Hobo Jungle

[v8vega]

Tue. 87 Wed. 83 Thur. 83
Last night I bought a plane ticket to fly to my brothers family for Christmas, cost $325, a few days ago there were flights as low as $242 I am not sure there were acceptable to me depart times. For the last 6 years I have taken the Coast Starlight but last March the train was full enough already that it cost $368 for a senior. I got the senior price for United also but I noticed it was the same for non senior. I enjoy the train, its very relaxing but it is 29 hours and that schedule is for less busy times the rest of the year and along with possible snow in the Cascades problems the train is always late sometimes 4 or 5 hours.
I have a great fear of problems at the airport, my sister flys clear across the United States each year and brings only a carry on and that includes taking our generous Christmas gifts home. I have a rectangular suitcase that measures just under 14 x 9 x 22 they say is allowed. And your allowed a personal bag also, I have one that's 15 x 7 x 9 1/2 that I could put on my lap easily, do you think they will allow that?

[rogruth]

I have not flown for many years.I enjoyed it when I did but the harassment at the airports were getting worse over the years.
The harassment that bothered me did not bother many others and still doesn't.Many extra charges that many don't seem to know about.Low fair airlines seem to have extra fees that soon make them equal to higher priced lines.I really don't know because of all the hidden stuff.I suppose if you have no luggage of any kind and can walk on and off the plane it might be OK.Oh wait.I forgot about the strange ticket procedures.Buy ticket on line or pay more.For some tickets can only be bought on line.Then there are charges for transmitting or printing the ticket.
But this is all heresay to me since I don't fly.Lots of contradictory info.Sort of like why I don't have any MTH locos.

My last Amtrak ride was very nice.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Naw Mitch. That SOB is locked up so tight that a logging chain wrapped around that 2+ foot dia. flywheel and jacked up with a hydraulic floor jack hasn't budged it. I have been constantly keeping the cylinders full of penetrating oil, ATF and acetone. ...
Tomorrow I plan to weld a piece of angle iron onto the flywheel and jack against it. ... Wrench off the flywheel. 2. break the shaft. 3. Break either the rods or pistons. After all this time something WILL give!

I need the garage for some Model A steering work and installing rear disc brakes on the 22 Touring.

Of course the arthritis in both arms and hands isn't expediting things much.

Tony

Yeegods, Mr. TonyH, Not-for-nuthin' , but, do you need to take up a lighter sport, one that's easier on your back and hands - maaaaaybeee, like crafting model RR scenes? I could help you out w/ that, if ya' wanted.
Be safe.
Be well.
And whole (no smashed fingers , etc.) Murph

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Tue. 87 Wed. 83 Thur. 83
Last night I bought a plane ticket to fly ...
I enjoy the train, its very relaxing but it is 29 hours ...
I have a great fear of problems at the airport, ... I have a rectangular suitcase that measures just under 14 x 9 x 22 they say is allowed. And your allowed a personal bag also,...

And on that theme, may I share w/my fellow wander-lusting, travelin' hobos, here, that I leave for my SUV-enabled trip from NJ to Kansas this Saturday, June 15 (driving 1,300mi e. way,) which will be my first venture westward beyond Dayton, Ohio from here. I'll load-up my client's numerous Insta-Rama purchases, plus my craftwork ingredients (groundcovers; foliage, etc.) and tools, all of which will likely chuck-fill my ML to capacity. Given some advice I've received on MTJ, and having Google-mapped the route, I figure two days to get there, an indeterminate number of days at his layout for emplacement of the dioramas and seamless blending of everything into place, and a 2-3 da. return trip, with a stop-over in Pittsburgh to visit relatves. I'm stoked, but some trepidation , yet happy for the adventure and opportunity to do custom craftwork for this excellent customer.

Here is a bit of what I will be hand-delivering and crafting into place for him...

[rogruth]

Murph,

Did you forget to post the photos or are they a big secret?

