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Chris Lord posted:

Yup.  the NJ Hi-Railers  are shut down until further notice.   I'd be interested if anyone HAS stayed open.  I hope not. 

I share Chris Lord's feeling that ALL clubs nationwide should, by this point and until further notice, have curtailed all operations. It is of primary importance to get this virus under control, and that requires the cooperative effort of every citizen.

I look forward to the day when clubs (including the small group I participate with) can once again gather for fellowship and good fun, but this is obviously a wish that is going to be on hold for a while. My even greater hope is that once clubs are able to meet again, ALL members on the rolls when the club temporarily ceased operations are on-hand and in good health to get things up and running once again.

Allan Miller posted:
Chris Lord posted:

Yup.  the NJ Hi-Railers  are shut down until further notice.   I'd be interested if anyone HAS stayed open.  I hope not. 

I share Chris Lord's feeling that ALL clubs nationwide should, by this point and until further notice, have curtailed all operations. It is of primary importance to get this virus under control, and that requires the cooperative effort of every citizen.

I look forward to the day when clubs (including the small group I participate with) can once again gather for fellowship and good fun, but this is obviously a wish that is going to be on hold for a while. My even greater hope is that once clubs are able to meet again, ALL members on the rolls when the club temporarily ceased operations are on-hand and in good health to get things up and running once again.

On BBC news the other morning they interviewed an official in Italy. She said even if the lock down was reduced, that no bars, restaurants, halls, etc. would be opened until a vaccine was available. I'm afraid it might be awhile before we are at the point of opening clubs again.

Yes  sir , our local  " Appalachian Model Railway Society " clubhouse located in Boyd Co. Ky.  (Tri-state area of Huntington WV , Ashland KY ,Ironton Oh) is closed until the governor says private  groups may again reopen.

We just got in our annual train show/swap meet before the curfew started.  

Last edited by mackb4
BobbyD posted:
Allan Miller posted:
Chris Lord posted:

Yup.  the NJ Hi-Railers  are shut down until further notice.   I'd be interested if anyone HAS stayed open.  I hope not. 

I share Chris Lord's feeling that ALL clubs nationwide should, by this point and until further notice, have curtailed all operations. It is of primary importance to get this virus under control, and that requires the cooperative effort of every citizen.

I look forward to the day when clubs (including the small group I participate with) can once again gather for fellowship and good fun, but this is obviously a wish that is going to be on hold for a while. My even greater hope is that once clubs are able to meet again, ALL members on the rolls when the club temporarily ceased operations are on-hand and in good health to get things up and running once again.

On BBC news the other morning they interviewed an official in Italy. She said even if the lock down was reduced, that no bars, restaurants, halls, etc. would be opened until a vaccine was available. I'm afraid it might be awhile before we are at the point of opening clubs again.

I doubt I'll be heading out in public for non-essential tasks until that time myself (or until there is a proven treatment for it).

-Greg

MartyE posted:

I'm heading out ASAP.  I'll keep my distance and do the recommended things but I am absolutely tired of living in fear and am ready to start living again when the all clear is given.

I'm not living in fear, but I do understand your point of view. I have no choice since I am one among those that have to work. The only places I go are work, gas, and food. There are no other stops that I should or would need to make. When I do go out, I have gloves and now a mask. I am always sure whether coming home from work or shopping to wash my hands thoroughly.

I also agree that until a vaccine or a radical treatment is found without issues, we will be doing what we're are currently in. I called my coworker who is staying at home(she's 70), we talked about when polio was around. I myself never had to experience anything like that, and she said that wasn't as bad as this stuff is.

Best thing to do is go out only when you NEED to, not because you WANT. That is why I am not ordering anything that I have been looking at, and won't until all this is over.

Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:
. . .  I called my coworker who is staying at home(she's 70), we talked about when polio was around. I myself never had to experience anything like that, and she said that wasn't as bad as this stuff is.

I was a young boy during the polio crisis in the early 50s and was part of the trial group of youngsters given the initial round of Salk vaccine. It was a scary time indeed, even though I was really too young at the time to fully understand what was going on. But I can tell you that NOTHING in my long lifetime compares even remotely to what we are going through now (and I have gone through a lot over those many years).

We will get through this as long as people cooperate to the best of their ability to bring things under control. Some brilliant minds are working on developing a cure and/or treatments, and I am confident they will be successful.

