy as a commercial enterprise.
Scaling out at just over 73', it can barely handle servicing two family minivans, much less two full size diesel growlers. Ahhh....but such was model railroading back then, when folks were content to pull three boxcars into a siding to an "industry" that was hardly big enough to fill a UPS truck every day, much less produce three full railroad carloads of goods.
I happened upon the original America's Hobby Center ad where this kit was featured for $3.98 back in 1969...
...it's time for my "7 Rules For Beginning Model Railroaders"...
1. Put your wallet back in your pocket and don't pull it out until you've read all 3 volumes of Robert Schliecher's "The Model Railroading Handbook" from cover to cover.
2. Do not plan one inch of track until you can call upon at least 2 nearby modelers with several years of experience between them...find a local club if possible.
3. Please take up stamp collecting if you have little or no mechanical and electrical aptitude. A free pass is given to anyone who has successfully restarted a TYCO locomotive on their own.
4. Accept the fact that you will loose approximately 40-60% of the resale value of your equipment should you decide that this isn't the hobby for you.
5. Before you lay one twig of scenery, remind yourself over and over again, like a mantra, that the layout shots that wow you now are products of serious time, money and effort over a period of months and years---not daze and weaks.
6. Your first layout must be no larger than a standard sheet of plywood and finished before you; a) go bigger, or b) change scales.
7. You must have the full approval of you spouse and must reciprocate accordingly...i.e. spend $180 on trains means spend $180 on spouse before one spends yet another dime on said trains.
UPDATE: #8. You're debt free first...you'd be amazed at how easy it is to plunk down 2 1/2 Bennies for your favorite DCC, sound equipped toy when you're not already sending that many to Master Card every month...
...just sayin'....
Permission is freely granted to distribute said wisdom to any and all takers...
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.
And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.
Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.
And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.
And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.
While advertised at $9.95 in this ad (an impressively low price at the time for a locomotive model of this type), by the time of the January 1963 issue of Model Railroader magazine "Trade Topics", it had risen to $10.95, $15.95 assembled. Other changes include the electrical pickup and metal drivers...
All in all, I count three variations, my geared one with the plastic drivers, the one in Trade Topics, with the metal divers, and their first version with...can you believe it...their Hi-F rubber band drive? That will be an interesting find should one come my way...
UPDATE: A reader writes... "(T)hat would be the second production version (not counting the pre-production RB drive, of course). The first version still had the large steel axles for the RB drive with teeth cut into the rearmost axle driven by a worm on the motor shaft, and no whitewalls (that's the one I have). The third version was upgraded with metal drivers and loco pickup. According to the guys on the Vintage HO forum a while back, no one has ever seen a pre-production RB drive.
The slipping problem it came with was a result of an ear clip breaking. It is used to hold the worm gear in line and in contact with the bull gear. This would hold until a load was applied, whereupon it would push up and out, disengaging the drive. By installing a cone spring that pushes down on the top of the worm gear housing, it keeps the gears engaged while retaining the drive axle's ability to flex and roll in motion...
The tender electrical connections are shear genius. At a time when models were not quite standardized, leaving locomotives wired to go in different directions because of polarity, Irv came up with a novel solution. By making the terminal ends interchangeable with a simple plug in socket installed in the tender body and frame, polarity--and therefore directional travel---could be correct, even if one took their new prize to another layout...
First announced in 1958, it had many bugs in the drive. Finally released in 1961, it followed their unique 0-4-2 Lil' Monster and preceded their 0-6-0 USRA switcher...for four short years, they were the only three steam locomotives Athearn ever offered until the Genesis line in the late 1990s.
Highly desirable to Athearn collectors, I picked this one up as an unidentified model on an inner hunch that it was a Mantua Pacific, only to be pleasantly surprised by what it actually was upon further investigation...
My first clue was found on its arrival...the tender wheelsets are a spot on match to the popular Hi-F drive Budd RDC rail cars that Athearn had out at the time...
Equally fascinating were the all plastic drivers, pilot and trailing truck wheelsets---all power pickup is thru the tender...
All in all an exceptional catch that will keep me busy tuning up this winter...
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
A Psalm of Asaph. The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.
Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City were destroyed. Five days later, as I was preparing this message, I looked out the window of my study in our 30th-floor apartment. Huge clouds of smoke were still smoldering from the ruins. They rose from the rubble and drifted out over the Hudson River, passing above the Statue of Liberty.