[MurphOnMillerAve]

I got interrupted, Roger; then, I had to re-size the photos for MTJ limits. Here are a couple more..

[MurphOnMillerAve]

...and...
Murph

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I have a great fear of problems at the airport, my sister flys clear across the United States each year and brings only a carry on and that includes taking our generous Christmas gifts home. I have a rectangular suitcase that measures just under 14 x 9 x 22 they say is allowed. And your allowed a personal bag also, I have one that's 15 x 7 x 9 1/2 that I could put on my lap easily, do you think they will allow that?

I used to fly more than once a month; just backed off since it was impacting actual office work and I never did actually like flying.

I never use a regular suitcase; always have used a soft "parachute" material bag - it's just clothing inside and it'll fit into the overhead or I'll make it fit. It's just laundry on the return and again, it'll fit or else.

Your other personal bag - as long as it fits under the seat in front of you, you're ok. You can't hold it on your lap during take-off and landing; that's been true next to forever...

have not flown for many years.I enjoyed it when I did but the harassment at the airports were getting worse over the years.
The harassment that bothered me did not bother many others and still doesn't.Many extra charges that many don't seem to know about.Low fair airlines seem to have extra fees that soon make them equal to higher priced lines.I really don't know because of all the hidden stuff.I suppose if you have no luggage of any kind and can walk on and off the plane it might be OK.Oh wait.I forgot about the strange ticket procedures.Buy ticket on line or pay more.For some tickets can only be bought on line.Then there are charges for transmitting or printing the ticket.
But this is all heresay to me since I don't fly.Lots of contradictory info.

If you minimize, and it all get's easier. I generally avoid all of the extra fees; never check anything and carry what I need and not my entire closet,

What strange ticket procedures? We buy everything else on-line, including trains and train tickets,

Never had any charge to print a ticket; just print it at home or at the hotel within the 24 hour window before departure...

Ok, I very recently did pay for an upgrade that shifted my boarding to priority which I think is worth doing for me since I do not check anything and want to be very sure of having overhead space these days. I used to travel enough that I was automatically given priority boarding and it was useful with what are now fully booked (and overbooked...) flights.

[rogruth]

Murph,

My usual comment still applies.


Rufus,

Just trying to remember some of the stuff I have heard.
A friend told me that he was charged a "ticket transmission fee" and he printed the ticket at home.

[webenda]

Reminds me of Russia.

The background structures seem Russian to me also, but it seems most Russian passenger trains are green, with a few blue and a rare red one. The way the photo has been "enhanced" makes it look French Landscape to me. I am still stumped.

Murph,?*, (or Evergreen Hill Design?)

Your scenes are perfection, thank you very much for sharing. I like the gas station, Plasticville right?* Images are coming through larger, how did you manage to get "large"?

I noticed the night booming ceres getting ready to bloom as I spread my bed roll last night, so I managed to wake up at 2 AM this morning and snap this photo.

Nikon Coolpix S3300, f/3.5, 1/30 sec, ISO 80, white balance auto, tripod mounted, light source: LED flashlight.

*I recognize Evergreen Hill Designs, just joking with you Murph.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Rufus,

Just trying to remember some of the stuff I have heard.
A friend told me that he was charged a "ticket transmission fee" and he printed the ticket at home.

Hopefully he told you what airline so that you could be sure to never use them!!!

[v8vega]

Today I am going to our annual Vintage luncheon (seniors, retirement age) at the big church I go to. I keep figuring someday I will get a girlfriend again and this is the perfect place. The church is too small so they have 5 services, I go to the same one all the time so there are 4 services of 1,500 people each that I don't see.

I have 4 old cars, 2 of which have a tire with a slow leak. I often air them up when I fill up with gas but today both cars are full and one tire is low so I check and fill all tires that are a little under inflated with my compressor at home. Its good to check your tires once in a while.

