Elliot's Trackside Diner APRIL 2013!!

[galaxy]

THIS DINER CLOSED!

PLEASE SEE MAY DINER!!!

Here:

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/217372.aspx

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning

We will be seeing some sun, some cloud...probs more cloud around here..and a high near 70F...more outdoor gardening time!!

The Spring Peepers are singing, the Robins and the Cardinals are singing..plus numerous other critters...good time to be up and getting ready for w**k at w**k

Have a good day!!

[Anonymous]

Good Morning!

Today´s the big day. Needless to say I did not sleep much tonight. Went to bed at midnight and got up at 3 am again. Lots of thoughts in my head, the most important being that my Dad died two weeks ago. I have not had a private moment for my tears.

I miss him so much.

I´ll be leaving at 6.15 am for Lüneburg, all dressed up in suit & tie. Had to buy a new white shirt, as Petra will not let me wear one of the old ones. I hope those $ 75 pay off eventually.

This is certainly the most important day in a long time for me. Not only that I am running for State Party Chairman, I am also running for one of the top places on the list of candidates for the Bundestag. Hope that works out - if not, well I might as well settle in to the situation we are in right now. I call that the Zimbabwe state - Mugabe and Nkomo, but no Obama and no (Bob) Hope and (Johnny) Cash.

Wish me luck!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Dave: That looked like a really close call. Kudos to the freight engineer on backing up.

*

Well seems the only bad thing to happen today was a McHenry coupler on the front of an Atlas/Bachmann GP40 broke. That was easily fixed with the installation of a Kadee 119. I received a packet of Kadee 142 couplers today. The project I needed them for was handled in a different way so I have them on hand in case a need for them arises in the future. A railfan caught a crew member, hat in hand posing on a GP40. I have no idea what the L&A's dress code is but it must include T-shirts.



Time to call it a night. See y'all tomorrow.

[Burlington Northern #24]

saw that this morning, close call thank goodness nobody got hurt and there wasn't a wreck.

[steemtrayn]

This just in:

http://on.aol.com/video/train-engineer-jumps-from-train--no-collision-anyway-517763048?hp=1&playlist=127158&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl29%7Csec1_lnk1%26pLid%3D306326

[Lehigh Valley 2089]

Good evening.

Feeling tired. Worked alone tonight, so I had my work cut out for me.

See all of you on the new thread tomorrow. Night.

[chochowillie]

Well phoeey talk about a non productive day. Went to the book store and traded in a mess of books and picked up half a dozen fresh ones, got a few groceries, visited my old sign painter buddy, shot the breeze for about an hour and came home.

After lunch, I got the trash gathered up and out to the curb for tomorrow and that was it. MOH said she was going for a nap and it sounded good to me so zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. 

Nothing done on the RR today which is ok and what retirement is about I suppose. Still having trouble getting my head around the Ït's ok to goof off once in a while" thing.

Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Todd how much lawn do you have to mow? You make it sound like it's a half section. 

Oh right, what the heck is HO&3???

Johnboy are you öut of sn*w yet or is it knee deep and rising?

Cheers

Dennis

[rdgk1se3019]

Heartland Division CB&Q

I also received a package from Northwest Short Line. It is my re-powering kit for my Bachmann doodlebug (gas electric car). I'm tired of the Bachmann flimsy mechanism and the cracked gears.  So, my project now will be to re-power the doodlebug. 

I have the Walthers Doodlebug that I just made new bolsters for to use the Stanton drive........I got 1 powered and 1 dummy........sending back the dummy for a powered upgrade.

Hey all..........I think I`ll hurry up and get me one of them there 16 pound Centennial diesels from that other thread before May gets here.

[cudaken]

 Ah, Evening? Is there anyone here?

 Flo Beer pleases. Was there a out break of food poisoning or something Flo?

 Been beat all day, went to couch way to late last night. 

 Ulcer Clinic Visit Was longer one of my longer waits, 1 and a half hours. Got some good news, the Ulcer is getting smaller yet. Stevie my PA at the hospital has high hopes that the new Diabetic Shoes I got Friday will make the Ulcer heal finally. 

 Got the Back Yard cut today. While it was a God Awful Mess the repaired mower worked better than when I bought it new! 

 Ken

[pascaff*]

Morning All,

   Currently 54 with an expected high of 71, under partly sunny skies.