The following Sunday, just before I preached this message at Times Square Church, I wept at the sight of the utter devastation. I pleaded with God for mercy: mercy for the grieving families who lost loved ones. Mercy for the workers still digging through the rubble, hoping to locate survivors, but finding only corpses and severed body parts. Mercy for all the police officers, fire fighters and volunteers, who wept openly over the indescribable horrors they saw.
Our church was allowed to set up a relief tent at ground zero of the disaster. Ministry leaders and volunteers from our congregation worked tirelessly around the clock, helping to feed and encourage the weary workers.
Six weeks prior to the disaster, the Holy Spirit forewarned our pastoral staff that a calamity was coming. We had scheduled several major events for the weeks ahead, including our Missions Conference and Youth Convention. But God's Spirit prompted us to cancel them all. Instead, we felt stirred to call our congregation to prayer.
We decided to hold prayer meetings four nights a week. From the very beginning, each meeting was marked by an awesome stillness that settled over the congregation. We sat quietly in the Lord's presence, often without a sound, for up to an hour, followed by soft weeping and heartrending repentance. In one meeting, I had to steady my knees with my hands, to keep them from trembling in God's awesome presence.
During this visitation from the Lord, the Holy Ghost revealed there was a reason for the weeping in our hearts. We were being so moved because a tragedy was coming. A severe calamity was coming to the nation. And even though we didn't know what it was, our hearts were stirred to intercede concerning it.
Then suddenly, the calamity struck. And it hit not only our city, but the nation's capital. One network anchor declared, "Think of it, our two symbols of power and prosperity have been smitten in one hour." Little did he know, he was quoting Revelation 18:10: "Alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgment come."
As a policeman from our church helped out at ground zero, his fellow officers kept asking him, "What's this all about? What's happening?" Meanwhile, the whole nation has been asking, "Where is God in all this?"
We're right to ask this question. We need to understand where God is in this calamity. And to do that, we have to trust his holy Word alone. We've heard hundreds of opinions from media experts and politicians. But all their rhetoric has begun to sound the same. There's no real understanding about the meaning of this sudden destruction.
There is one thing I can assure you of: God wasn't taken by surprise. He knows the thoughts of all human beings, including every ruler, despot and terrorist. The Lord monitors the movements of every person in the entire mass of humankind. He knows when we sit down or stand up. And I can tell you, this one thing is sure: God has everything under control. Nothing on the face of the earth takes place without his knowledge of it, his permission for it, and, at times, his doing behind it.
If You're a Christian, You Know God Has Delivered a Message to America and the World through this Disaster.
Ministers and theologians everywhere are saying, "God had nothing to do with these disasters. He wouldn't allow such awful things to happen." Yet nothing could be further from the truth. This kind of thinking is causing our nation to rapidly miss the message God wants to speak to us through the tragedy.
The fact is, we have to have a word from God. Like many pastors, I've wept and grieved over this awful calamity. I've sought the Lord in prayer and through his Word. And I want to tell you, I've experienced a grief that's even deeper than the mourning for innocent people dying. It's a grief that says if we miss God's message, if we turn a deaf ear to what he's loudly proclaiming, then much worse is in store for us.
The prophet Isaiah speaks directly to what we've just experienced. (If you object to using the Old Testament for examples, consider Paul's words on the subject: "All these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come" [1 Corinthians 10:11]. Paul makes it clear: the examples of the Old Testament reveal just how God moves in times like ours.)
At the time that Isaiah prophesied, God had been dealing patiently with Israel for about 250 years. The Lord had sent "light afflictions" upon his people, calling them to repentance. He was trying to woo them out of their brazen idolatry and back into his blessing and favor.
All of the prophets throughout the years had spoken to Israel the same essential word: "Humble yourselves." Scripture says, "They served idols...yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes"---(2 Kings 17:12-13).
But God's chosen nation rejected his call to repentance. "They would not hear, but hardened their necks" (17:14). These people mocked the prophets who called them to humility. And, instead, they "followed vanity, and became vain...and they left all the commandments of the Lord their God...and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord...therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel"---(17:15-18.)
God Sent Wake-Up Calls to Israel.
The Lord's first wake-up call to Israel came in an invasion by Assyria. This arch enemy attacked two Israelite provinces, Zebulun and Naphtali. Fortunately, the attacks were limited to these two points, and the damage was minimal. Yet God was clearly speaking to his people. The Lord's chosen nation lost their sense of security. Yet they still missed the message God was speaking.
