Good morning!!!!

300UGUY · May 24, 2016

Jim Shooz said:
Don't think they are from down here. Checked the phone book and there are 6 people with that surname. The only 'business' is a truck haulage company.

Us being odd....I couldn't possibly comment :cool2:

Years ago, I sometimes needed to call into EDS to reset our system that we kept part data on. Depending on the hour of the day, I would get somebody in the us, India, and a couple other places, all under contract to GM, in some way. One night, I got NZ. I was surprised, and was talking to the tech guy, and asked him about sheep, did he have any? He said yes, and was very enthusiastic about how many sheep they had, how they led the world in production. After listening to this for a few minutes, I asked him if he ever found one that was really pretty? I was joking, but the guy went ballistic on me!&#55357;&#56860; He told me that I was a pervert and hung up!! I had to call back, got his supervisor, and had to restart the whole thing all over.&#55357;&#56864;

I asked him if I hit a nerve? He didn't respond. But I could hear the other guy yelling in the background!!!

&#55357;&#56846;

300UGUY · May 24, 2016

Jim Shooz said:
Don't think they are from down here. Checked the phone book and there are 6 people with that surname. The only 'business' is a truck haulage company.

Us being odd....I couldn't possibly comment :cool2:

I was told that by a neighbor, a retired RAF guy.

I googled it and found the company was from California, and moved all their production to Mexico in the 90's.

daugen · May 24, 2016

Spent several hours washing my new to me car, and always challenging trying to wash a black car in the
bright sun and not get spots. My friend who brought it down to me was hamming it up at his home and labeled
this picture British American Gothic. Please note his tshirt. A JD owner and certified Gravely Nut. Haven't yet got him to
come on this site.

rswyan · May 24, 2016

So's I go to order the fuel pump and click the "Buy Now" button on FleaBay ... "Sure ..." sez FleaBay "... just sign into your account."

Now, I probably haven't used FleaBay in at least 5 or 10 years ... if I ever did. But apparently they know me, or at least someone using my email address.

So I fill out the login (user name + password) ... taking a WAG at the password. After two fails I hit the "Forgot Password" button and they sends me a link to access the password change process ... which I dutifully click on and follow, generating a new password.

Then I log in and go to the fuel pump seller's Ebay page where they have the pump listed and click the "Buy Now" button ... and get:

"Your account has been suspended for violation of Ebay's Terms of Service and we sent you an email about it and you need to pay up to restore your account" (amount to paid unspecified of course) ... or some such crap.

WTF ?

I've never been an Ebay seller ... and can't even remember the last time I bought anything there, if I ever did.

So I go to my "My Ebay" page and check both my "Messages Received" and "Messages Sent", as well as transaction history (Items Bought/Sold)

A big fat ZED on all counts ...

Next I'm futzing around trying to figure how to resolve this issue - which is pretty much impossible because there is no phone number to call and no email address to contact - and I get this:

"Cannot be completed because your account has not been set up/activated"

WTF ?

So finally I did find a form asking me for feedback on how the Ebay messaging feature was working out for me.

I sent them a message describing what I had just wasted about 20 minutes (that I will never get back) of whatever remains of my life on ... and then asked them if they were a bunch of psychos ...

No reply as of yet ...

sodamo · May 24, 2016

Not a successful day with my tractor, Case DX35
So when I went to start it, the starter clicked, just like a low battery. Tried jumping, but no luck. Put the charger on overnight even though battery showed 12.5 vdc.
Today all I got was a single click.
Cleaned and tightened the posts and connections.
Cleaned and remounted the ground cable.
Nothing, not even a dashboard light.
Pulled ignition switch. Didn't appear corroded, but clean it any way. Contacts showed a little wear on contact surfaces.
I did read voltage on two wires at the connection. Makes me wonder if I can jump a pair? Of course not growing up jacking cars, not something I'm familiar with.

At this point I'm at a loss what to check or how, but thinking this has to be electrical. Any ideas?

farmer2009 · May 24, 2016

David. Try a screw driver across the solenoid. Just make sure it's in neutral. Check the contacts in the starter and solenoid if that starts it. Flathead Screwdriver works best for this.

RedNeckGeek · May 24, 2016

sodamo said:
At this point I'm at a loss what to check or how, but thinking this has to be electrical. Any ideas?

Agreed, it does sound electrical in nature. Do you have an electrical schematic for the tractor? Even if you don't, start tracing wires from the battery or ignition switch, looking for loose or corroded connections, broken wires, or signs of arcing. If it's been a long time since it ran, likely it's water where it doesn't belong or corrosion stopping the flow. Be very suspicious of the safety lockout switches, maybe in the seat, PTO, etc. Take it slow, use a test light or multi meter to trace where you have voltage and where you lose it, and it'll lead you to the problem. Have patience and good luck!:thumbsup:

sodamo · May 24, 2016

Haven't tried the screwdriver trick yet. At first look all the connections are insulated and in close quarters. On my list.

sodamo · May 24, 2016

There is a schematic in the manual, pretty much Greek to me the way it's labeled.

