Bernhards Random Ramblings BACKUP

This Greens, Apples & Walnuts salad was delicious. The lamb was very good, too.

When I put Maerklin 37819, engine 051 013-1 on the roller stand yesterday, it wasn't recognized automatically by the Mobile Station. At all. Another locomotive was programmed just fine, so it wasn't the overall setup. Tonight I double-checked connectivity, checked the wires, checked the decoder socket, swapped in another decoder, nothing. I tried the decoder in the BR 50 with cabin tender and it worked there, so it wasn't the decoder (whew!) I slowly took apart 051 013 until I had the naked engine in front of me. I checked the cable connections, double-checked connectivity, put it on the roller stand. ... And it worked just fine. Slowly and carefully I put it back together, and ... it still runs just fine. Maybe user error and I didn't press Stop on the Mobile Station to let it detect the locomotive? But then it should have worked with the decoder from the other BR 50.  I have no idea. At least now I know how to take this engine apart and put it back together. The fine ...

A work train came through Emsingen station on the main track this afternoon. Imagine the characteristic rumble of the V36 / BR 236 Diesel locomotives running in a pair for enough traction over "the hill". The locomotives are Maerklin 3346, a limited run edition known as "Doppeltes Lottchen". I have not yet converted them to digital operation. They look really nice with this train. The cars are from the Lima L149925-4 package and still have their DC wheel sets. The crane is the more-than-old Maerklin 315/2.  I need to build a boom support for the crane and mount it on the flat car, along with some boxes, wires, and other supplies. The materials car should probably go between the flat car and the workers car. Then I could use a Rungen flat car loaded with ties, rails, and more materials needed for on demand track maintenance. Nevertheless this train is capturing the look I've been after quite nicely. 

After a somewhat slow start at Silicon Valley Lines this morning, activity picked up quickly and we promptly overloaded Nowheres Yard with multiple trains converging on the yard from three origins almost at the same time. A couple crews ended up waiting before and in the yard much longer than intended. I tried to do my best as dispatcher to divert some traffic away and allow the yard to catch up. A fun morning, even though it was spent in front of screens.

Remember  the turkeys from a couple weeks ago ? They are still hanging out near the Coyote Creek trail. The chicks are growing fast. A little bit down the trail is the other family with some adolescent teenagers confidently crossing the road. And here's the whole family. It won't be much longer before the young will go out on their own.

While Hera already chews on dinner, ...  ... is Zeus still thinking about whether he wants to join the party.

This was popular as dessert today. No surprise after I tried it, ... and then went back for another one.