Israel then received a second wake-up call. This one was very severe. Two nations whom Scripture calls the "enemies of Israel" -- the Syrians and the Philistines -- combined forces for a sudden attack. According to Isaiah, this attack came from both "before, and...behind"---(Isaiah 9:12). This means the invaders came from the east and the west, surrounding Israel. And their sudden attack was totally devastating.
Now we come to the heart of my message, and to the question most Americans are asking: Where was God in this sudden invasion of his chosen land? What were his people to make of the disaster that had come upon them? Isaiah tells us God was faithful to speak to his people: "The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel"---(Isaiah 9:8.) God spoke a clear word. And he sent the message to the whole nation.
Beloved, this verse tells us something very important at our own time of devastation. It says simply, "God always sends his word." Never in history has the Lord left his people clueless in a time of calamity. He has never abandoned us and forced us to figure out things on our own. He always provides a word of understanding.
Even now the Lord is raising up godly watchmen to speak for him in these times. These shepherds are grieving, weeping and repenting as they seek God's face. And I believe they're hearing and understanding the Lord's message behind the present events. Moreover, they're not afraid to proclaim dire warnings, because they know they've heard from God. They're compelled to speak of his purposes behind our calamities.
I Have to Speak a Word None of Us Wants to Hear.
Many readers won't receive the word I'm about to deliver. They'll think it's heartless, cruel, unkind in a time of grieving. But, I tell you, if we don't hear God's truth and face it, our nation is doomed. Here is the word I hear the Lord speaking to us right now: "The Lord shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together...for the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts" (Isaiah 9:11, 13).
The Bible makes it crystal clear: God used enemy nations to chasten his people. The Lord wielded these enemies as an instrument of warning to Israel, calling the nation to repent. "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets"---(10:5-6).
God charged this coalition of Israel's enemies to chasten his chosen people. The Lord was trying to warn Israel, "You've lifted yourself up with pride. Now I'm about to bring you down. I'm going to allow you to be disciplined by your enemies."
The enemy coalition launched their massive attack. And, suddenly, the Israelites watched in horror as their buildings began to collapse. Fires raged throughout the cities, burning down stately structures. In a short time, Israel was in flames. And God's people began to wail, "The bricks are fallen down...the sycamores are cut down"---(9:10).
After witnessing the recent disasters in New York and Washington, we can begin to imagine the emotions of the ancient Israelites. Yet, did Israel repent after this horrifying attack? Was there a nationwide acknowledgment that God was sending them a warning? Did the rulers hear God speaking through the awful calamity? No. Israel's reaction was just the opposite. The people's initial fear quickly gave way to a flood tide of national pride. "All the people...say in the pride and stoutness of heart"---(9:9).
The Hebrew word for stoutness in this verse signifies a sense of greatness. In other words, once the attack died down, the Israelites regained their confidence. They declared, "The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars"---(9:10). They were saying, in other words, "These calamities aren't from our Lord. They're simple fate, unfortunate disasters that can't be explained".
"We're a great and mighty nation. We're made up of a proud, unbending people. And we're going to let the world know we're coming back. We'll build everything back bigger and better. Where we used bricks before, we'll use stone. And where we once built with cheap construction, we'll use better materials. We're a God-blessed nation. And we're going to come through this disaster stronger than ever."
Doesn't this all sound very familiar? The Lord himself used an evil enemy to send a warning of chastisement to his people. He wanted to wake them up to their compromise, bring them back to himself, pour out his blessings on them, and surround them with his protection. Yet, throughout their days of grief and horror, God's people never once acknowledged his hand in it all. No one asked, "What is the Lord saying through all this? Is he trying to speak to us?" No one thought for a moment that such a proud, great nation could be humbled and chastised. On the contrary, the people used the occasion to defy any such thought. They refused to hear God's warning to them.
I ask you: does Israel's example hit home with you, after everything we've witnessed in recent weeks? Please don't misunderstand me. I thank God we have a moral President leading our country. I thank the Lord for all the devout Christians who serve in high office. Our church prays diligently for our nation's leaders. And we're grateful for the temporary outpouring of prayer nationwide. It's encouraging to see people sobering up and beginning to rethink their lifestyles.