    Closing shift again today, but no time for train stuff before going in to w**k as I have some other things that need to be accomplished.

     Yesterday I did get anoher Digitrax UP 5 Panel installed, so on the three sides of my around the wall layout that actually have track, I have UP 5 Panels.

    Prayers to all in need.

      Paul

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe, just a bowl of organic pumpkin seed flax granola with some fresh blueberries and a mug of dark roast coffee in my FGLK Mug, please.

Just stopping in to say hi.  Cloudy outside with the big bright orb making an appearance every now and then.  Temps will get up into the high 60's later this afternoon, so a fairly nice day here in the Finger Lakes.

Done had my first picking of asparagus last night.  Tasted great, but I am hoping I don't end up with gout this year...  Have busy day today (what else is new).  Have to get some publicity photos of the MLK Scholarship winners this afternoon, then head out to Penn Yan to pick up my chain saw, then get the lawn mowed again...  The chain saw I am donating to the R&GV RR Museum as I no longer think I want to be cutting down timber for firewood.  I do have the little battery powered 8" B&D one for minor trimming around the property and cutting small branches up for firewood.

Guess I should get myself moving if I am to accomplish anything...

Later!

73

[chochowillie]

Well the sun is out, the sky is blue and the temperature is a 28 F going to a blistering 34 F today. I won't even mention to ice cold wind out of the north.  I was planning on getting a start on cleaning out the yard today but I don't think so. Not today.

Rail road front is sort of hit and miss. Waiting on decoders to finish getting my fleet of loco's fully dcc. Did some feeders on the staging yard yesterday, got some more done on a couple of small tunnels/mountain scenes and that's about it. Well, I did finally get some stuff moved around and the floor cleaned up in the train room as well.

MOH and I decided that we didn't really want to paint the fence around our property ourselves this time around so I got a quote on the job and it was within my price parameters so we hired them. Of course the weather has to warm up a tad before they can start but that's ok. They will get it finished faster and better than I would doing it myself. 

Well, I'm off to do the honey do list this morning and then we shall see what we shall see.

Good Karma to all in need

Dennis

[Burlington Northern #24]

hmmmm, class, then home, then some more scoping out the layout..

[galaxy]

well well well

I had a whole post going til the net crashed out on me.

I went to Wally World to get  a few things we desperately needed.

Got a new box fan, a set of pots and pans {stainless steel} and some diabetic shorty socks for summer, and more.

Since MOH is now working again, I Can get these things i have waited all winter to get. The pots and pans we have I am tired of chasing all over the burners as the bottoms are warped and bumpy. I will go back tomorrow and get the deep dish pan with lid to match that will replace the deep dish one we have now. It is actually bigger than the one we got now.

MOH went to the store to do somethings for work {the store where MOH works},and to In Laws...If I know FIL when he goes to Dr office, he will stay out and do shopping and make MOH wait for him. Then when he gets home, he will need MOH to sit with MIL so he can  do "Something" outside...he does that. Its a shame MIL can't be left alone deosn't want to be left alone not even for 10 minutes...She is getting fussy in her older age too...and FIL is gettting more and more forgetful as he gets on to mid 80s too.

Well, I got laundry going {when don't i?} SO best get ot it...

later

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Howdy ..... I'll have coffee and a donut, please. 

Ulrich ..... I am confident you will do very well with your speech. Germany needs people like you. In fact all of Europe needs people like you. Europe's continued recession and its 12% unemployment rate suggest major reforms are needed. I hope hope people in the USA will realize it is bad to imitate European policies, too. ....... What did you say? You actually think something else is more important than a train layout! Remarkable! 

V8 Dennis ..... I bet you will agree Ulrich should not be like the politicians in CA you are talking about. 

Terry and Mike, for what it is worth, we are considering a trip to Wisconsin in July. I'm not interested in the 20" of ice Terry says are on the lake there. When I was was a kid growing up in IL, I went to Wisconsin in the summers. Sometimes by train, but usually by car. 

Speaking of lakes, our lake here has high water now. Weekend storms are adding to it. Hope the water level can go down before it is a problem. 

Now, the important part. My train layout! ....... While out of town, I received some goodies in the mail. One is a Burlington diesel switcher, and I'm happy with it. Another is a Budd Sleeping car which is prototypically correct for the Denver Zephyr and the California Zephyr. 

