Sorry, someone took this down -
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Morning serenade
This is the tail end of the racket Lucy was making when she pushed out an egg. They were all joining in celebrating the great event, but by the time I got the video PNY thingy (which it needs to take video) in the camera it was almost all over!
It was loud and lasted for about five minutes. She came out of the coop strutting and very proud of herself.
Of course everyone had to go in and check it out - even Charlie!
It was loud and lasted for about five minutes. She came out of the coop strutting and very proud of herself.
Of course everyone had to go in and check it out - even Charlie!
Monday, June 9, 2014
Tickles my funny bone!
Just love this one!
But....sometimes this automata stuff is really, really dangerous!
At the feet of the mechanised figure of a person - which was to have struck the hour with a hammer - lay Mr Maybrook. Poor, blameless, bludgeoned Mr Maybrook. At least the end, when it came, was swift. Swift, and absurd.
Mr Maybrook was a man of independent means, according to the report in the Illustrated Police News, who was travelling for his own pleasure in the German province of Silesia.
What followed was a scene that even an author of badly written whodunits would dismiss as implausible.
Suddenly, one of the figures struck the great bell. The startled Mr Maybrook jumped back in surprise. It was the last thing he would ever do.
"He came directly within the range of a huge hammer wielded by another automaton," said the paper, "which descended on the head of the unfortunate and ill-fated traveller."
The verger returned from his errand to find his guest in a pool of blood inside the clock. Well, when your time's up, your time's up.
But....sometimes this automata stuff is really, really dangerous!
Victorian strangeness: The man killed by an automaton
Author Jeremy Clay tells the grisly story of the Victorian man killed by a bell-chiming automaton.
There was no need for Sherlock. The killer didn't flee the
scene. He stood his ground over the lifeless body of his victim, his
hand still gripping the bloody weapon, his face betraying no emotion.At the feet of the mechanised figure of a person - which was to have struck the hour with a hammer - lay Mr Maybrook. Poor, blameless, bludgeoned Mr Maybrook. At least the end, when it came, was swift. Swift, and absurd.
Mr Maybrook was a man of independent means, according to the report in the Illustrated Police News, who was travelling for his own pleasure in the German province of Silesia.
That winter's day in 1876 his
wanderlust brought him to a historic church in the town of Glogau. The
verger offered to show him round, but was called away during the tour,
leaving the visitor alone in the clock tower.
Mr Maybrook wasn't too bothered. The clock was an ornate
affair with carved automatons that chimed the passing hours. Left to his
own devices, this was a chance to indulge his curiosity and examine the
workings at close quarters. He was enthralled by the intricate
mechanism. So enthralled, in fact, that he was oblivious to the ominous
whirring sound that signalled the wooden figures were about to spring
into action.What followed was a scene that even an author of badly written whodunits would dismiss as implausible.
Suddenly, one of the figures struck the great bell. The startled Mr Maybrook jumped back in surprise. It was the last thing he would ever do.
"He came directly within the range of a huge hammer wielded by another automaton," said the paper, "which descended on the head of the unfortunate and ill-fated traveller."
The verger returned from his errand to find his guest in a pool of blood inside the clock. Well, when your time's up, your time's up.
Still trying....
Still trying to get the video to work - played with it all weekend. I just should have bought one like my old Sanyo - it was easy to use and ran on batteries.
This camera is a Sony and just has too many settings on it that I will
never use but it has a rechargeable built-in battery. Oh well, gotta
keep it until it breaks.....
The girls scattered behind the barn to look for bugs. Charlie didn't see where they went. Here he is calling for them to come back. They did.
This finally bloomed - so pretty!
Lucy and Laverne are fighting a lot - don't know what is going on there........
The girls scattered behind the barn to look for bugs. Charlie didn't see where they went. Here he is calling for them to come back. They did.
This finally bloomed - so pretty!
Lucy and Laverne are fighting a lot - don't know what is going on there........
Friday, June 6, 2014
Friday Night Steam
A nice little video of the Western Maryland 734 (and on a turntable, too!)
Some great info and links:
The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (WMSR) is a heritage railroad based in Cumberland, Maryland. It operates over ex-Western Maryland Railway (WM) trackage to Frostburg, Maryland and back using both steam and diesel locomotives.