Yet, even so, we risk missing God's message to us. Think about it: when our public assemblies call for a moment of silence, we think it's true repentance. When we see politicians singing "God Bless America," we think our nation has turned back to God. When we see sporting events observe a silent minute at halftime, we think it's a spiritual experience.
But is this all that's going to come out of our recent disaster? Will people in sports stadiums stand in silence for a minute, then go back to painting their bodies in wild colors, chug beer after beer, and scream maniacally for their favorite team?
Like most Americans, I wept as I saw Senators and Congressional leaders standing on the steps of the Capitol, singing, "God bless America...stand beside us, and guide us..." Yet, as I was crying, the Lord reminded me, "Many of the leaders you see singing have worked to rule me out of American society. They are even determined to remove my name from American history books. And they've allowed the murder of millions of babies through abortion."
Suddenly, I was struck by the absolute hypocrisy of it all. We give lip service to God, but we continue our slide into the mire of immorality.
When a Nation Is Under Divine Correction, It Will React in One of Two Ways.
A nation under chastisement may humble itself and repent, as Nineveh did. Or, it may give lip service to God, but then turn inward to its own strength to rise above the correction. There will be a rallying cry, stating, "We have the strength to endure any disaster. And we have the ability and resolve to overcome any problem. We're truly a great nation."
I'm as patriotic as any American. And I'm as thrilled as anyone at the unity our nation is experiencing. I thank God for the heroic efforts and incredible sacrifices we've seen in the wake of the terrorist attacks. The whole world is in awe of the fortitude and love displayed by the people of New York, Washington, D.C. and America in general.
But we face the same danger Israel did. In our fiery patriotism, we could easily miss God's message to our nation. And right now, we're standing at the very same crossroads where Israel stood.
I wonder: if we had lived in Isaiah's day, would we have listened to his prophetic warnings? Or would we have turned a deaf ear to him? Both Jerusalem and the nation of Judah refused to believe they could be brought low. Yet Isaiah prophesied, "Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?"---(Isaiah 10:11). God was saying, in essence, "I've judged other nations for the very idolatry you're practicing. Why wouldn't I judge you? What makes you exempt from my law?"
All across America, people are holding meetings for "prayer and remembrance." It's right and honorable (and totally scriptural) to remember those who have died. But why are we so afraid to also call for meetings of "prayer and repentance"? Right now, most Americans are focused on remembrance and revenge. Yet, where is the call in America to turn back to God?
As for the punishment of terrorists, Isaiah addresses this issue as well. He declares, "When the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria"---(Isaiah 10:12).
Indeed, when God was finished using Assyria as "the rod of mine anger," he destroyed them. Likewise, God will bring down any terrorists who attack and murder innocent people. It won't be long before they meet their eternal destiny in hell.
Here Is the Message I Believe God Is Trumpeting in Our Calamities.
Deep in my spirit, I hear the Lord saying, "I've prospered you above all nations. Yet, for years you've persisted in worshiping idols of gold and silver. I've endured your shameless sensuality, your mockery of holy things, your shedding of innocent blood, your tireless efforts to remove me from your society. Now time is running out for you.
"I've sent you prophet after prophet, watchman after watchman. You've been warned again and again. Yet still you won't open your eyes to your wicked ways. Now I've stricken you, in hopes of saving you. I want to heal your land, to destroy your enemies, to bring you back into my blessing. But you don't have eyes to see it."
If God wouldn't spare other nations that have outlawed him, why would he spare America? He'll judge us even as he judged Sodom, Rome, Greece and every other culture that has turned its back on him.
Consider what God spoke through Ezekiel: "Cast away from you all your transgressions...and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye"---(Ezekiel 18:31-32).
For anyone who doubts that God feels pain, here is proof positive of his great compassion. He too feels grief and sorrow over death. He's telling us in this passage, "I take no pleasure in seeing you suffer and die. That's why I'm pleading with you now: turn from your sin and live."
God weeps especially over those calamities that befall innocents. In these past weeks, you can be sure Jesus has been weeping over the victims of the terrorist attacks. He is said to "bottle the tears of his saints." Indeed, I believe many of the tears shed by Christians are God's own tears, prompted by his Spirit in us.
Yet, at times, God's justice and righteousness cause him to restrain his pity. And he's forced to carry out his righteous judgments as a last resort. The greatest example of this is the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus. Justice demanded that the sins of the whole world be laid on an innocent man, and that this man would be condemned to die for all. Tell me, who could be more innocent than God's own Son? Yet Christ willingly gave himself as a sacrifice, to offer deliverance and salvation to all of humankind.