Last edited by Allan Miller
Allan Miller posted:
Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:
. . .  I called my coworker who is staying at home(she's 70), we talked about when polio was around. I myself never had to experience anything like that, and she said that wasn't as bad as this stuff is.

I was a young boy during the polio crisis in the early 50s and was part of the trial group of youngsters given the initial round of Salk vaccine. It was a scary time indeed, even though I was really too young at the time to fully understand what was going on. But I can tell you that NOTHING in my long lifetime compares even remotely to what we are going through now (and I have gone through a lot over those many years).

We will get through this as long as people cooperate to the best of their ability to bring things under control. Some brilliant minds are working on developing a cure and/or treatments, and I am confident they will be successful.

I remember getting the Salk Vaccine in about 1961.  Unfortunately we had 2 boys who had contracted polio in my high school class of 190 students.  One who used crutches in grade school, was confined to a wheelchair in high school, and passed on shortly afterwards.  The other passed on a few years ago of a heart attack.  Seeing that boy stand with his crutches while we ran at recess and later helping carry him or his wheelchair up and down the stairs in high school is as close as I got to polio.  I have never seen anything like this at all.  We go to the store only when absolutely necessary and deliver food to my mother-in-law who has stayed in since the start.  That's it.

I need to start from the beginning, but, everyone knows the large gatherings are supposedly closed until this pandemic ends, or the Governors of our states reopen the state borders. Our group, which includes, Clarksville, Nashville, Tn., Madisonville, Ky Owensboro, Ky, Evansville, In., has definitely made it impossible to have group meetings. The good news is, we can keep in touch via The OGR open forum, it brings us together in a fun to view way. Thank you OGR for helping us have fun. Happy Railroading.... Stay safe, stay healthy, stay in touch....

Just some historical perspective and a few words of optimism.  In the 14th century approximately 1/3 of Europe's population was wiped out through multiple plague epidemics.  Antibiotics that readily prevent death from this bacterial species (mostly thought to be bubonic plague caused by Yersinia pestis) became available, unfortunately only about 500 years later. 

We now have literally 100s, perhaps 1000s of scientific and medical teams working on therapies (anti-virals mostly) and vaccines.  One or more of these groups is bound to be lucky enough and smart enough to come up with something that dramatically alters the situation we have today and in the future.  Hopefully the world's leaders will learn from this experience to invest appropriately in the scientific and medical research community so we do not lack for resources when the next challenge occurs.  And it will come.

Polio and COVID-19 are very different diseases, as many of you may know.  In particular, polio ravaged children, not the mostly immune adults, and led to death by inches.  Some patients died quickly but many were paralyzed and died slowly over the coming years, almost none surviving to ripe old age. Mark Boyce describes this sad state of affairs well above.

This new coronavirus kills mostly older (>60 years of age) individuals, and mostly those with a history of previous lung, heart and similar diseases, morbid obesity,  or with a history of smoking, vaping or other exposure to lung toxins.  A minority of the population and mostly the very old for obvious reasons given the mentioned characteristics.  In our local area, fully 50% of the patients who have died are over 80.  Many are already severely disabled, cognitively impaired individuals in nursing facilities already near the end of their natural lives.  The coronavirus accelerated what was inevitable in many instances.  Not to be lacking in compassion, and as someone who is in the higher risk groups, I'd prefer facing this than having small children face polio.  Small consolation, I know, but worth at least considering. 

This is different, but not actually worse than in the years before the 1950s when many vaccines and antibiotics finally became available.  The mortality rate for simple streptococcal infections in women who had just given birth  or older patients prior to the advent of penicillin was probably 10 times that for coronavirus in 2020.  What is different here is this is new (not something we lived with for tens of thousands of years) and sudden.  Still nasty, but not the end of civilization as we know it with some certainty.  Lots of pain and suffering, but the vast bulk of humanity will get through this frightened and economically poorer, but otherwise well.  My sympathies to those who have lost loved ones, suffered personally or are experiencing economic or emotional hardship.  I'm certainly not tolerating this reality well in any way, shape or form and I'm fairly privileged.

Godspeed. Stay safe and sane.

Last edited by Landsteiner

I under stand if for the best.Its just I live near a very heavy traffic.In all mt years of being here on this earth.I have never seen or heard it be so quiet.I feel like I am in the movie "THE OMEGA MAN"I still hear the trains thou.I am just a little creep out about this.Knowing every thing is on hold for now.I run my trains and do a lot of switching.I even come across boxcars I forgot I had.