The WMSR operates passenger excursion trains out of the former Western Maryland station in Cumberland, which also houses one of the six visitor centers of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park as well as other attractions and offices. This station was built in 1913.
The railroad offers coach and first class service, as well as reserved caboose rides. The railroad also runs murder mystery excursions and special seasonal trips.
Intermediate sights on the line include:
Regular power on the railroad is #734
Excursion train pulled by #734, June 2013
Normal power for the train is ex-Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad #734, a 1916 Baldwin-built 2-8-0 steam locomotive painted in WM "fireball" livery. It was originally built for the LS&I as #34. The locomotive came to the line from the Illinois Railway Museum
in 1991. After an extensive rebuild, it entered service in 1992; it has
received several modifications over the years to give it more of a WM
appearance WMSR also rosters an ex-C&O 2-6-6-2, acquired from the
B&O Museum in Baltimore and intends to have it in operation in 2016.
In addition, the WMSR has two ex-Conrail GP30 diesel locomotives (#501 being former PRR, #502 being former Reading). These engines are used as helper engines for the steam locomotive and as power for short excursions that are run for special events.
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Some great info and links:
Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
| Western Maryland Scenic Railroad | |
|---|---|
 |
|
Historic Western Maryland Railway station in Cumberland
|
|
| Locale | Allegany County, Maryland |
| Dates of operation | 1988– |
| Predecessor | Western Maryland Railway |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Length | 16 mi (26 km) |
| Headquarters | Cumberland, Maryland |
| Website | wmsr.com |
The WMSR operates passenger excursion trains out of the former Western Maryland station in Cumberland, which also houses one of the six visitor centers of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park as well as other attractions and offices. This station was built in 1913.
The railroad offers coach and first class service, as well as reserved caboose rides. The railroad also runs murder mystery excursions and special seasonal trips.
Contents
Rail line description
The track, which for the most part follows a former Western Maryland Railway line, proceeds northwest from Cumberland through "the Narrows", a deep water gap formed by the passage of Wills Creek between Haystack Mountain and Wills Mountain, parts of the Wills Mountain Anticline geological structure. The train then proceeds up the Allegheny Front through a water gap formed by Jennings Run, passes Mt. Savage, and terminates at the former Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad depot in Frostburg. The train lays over there for about 90 minutes to allow passengers to visit the town, and the locomotive is turned back there on a turntable that originally served the Western Maryland in Elkins, West Virginia. The train then returns to Cumberland by the same route.Intermediate sights on the line include:
- Helmstetter’s Curve in Cash Valley 39°40′43″N 78°48′25″W
- Brush Tunnel 39°41′24″N 78°48′50″W
- Woodcock Hollow, site of a hairpin curve 39°41′00″N 78°51′26″W
Locomotives
Shops
The WMSR operates out of the former WM's Ridgeley, West Virginia car shops located just across the Potomac River from Cumberland. The shops include offices, a Federal Railroad Administration building, and the former paint shop which is now used to house the steam engine and perform repairs on the railroad's equipment. The WMSR shops also serve as a business offering restoration services for locomotives and coaches from both commercial and private owners. South, past the Ridgely shops and yard, the WMSR also maintains a wye that is used to turn the railroad's locomotives and coaches.Passenger and Freight Equipment
Since its creation, the WMSR has gained an extensive collection of light weight style passenger coaches, many of which it either has restored to service in its maroon and gold livery, or has used for parts to restore other coaches. Many of the restored coaches are painted with the names of local area towns, as well as benefactors of the scenic railroad. The WMSR also has a collection of freight equipment it has collected from CSX and others sources that it uses for storage at the shops, rail line maintenance, and photo freight excursions. The WMSR currently also has three cabooses. They are two ex-C&O cabooses and one ex-WM caboose. Other un-restored equipment includes an ex-Chessie System crane, an ex-LS&I steam engine tender, ex-Amtrak material handling cars, heavyweight coaches and pieces for a turntable.See also
- Canal Place (park complex which includes the railway station)
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. |
- John Helmstetter Farm Fund - Photos at Helmstetter's Curve
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