Murph I haven't got to scenery yet but I am no artist like you, I want high rail scale model railroader scenery but I know mine will be only so so at the best.

[tonyh]

Yea Murph, I have been giving serious consideration to going into competition with you. Since you have so graciously volunteered to teach me all your tricks I just might take you up on your generous offer!!!!! I'll be in touch.

I have been flying my own planes since 1963. Six months after getting a Cessna 140 I had to take a business trip (DOD) out to National Bureau of Standards in Boulder, CO. Stocked up on Gulf and Esso maps and hit the skies. Never got lost but got a little bewildered about 50 miles from home! Nice trip. People told me I was crazy!

My point is, over the years I have known aircraft owners that absolutely refuse to fly in a group a lousy 200 miles for a hamburger. They were deathly afraid of getting lost!!! My philosophy is each time you identify a known point it is just like starting out at that point. Add up 8 or 10 points and suddenly you are there.

I used to practically live on commercial airliners, back in the good old days. Borrring! They never would let me take the stick for a few minutes. When I retired in 1994 I never set foot on any commercial airliner. After all, I am chief pilot and mechanic of my own Fuddpucker Airlines.

8 hours with one stop to Miami. No inspections, red tape or restrictions!

So Murph, do your trip in easy stages. Stop every hour and take a walk after you drain your tank! Don't try to push it. Remember your customer will be there even if you arrive a day late. Just make sure you have a large bankroll to feed all those blasted toll booths!

Enjoy!

Tony

[2railjon]

V8vega, before you sell your guns you might want to pursue putting them in a trust:

RACHEL EMMA SILVERMAN
June 7, 2013


Who gets the guns after you're gone?

Lawyers say a growing number of firearms owners are creating special gun trusts, which are designed to allow collectors to share and pass down firearms to loved ones without inadvertently breaking any laws. The trusts also make it easier for gun enthusiasts to procure certain restricted firearms, such as suppressors, because of a quirk in federal regulations.

Interest in these trusts is growing, lawyers say, after a series of recent mass shootings brought responsible gun ownership into the national conversation. That's because gun trusts, if drafted properly, may offer gun owners and their heirs some protection from future laws placing restrictions on gun ownership, they say.

"What's happening recently has really changed the landscape" of firearms planning, says David Goldman, a Jacksonville, Fla., lawyer, who helps clients set up gun trusts.

Even without the specter of stricter gun-control legislation, however, a complex patchwork of federal and state gun laws makes it easy for gun owners and their families to get into legal trouble when transferring or taking possession of firearms, especially restricted ones. A gun owner, for example, may not realize that an heir who is a legal medical marijuana user may be prohibited from owning a firearm under federal law. Creating a trust, a legal entity that holds the guns and is managed by a trustee (typically the gun owner) for beneficiaries, can help owners properly navigate this thicket of rules.

Having a trust is "a responsible way of owning a firearm," says Mr. Goldman. It "provides a set of rules for how you want your assets to be managed during your life, and in the event of your incapacity and beyond," he says.

Meanwhile, because of a legal loophole, collectors can buy certain restricted firearms, such as machine guns and short-barreled rifles, through trusts without having to get the approval of a local law-enforcement officer, like individual buyers do. Many gun trusts, in fact, are created for this purpose, says Dennis Brislawn, a Kirkland, Wash., lawyer who has drafted hundreds of gun trusts for clients.

A spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the federal agency enforcing gun laws, says that applications to transfer restricted firearms to trusts or corporations has grown rapidly in recent years, to 39,354 last year from 26,376 a year earlier. He says the agency is reviewing a proposal to make firearms purchased through trusts subject to the same requirements as guns bought by individuals.

Setting up a gun trust can range from several hundred dollars to about $2,500 in lawyers' fees. Online gun-trust forms can be purchased for less than $100, but users should make sure they are compliant with federal and state laws.

[rogruth]

IMHO they will keep trying to screw gun owners,dealers and makers as long as they can.