What Will Happen to America If We Miss God's Message?
What will be our nation's fate if we reject God's call to turn wholly to him? What will happen if abortions continue and fetuses are used for research...if we keep erasing our Savior's name from American history...if we rebuild all things bigger and better, only to enrich ourselves more...if we rely on our armed might rather than on God for power?
Isaiah describes what happens to every nation that rejects God and boasts of its own greatness: "Wickedness burneth as the fire...they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke. Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother. And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry...they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm"---(Isaiah 9:18-20).
Devouring fires will rise to the heavens. Darkness will cover the land. The economy will be hit with a staggering blow. And there will be disunity in the nation, in communities, in neighborhoods, in families. People will look out only for themselves, in a desperate fight to survive. And God help you if you come near them.
>>>I was given a prophetic message nine years ago, and I delivered it at Times Square Church on September 7, 1992. Let me share it with you now:
"This warning is not meant to scare you. It's meant only for you to take to the Lord and pray. This is what I believe God has shown me":
"Thirty days of chastisement will fall on New York City such as the world has never seen. God is going to let down the walls. There will be unimaginable violence and looting. The violence will be so ferocious, it will shock the whole world. Our streets will be lined not just with the National Guard but with militia".
"A thousand fires will burn at the same time throughout the city. The Los Angeles fires were confined to a few sections of that city, but New York will be ablaze in all its boroughs. Times Square will be ablaze, and the flames will ascend into heaven and be seen for miles. Fire trucks will not be able to handle it all".
"Trains and buses will be shut down. Billions of dollars will be lost. Broadway shows will stop completely. Businesses will flee the city in an unstoppable hemorrhage. Such things are expected in Third World countries, but not in a civilized nation like the United States. Yet, in not too long a time afterward, New York City will go completely bankrupt. The Queen City will be cast into the dirt, becoming a city of poverty".
"You may ask, when will all this happen? All I can say is, I believe I will be here when it happens. Yet, when it does, God's people are not to panic or fear."
Calls and messages have flooded our ministry offices, asking, "Was the terrorist attack on September 11 the calamity you were prophesying back in 1992?" No, not at all. What I saw coming will be much more severe. Indeed, if America rejects God's call to turn back to him, we'll face the same judgments Israel faced. And they will hit not only New York but every region in the country. Even the heartland won't be spared. The nation's economy will collapse, and violence will erupt. Fires will consume our cities, and tanks will rumble through the streets.
I believe our window of opportunity to respond to God's call is brief. We all should pray that our nation repents and turns back to the Lord. But our most intense prayers should be for our own hearts: "Lord, let me tremble not at the disasters, but at your Word. I want to hear your voice in all of this. Cause me to turn wholly to you."
...hardly an Athearn but, maybe there was something to gain.
The new motor came from an online vendor. Since dual shaft motors can be expensive, I had to take a chance when I found these for around $7.50 each, including shipping. They were a drop in fit for the Bachmann and AHM all wheel drive diesel models, but the shaft is too small for an Athearn...a good thing as I found later.
The only modification required for the Bachmann was a simple bend on each of the posts to clear the frame. Once the leads were soldered on, it was a simple matter to place a small blob of silicone adhesive caulk to the frame, nestle the motor into place...making sure all remains properly aligned while setting.
You can see in this side-by-side that the motor truly is a drop in fit, being about 10% heftier in the field magnet and case but well within tolerances for clearing the body shell...
An honest evaluation would include increased pulling power, it is a beast compared to its former self. It also runs much slower at the top end of the throttle, both great qualities that I figure comes from the new motor's beefier measurements over a stock buzzer.
Sadly, it does not have very good slow running qualities, not even for a road unit, dashing any hopes of mass re-motorings of the fleet on a budget. The original motor runs much quieter and has better low end throttle control---unless it's burnt out like this one was, of course. Because the new motor is also a good bit louder, that leaves it relegated to the holiday tree lapping fleet for the most part...a good thing since these locomotives tend to chew through motors about ever three years under those conditions anyway.
In the end, it's not bad for seven bucks, just save you peanuts up for one of the better can motors when you want a whisper quiet tie crawler. However, this one is more than worth it for rescuing the family Christmas gear grinder, and will last for many holidays into the future.
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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