In short, yes. My local club is primarily based on the elder community and our president has been wise on canceling all meetings through June. To me, he did the right thing since our city has over 100 cases and if we continued to have meetings, it would basically be us playing with death. So far this has given me time to work on my layout though! Stay safe everyone!

I haven't been out of my home in over 4 weeks accept to go to 2 doctor appointments. I make a grocery list, and my daughter leaves them on my door step. I spend my time working on my N gauge layout, & cleaning my train collection, watching movies, trying to find a train item to buy on E bay, going on the OGR forum & sleeping.

I get out as much as I can.  Walk the dogs, go into the office once a week to take care of things I can't from home.  I go shopping when I need to avoiding the high occupancy times and keep my distance.  I've been working on the train room not so much the trains.  I have a few things to finish up there before I can think about the trains.

Mark Boyce posted:
Allan Miller posted:
Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:
. . .  I called my coworker who is staying at home(she's 70), we talked about when polio was around. I myself never had to experience anything like that, and she said that wasn't as bad as this stuff is.

I was a young boy during the polio crisis in the early 50s and was part of the trial group of youngsters given the initial round of Salk vaccine. It was a scary time indeed, even though I was really too young at the time to fully understand what was going on. But I can tell you that NOTHING in my long lifetime compares even remotely to what we are going through now (and I have gone through a lot over those many years).

We will get through this as long as people cooperate to the best of their ability to bring things under control. Some brilliant minds are working on developing a cure and/or treatments, and I am confident they will be successful.

I remember getting the Salk Vaccine in about 1961.  Unfortunately we had 2 boys who had contracted polio in my high school class of 190 students.  One who used crutches in grade school, was confined to a wheelchair in high school, and passed on shortly afterwards.  The other passed on a few years ago of a heart attack.  Seeing that boy stand with his crutches while we ran at recess and later helping carry him or his wheelchair up and down the stairs in high school is as close as I got to polio.  I have never seen anything like this at all.  We go to the store only when absolutely necessary and deliver food to my mother-in-law who has stayed in since the start.  That's it.

Mark, I'm sure you and most forum members don't know but I am a polio survivor from 72 years ago when I was 5. My motto (which isn't mine but I use it anyway) is "That which doesn't kill ,me makes me stronger"

That was a bad time 1947 but many of us did survive. That was when I received my first engine which may have helped my will to live.

One thing to keep in mind is even if they start flipping the switch to "On" in terms of lowering , removing or getting rid of restrictions, it almost certainly will not be "go back to as you were before the lockdowns",not any time soon.  I suspect it is going to be for example allowing stores to reopen, allow businesses to reopen, but likely with restrictive rules in terms of how people are allowed to interact and the like. I suspect that non business gatherings, like clubs, meets, shows, and things like concerts and movies, or weddings and funerals and the like, are going to be restricted in the first waves. 


Then when things are legally allowed, how will people react? Will people want to go to a Greenberg Train show, a club meet, even if they have restrictions in place? Especially given that right now it looks like a vaccine or a treatment is a ways away and immunity testing is not going all that quickly, I think it is going to be a while (though obviously some people will be more willing to be social than others, just saying it won't be the same) before it returns.  Thought I have to admit I would love for things to return to normal, this current situation drives me batty, too, it kind of reminds me of something written by a very wise philosopher, Archie the Cockroach,"Prohibition makes you want to cry into your beer, and denies you the beer to cry into"...kind of fits where I am, have more time to do things because of this mess, but can't get the resources required to do them

I am not sure "things" will ever go back to "normal ", both financially and culturally.   I think this will leave a big scar on us like the depression and WWII did on those who lived in those times.  A sneeze or a cough is bound to evoke quick reactions and caution for some time. 

It's not a matter of a glass half empty or half full, it's facing reality.

Ted Bertiger posted:

Our club, Ocean County Society of Model Railroaders, has been shut down since March 19 until further notice from the township. Since we share the building with the Lakewood Historical Museum and are located in a township building that was left abandoned for almost 30 years, the museum has a 75 year lease from the township and our club is on that lease as well. We have to abide by the what the township dictates and I am not complaining. The mayor is into O gauge trains like the rest of us.

I might entertain a Zoom meeting in the near future. For now, the museum folks and myself with 2 others are the only ones permitted to check on the building weekly.