I did check the PTO safety switch as that has been a problem in past, need a new one.
Also the switch at the brake, it seems to click appropriately.

Forgot about seat switch, think there might be one, but not connected to my seat,. Will investigate.

Tractor was run about a week ago, but has been sitting outside instead of in the tractor shed next to my battery bank. Perhaps water got somewhere it shouldn't.

Jim Shooz · May 24, 2016

300UGUY said:
Years ago, I sometimes needed to call into EDS to reset our system that we kept part data on. Depending on the hour of the day, I would get somebody in the us, India, and a couple other places, all under contract to GM, in some way. One night, I got NZ. I was surprised, and was talking to the tech guy, and asked him about sheep, did he have any? He said yes, and was very enthusiastic about how many sheep they had, how they led the world in production. After listening to this for a few minutes, I asked him if he ever found one that was really pretty? I was joking, but the guy went ballistic on me!�� He told me that I was a pervert and hung up!! I had to call back, got his supervisor, and had to restart the whole thing all over.��

I asked him if I hit a nerve? He didn't respond. But I could hear the other guy yelling in the background!!!

��

You could have done worse and called him a sheepshagger. It's a common insult usually traded between us and the Ozzies. Back in 87 we had 70 million sheep and only 3 million people. We are now down to 30m sheep and 4m people. We're slowly eating our way through them.

sodamo · May 25, 2016

Kyle

You may find some info here: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/search.php?searchid=5070178

RoyJackson · May 25, 2016

2016-05-25, 0318

57 right now...heading up to a warm 83 today.

Eric Salop · May 25, 2016

300UGUY said:
Eric, what kind of weapons did your father use in the war? Strictly English built?

Mainly a water cooled Vickers machine gun, American colt 45 revolver, .303 Lee-Enfield rifle and a bayonet.

Eric Salop · May 25, 2016

{As told by Eric's Dad}

Good morning everyone. Well, this is my last day here on TBN. It has been fun to share a few stories again after all this time. I will tell you how the war came to an end for me, then it's time for me to give this computer back to my son, let you all get back to your tractors and I'll go back into the cupboard.

Dad, as everyone now knows, a little bit of you always lives on in my head, only your book will go back into the cupboard.

Blown Up
On April 30th my officer told me to take up a position near the German front lines as a listening post, the position had been used before and was dug into a hillside. A crawl trench was used to get into a slit trench on top of the hill where one man took it in turns to watch and listen. I estimated the distance from us to the enemy was 100yds or less. To make a pint of tea in these positions you used a spirit tablet and a metal stand to rest your billy can on. You put a light to the tablet, contained meths and it would be sufficient to boil about a pint of water or you could use it to warm food up as well.

On this particular point there were no tablets available and rather than go without a hot drink, I thought if I cut up a ration box to matchstick size pieces it would not give off smoke and show our position to the enemy. This I was doing out in the open but not in view of the enemy of course. I had cut up half the box when I heard a loud bang and flash, down I went. For a moment I was dazed and then I realized what had happened. I had been hit by a mortar bomb. The shrapnel from the bomb took a huge chunk of flesh from my thigh and although it was a severe wound I didn't feel much pain, more like a burn. I had a lot of pain in my chest, but that turned out to be just a small wound. At the time it gave me more concern than my leg. Way back in ********* an army padre attached to our unit was interested in ancient buildings and churches etc., and on occasions when we were camped near such places, asked some of us to go and explore these places. One day he gave me, as well as the other lads a New Testament bible and said to read a chapter each day and God will see you through alright. That New Testament probably saved my life as a piece of shrapnel from the bomb went through the whole book almost to the last few pages, it was in my breast pocket over my heart."

Eric Salop · May 25, 2016

{As told by Eric's Dad}

"The beachhead had an emergency hospital under canvas, and I was operated on there.
Later that day I was moved to the port and put on a hospital boat and taken to a hospital in Naples. There I was operated on and stitched up again. All told I was in hospital and in convalescence for about four months after which I had to go in front of a medical board where the medical officers said I was no longer fit for front line duties. I was downgraded from A1 to B7, this meant I could not go back to my regiment. I was glad to be out of the front line fighting but sorry to leave my regiment. I was told I would be sent to the RASC, Royal Army Service Corps. It was pleasant in the convalescent depot, the weather was warm and we just lazed about. My tent was under an apricot tree, in fact the whole area was an orchard with peaches, cherries, tomatoes etc., all ripe as it was now September.
Two days before I left the depot, it was announced on the noticeboard that all troops who had been abroad 4 1/2 years or more were able to go home. As I had been abroad for 4years and 9 months I went into the main office and told the major my position. He said I was to take a party of soldiers dismissed from the convalescence depot to the 1st Branch of Echelon at a place near Naples, hand over the papers belonging to these other lads and then see the adjutant about my case as he could do nothing about it. As I was still a corporal at that time, he said it was my responsibility to see that they were properly seen to when we got there. When we arrived at this huge depot, who should be on guard at the gate but two of my old mates from the regiment. I asked them what they were doing there and they said waiting to go home to England, all the old lads were in the depot as well. I was just so excited, I went to the adjutants office with the twenty men and put their papers on his desk, said "look after them sir, I'm going home". And shot out of the tent and went to find the rest of the lads.

