Hey you can keep the snow.
I’m ready for warmer weather already.
I don’t have a Christmas list this year…
Peace and good will to all…
Ric Golding said:
Absolutely, Post Card Christmas Eve Picture of a white Christmas. No wind and has been snowing all afternoon. At least 4 to 5 inches on the ground. Nice and warm in the home. Merry Christmas to all you guys.
Here in southcentral Alaska we have been stuck in the temperature range of roughly minus 30 to minus 45 F for the last week or so. Looks like these below-normal conditions (not that normal this time of year is exactly toasty-warm) will persist into the new year.
Winter storm warnings up for my area for tonight through Monday. It might get changed to Blizzard warnings.
Merry Christmas!
Light snow showers here this morning 
Temps in the low 30’s.
Ralph
We’ll be in the 50s today and I have two LGB switches to install! I also have some washouts to reballast.
Christmas travelers were stranded throughout the mountains today. Due to slippery conditions, trains were limited to one coach.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/Christmas032Med.jpg)
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/Christmas036Med.jpg)
After the second morning run, the Deep Gap line was closed. Travelers will be stranded indefinately. Operations will continue between Sunny View and Shady Grove as weather conditions permit.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/Christmas040Med.jpg)
You got some scale sand you can put down on the rails?
using a scale of 1:24 on most of my railroad stuff I have 12 feet of snow on the line. After getting one main open the plow hit a drift that was 15 or so feet deep and that put a end to getting things cleaned off and running. so now everyone is having eggnog and singing songs untilll they can get the line open again.
Merry Christmas everyone
Weather here today was actually quite nice. Very light wind and partially sunny with temps around 30. I ran an inspection train powered by the just-finished Porter shoving a gondola. The conductor rode in the gondola manning the brake wheel as the Porter pushed. Stops were made to clear fallen branches and debris. All main line switches were cleaned and run-through in both directions. All of this was in preparation for heavy snow forecast for Sunday night into Monday. Once the line is covered it’s difficult to spot obstacles. I don’t have to be back to work until Wednesday noon and am hoping to run the plow train at least once.
By noon all trains were canceled.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/Christmas045Med.jpg)
By 2:00pm the Engineer was wishing he’d put up the engine
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/Christmas061Med.jpg)
Great pictures Ralph. I think you need to build an engine house next.
Jon you might neeed more then a plow to clear your line. Blizzard warnings are starting to get issued.
I got my plow and engine waqiting in the tunnel for tomorrow. Just hope we dont have too much by the time I wake up.
Wintry mix falling here…hope it don’t stick! 
cale
I took some snow shots while going for a walk on my property. Field behind my house
(http://i52.tinypic.com/r28g7k.jpg)
West Branch of Papakating Creek
(http://i56.tinypic.com/t9co6f.jpg)
I just missed the barred owel that flew out of this Maple.
(http://i52.tinypic.com/4hpaav.jpg)
(http://i55.tinypic.com/2s1uqgk.jpg)
Lone Birch
Things could get interesting tonight. Low in the teens and 50-60mph winds forecast. Ralph
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/Christmas008Med.jpg)
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/Christmas009Med.jpg)
I’m getting jealous of Ralph and Shawn and all you guys with actual track out in the landscape - yes, even with knowing the weeding in August heat, the money year round, and other maintenance that’s required - got no garden at this upper floor apartment. Best I could do to get close to a Ralph-type image was go drop a Bachmann reefer in the snow out back of our building
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa309/FSW4picts/G%20gauge%20projects/IMG_5630-1.jpg)
Nice pics guys
Shawn said:
I just missed the barred owl that flew out of this Maple. [url](http://i52.tinypic.com/4hpaav.jpg)
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My wife has a bunch of pictures like that of Dolphins. Just looks like water to me, but a Dolphin jumped there seconds before. Nice owl.
Our warming trend brought us up to minus 25 today. It appears we have a shot at going above zero a few degrees within the next week. Regrettably, this will have NO effect on local garden railway operations, which froze out in mid-October and are not expected to resume until mid-April.
However, I do feel for those of you stateside AND in Europe who are now beginning to be hit hard either by some rather extreme winter conditions OR by unusually heavy precipitation. I think I would prefer the former to the latter.
My regards,
Ron in CC-AK
Ron Simpson said:
Our warming trend brought us up to minus 25 today. It appears we have a shot at going above zero a few degrees within the next week. Regrettably, this will have NO effect on local garden railway operations, which froze out in mid-October and are not expected to resume until mid-April. However, I do feel for those of you stateside AND in Europe who are now beginning to be hit hard either by some rather extreme winter conditions OR by unusually heavy precipitation. I think I would prefer the former to the latter.My regards,
Ron in CC-AK
I moved into the North Country from what turned out to be a relatively moderate climate (Ketchikan, Southeast Alaska) in 1975 and have been through every long winter that Alaska has to offer since then. Like so many of us, when I can afford the luxury of doing so, I fully intend to spend the worst part of the winter (Nov thru mid-March) in some more hospitable place, like the American southwest.