So... some of you might have seen the news that Lakewood, NJ made the national news. Just so you know, our club is located way outside of the center of town and away from the stupid mayhem that the residents are doing being non-conformists. And NOT abiding by what the NJ governor has put in order.

There was a toy store that was open for business with a large crowd outside and inside selling and taking orders. Well... they all got arrested and the store was ordered to shut down. There is a particular group of people who live there  who will not conform, hence the largest Cov-19 cases in Ocean County.

So... if you see the news and say wow, Ted's club is located there, we are NOT anywhere near the center of town. When we do reopen, this to alert folks that it is safe to visit our club.

Thank you.

Last edited by Ted Bertiger
Ted Bertiger posted:
Ted Bertiger posted:

Our club, Ocean County Society of Model Railroaders, has been shut down since March 19 until further notice from the township. Since we share the building with the Lakewood Historical Museum and are located in a township building that was left abandoned for almost 30 years, the museum has a 75 year lease from the township and our club is on that lease as well. We have to abide by the what the township dictates and I am not complaining. The mayor is into O gauge trains like the rest of us.

I might entertain a Zoom meeting in the near future. For now, the museum folks and myself with 2 others are the only ones permitted to check on the building weekly.

So... some of you might have seen the news that Lakewood, NJ made the national news. Just so you know, our club is located way outside of the center of town and away from the stupid mayhem that the residents are doing being non-conformists. And NOT abiding by what the NJ governor has put in order.

There was a toy store that was open for business with a large crowd outside and inside selling and taking orders. Well... they all got arrested and the store was ordered to shut down. There is a particular group of people who live there  who will not conform, hence the largest Cov-19 cases in Ocean County.

So... if you see the news and say wow, Ted's club is located there, we are NOT anywhere near the center of town. When we did open, This is to alert folks that it is safe to visit our club.

Thank you.

Glad you guys are being safe and hopefully no one tries to lump in everything in Lakewood with you guys. Put it this way, anyone who knows what is going on in Lakewood knows it has zero to do with a model railroad club, two very different groups of people. 

Ted Bertiger posted:

Bigkid,

Thank you kindly. I really can’t wait to get back to the club to work on the layout. Really miss the camaderie the members have. Some really good friendships amongst the club. I miss giving Locobudd aka Bud the BS each week on how it takes him so long to drive a screw into a piece of wood! Lol!

That seems to be one of the best thing about belonging to a train club (or any club), and that is being able give each other grief and otherwise tweak them *lol*.   I got to talking to the members of a huge HO club in Union when they had an open house, about their huge expansion that was started about 20 years ago and still is only about 30% done, and the members all blamed the primary track guy (who was present I might add), saying that he learned to hand lay track from the sloth in Zootopia, that he puts a micrometer on each track spike to make sure it is exactly scale and rejects half the spikes, that he was once part of a massive study in he when he takes stimulants works slower, etc, and the target had a big smile on his face. 

May we all soon be able to be abused like that again

Being the president of Angels Gate Hi Railers, I decided very early on to close the club and suspend dues through at least June. However, the train club has always been my salvation being an escape from the daily stresses of work.

Some of you may know that I am in the textile business. I have been working what seems like 24/7 since the lock downs have been issued. My main responsibilities are trying to source fabric to make masks and gowns  for every apparel manufacturer who has transitioned from making other apparel products to making masks and gowns. I have had an education on what constitutes fabric to comply with level 1 risk products thru level 4 complicity.

The problems encountered are numerous. The polypropylene supply which goes into making masks has dried up in the world with many countries shutting down exports. Prices have skyrocketed because of supply and demand. I could go on and on about the challenges I've encountered. However, what has come through in all this is the tremendous American spirit of everyone trying to help and contribute their time and skills to help people and save lives.  It's truly heartwarming.

Trains have always been my outlet to forget the BS of the everyday trials and tribulations. The train club may not be accessible but the forum is. Thanks for the outlet everyone!

Jeff Waldman

sphillyj posted:

Thanks for your kind words Mark. I am sitting at my desk fielding texts and e mails trying to secure more sources of supply. We will overcome this!

Jeff

Hi Jeff.

Just work up after another late night. I appreciate the work you've been doing in support of PPE for medical and first-response personnel. We've been activated at the C.E.O.C. since this began and they're aware of the work the clothing industry is doing to protect medical and first-response personnel. It's starting to look like we're cresting the hill on this, but only time will tell since there's a lag time between the reduction in infections and the reduction in deaths.

Thanks you.

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