Our old RSM was there and he said that when the order came to pull men out of the line and get authorization papers to come home mine had been sent to a hospital, but which one I don't know, and he guessed they were following me around. Without those papers he didn't know how I would be able to go back with them. Well my feelings must have shown on my face as he said to cheer up as there were still 2 days before we sailed. I said, papers or not I will be on that boat. Perhaps the lads will smuggle me aboard. Then the RSM said, " have a word with the adjutant " and as soon as he saw me he said, "Hello corporal, haven't you gone home yet ?" and started laughing. My RSM explained the situation to him and the adjutant said it would be no problem. All he did was pick up a form, filled the details and there was my authorization to go home, then laughed again and said "Good Luck".

Eric Salop · May 25, 2016

{As told by Eric's Dad}

The voyage home was much better than going out to *********. Instead of a cattle boat it was a proper sea going liner which used to cruise the Med before the war. The Med was as calm as a mill pond, the journey took eight days and what a sight it was to see those white cliffs of Dover once again. We stayed in a camp for a couple of days, given warmer uniforms, money, train tickets and eight weeks glorious embarkation leave. I knew while abroad, that Sheffield had been heavily bombed, but hadn't realized the full extent of the damage until I saw it for myself. I got drunk a few times with my work mates and had a good eight weeks holiday. Then it was off to another depot for another medical and to see which unit I was to be put in. I also packed in my corporal stripes at this point. After the medical I was told I was fit enough to go as a store keeper in the Royal Army Ordinance Corps

[Sheffield city centre after the Blitz]

Anyway I knew I would never have to go into the frontline again and as it turned out it was a cushy number in the RAOC. I was excused all foot drill and parades as such on account of my leg injury and my Sergeant Major got on well together. He had been in the army a long while and put in a non-combative role because of his age. I also got on with the lads who were a decent bunch, a lot were unfit for front line duty so they had been conscripted into the ordinance corps.

One day, the SM said that stores sometimes get delivered to the wrong depot, ours was for lorry and tank spares, some of them are prize items so if you see these parts come to me straight away. I pondered over what he had said for a while the mentioned it to one of the lads who had been there a long time. He laughed and said that sometimes on odd occasions officers watches arrive and they are called prize items. A few months later, two huge packing cases arrived wrongly addressed, I opened one and it turned out to be full of babies dummies that were destined for France. I went straight to the SM and told him that two cases of prize items had arrived. He asked what they were and I said that they were very valuable items at times but that he had better see for himself and buzzed off. I never heard any comments about them after !

Eric Salop · May 25, 2016

{As told by Eric's Dad}

"All of this happened many, many years ago. I have had some bad times and some good times in the army, but as the years have gone by my memory of a lot of those times has left me by. Certain things you do not forget, like the time at the Cap Bon Peninsular. We were near some Bofors guns, when three German fighters started to strafe the guns. One of the guns shot down two of the fighters with one clip of five shells. The officer was dancing up and down after, and came over with a piece of paper to get us lads to sign to say what had happened. I guess he wanted it to be in the Guiness Book of Records?

[Bofors guns]

Another time, watching a dog fight with three British fighters and a German one, he shot down two of ours and got away.

When American Flying Fortresses went bombing they kept in formations of twelve in each group. Sometimes some would get shot down and we would count how many parachuted to safety. I believe they carried 13 or more crew, most of them as machine gunners. They were a very protective force against enemy fighters. They never broke formation and dropped all their bombs in one huge block, carpet bombing it was called. The Italian population had a joke about American bombing. 'When the Germans bomb the British duck. When the British bomb the Germans duck but when the Americans bomb everyone ducks!'

Without American support we would never have won the war. Their vast industries churned out weapons, tanks, ships and planes. It was the American Sherman tank, named after an American general, which won the desert war.

Well at the time of writing, February 12th 1988 and strangely enough a film was on the telly called Desert Victory. It was a war documentary and 90% of the film was taken on the battlefield as it happened. I looked to see if I was behind one of the machine guns but didn't recognise myself. That film brought back a lot of memories but I hope and pray world wars are now a thing of the past. Nations should realise that those that live by the sword die by the sword. May there be peace on earth and goodwill to all men. "

Ed of all trades · May 25, 2016

Jim Shooz said:
Don't think they are from down here. Checked the phone book and there are 6 people with that surname. The only 'business' is a truck haulage company.

Us being odd....I couldn't possibly comment :cool2:

I worked with about 15 people from NZ when I was in Hong Kong on a mission trip. If everyone from NZ is like them I am ready to move there. Wonderful people and I enjoyed every second of my time with them. Odd? Yes they were, but wonderfully. Ed

Ed of all trades · May 25, 2016

Eric
You should be proud of your dad, as I know you are. We all owe a great deal to men like him. Without men like him only God knows what the world would be like. Thank you for sharing Hus story with us, it will be sad to not have him on here in the morning. I have fully enjoyed having him talk to us each day. Thank you. Ed