I also received a package from Northwest Short Line. It is my re-powering kit for my Bachmann doodlebug (gas electric car). I'm tired of the Bachmann flimsy mechanism and the cracked gears.  So, my project now will be to re-power the doodlebug. 

I never read all the posts of while we we out of town. So if I missed something I should have read, I'm sorry. 

Cheers, everbody

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 62° with 100% humidity and a fair chance of rain. The high will be 82°.


Nothing on the schedule today except working on the layout and running trains. I was running the GP40's (Pathmark, L&A) in consist with the H24-66 and U30E645 this morning. Everything went well for a few laps around the layout then I saw the Pathmark loco break away from the L&A GP40 and take up a new career as a runaway! The locos are speed matched so it only pulled away a few inches in ten feet. The other three locos had the weight of the train slowing them down slightly. Of course an investigation into the incident quickly ensued. It was found that the front coupler on the L&A GP40 was a McHenry shelf coupler. The jaw on it had apparently cracked and broken off. This was corrected with the installation of a Kadee 119 shelf coupler. Running after that was uneventful. No more runaways.

Got a short video this morning. Just click on the photo.

[mbinsewi]

Good morning to everyone in the diner!  

Just dropped by to say hello, and grab a mug of black to go........wow...didn't know I was a poet, but I think I'll keep my day job...of being....RETIRED ! 

Going to finish up a fireplace project today,  and get my mess cleaned up so the people can have their basement back.

Thanks Terry, glad to meet you.  I'm way down here in Walworth County, in East Troy.  My 4 acres in "Gods country" is on the Pike Lake Chain, Hwy 70.  Not right on any of the lakes, but close enough for direct access.  I've had the land since the late 70's.  No cabin yet, that's about a year away.  Built the garage last fall.   Drive way and building site done,  perk test done, approved privy built, to satisfy Price County sanitary requirements for keeping a camper on site all year,  well point driven, and power to the property in place, all done within the last 6 years.  Sounds like your in the building business.  As you can read in my profile...(no, not starting any arguments, if you've been keeping up with another thread),  I'm retired from the Cement Finishers union,  area 599, Milwaukee.   I better let you get to work !  lol.

Before I leave, a message for Jeff, when he stops by,  just wanted to get his "professional computer dude" opinion on why I can't view the web cams on Trains.com using Firefox.  I have version 20, and just download the updates for Java, but it seems Firefox and Java don't get along, something about security issues, so  I have to switch over and use my old IE 7 in order to view the cams.  Yes, I still have my good reliable outdated computer with Windows XP.  My daughter has added extra space and an updated driver, and it seems to work just fine.  She's a computer / programer geek for a local school district.

Time to run, so my dear waitress,  if you would top this mug off for me.....thank you .....I'll be on my way!

Have a good one everybody!

Mike.

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!!!

Coffee and a couple of them sour cram donuts please. Thanks

Sunny, with a high near 83.

Mike- Sure it’s ok to post non railroad photos here in the diner, and only on the diner, as long as we don’t get carried away. I mean one or two now and again is ok, but we still post mainly RR related out of respect for our hosts. Good job on the Simplicity by the way

Well I got it yesterday. A spanking new John Deere D110. Then I blew to Nebo to see my Aunt (about and hour and a half away Jim) as my cousin called and said I should maybe call first on Wednesday before Brenda and I come down. She may not make it that long. So I picked up aforementioned tractor in the truck and headed down to her house tractor and all so I could be sure I could say I love you to her face just one last time. She woke up just long enough for me to say it and she replied in kind. Those were the last words my Mother heard me….., or anyone else, say. Hopefully, she will be around for Brenda to see her, but if not it will be a blessing. She is in ok spirits they say and actually in very little if any pain which they say is amazing. But she just grows weaker and weaker with what seems like every passing hour.

You know, all this talk about restoring old mowers has rekindled my thoughts from a few years ago….I could restore the old Cub Cadet. That’s what I need ….another project . Ya, I’ll just park it right next to the Roadrunner I been w**king on for what 25 some odd years until I get around to it.

AAAAnyway, Brenda has some group of hens over tonight for some Jewelry party, no not Sophia…..something, whatever Inch’s wife sells. Or used to anyway. But some other thing she got roped into because of this quarter auction thing she does. SO…..I get the honor of cooking all my chicken wings up so they can nibble away tonight while I’m at work. Two different sauces I must make and she will slave over a fruit plate.  This on a Tuesday, my full w**k day and I’ve already got to put up three cabinets and a whole house fan for the restaurant to which Brenda just looks at me and says with her eyes, you will drop everything and do this for me because you love me. If you do not, you are saying you hate me and I will make your life miserable…….forever…..and a day…….and a half……plus 2hours....and like, 7 and a half minutes.  

Ya’ll have a good day, ya hear!!!!

[saronaterry]

Good Tuesday morning! 76f and clouds today, 41f and rain/snow mix tommorow. Sheesh.

 Finished the roof job, on to a couple small remodels and then the  road bans should be lifted so we can start a huge rebuild project, Should last most of the summer( if summer EVER gets here).

 Welcome Mike!! Where are you in Packer Land? I live near Spooner. Where's the cabin? If you're coming up  for the Opener, bring your tip-ups. Still 20" of ice on Long Lake.

That's all for now.

Off to work.

 

Terry in NW Wisconsin

 

[MisterBeasley]

Good morning!  Coffee and fresh-cut fruit for me.  I used to be a big butter-and-egg man, but I've found that a lighter breakfast doesn't drag me down, and I really enjoy every bite of fruit.  My key to eating better isn't deprivation, but substitution, and when the replacement food is just as good as the stuff I'm avoiding, it's a lot easier.  The scale seems to be stuck in the same place for several weeks, so it will be more salads and fewer sandwiches this week.  At least it doesn't say "One at a time, please," anymore.

mbinsewi

Thanks for greeting guys, and glad the pics of my sweet lil' 700 didn't ruffle anybody.

To be honest, that was the best picture of the day!  Welcome, and please feel right at home with that stuff.  We all like to work with our hands, to various degrees, and outstanding work like yours deserves nothing but applause.  Of course, most of us take nice new stuff and make it look beat up.....

Packer

MisterBeasley, that loco kinda looks like an Acela loco.

Like many things, the basic shape and size of trains is the same, and when you put things into a wind tunnel to figure out the optimum aerodynamics, the physics don't change from Boston to Bologna, so the fundamental shape of aero-trains is going to be the same.  That one is the Italian national railway.  It was very comfortable, with plenty of arm and leg room, smooth and quiet.  Second Class was full the day of our round trip from Florence to Venice, so we sprung for First Class that day.  It wasn't that much more, and what the heck, we were on vacation.  And, when the train pulls into stations with names like Bologna, Ferrara and Padua, there's a magic you just won't find on this continent.

Lovely weather has come to Massachusetts, too.  I was outside attacking the honey-do list, but found it pretty uncomfortable.  My system is still on red alert, getting over a cold, and the pollen hit me like a ton of ballast.  Last spring, the pollen even got to my trains, with such a thick coating on the railheads that I had to pull out the CMX machine.  This year, both for my lungs and for my tracks, the trainroom windows are staying closed until pollen season has passed.

[Lehigh Valley 2089]

JimRCGMO

Jake, is your job wearing you down (and/or the weather)? Hope you get your oomph back soon.

If it is, then I hope I don't have much next week.

Good morning.

Need caffine this morning, add a little bit of dark roast to the cocoa in my LEHIGH VALLEY  mug please. Coffee make chocolate taste better anyway....

Just feeling tired right now. Not much else. Legs hurt a bit, and have work later today, so hope my legs will get better.

[galaxy]

jeffrey-wimberly

Had a busy day today. First mowing the grass and doing laundry then feeding my fathers dogs this evening as he's at work tonight. It looks like I may have a problem with oranges now and I may have to add them to my taboo list along with bananas, cherries, avocados, tomatoes and a few others. In the past few weeks every time after eating an orange I've been hot, shaky and really weak not to mention my sinuses go wild and I sweat profusely. That never happened before until a few weeks ago and it's gotten progressively worse. Tomatoes and avocados will keep me on the throne for hours. Cherries make me quite sick and a banana will require that I be taken to the ER. Looks like oranges are on the way to doing the same thing. I was thinking today that this might be some kind of reaction with the new meds but this started before the new meds were prescribed. My father eats oranges from the same bag and he shows no ill effects. And we've been through several bags. So why would they effect me and not him? Another point to bring up with my doctor.

 

JEFFREY-- a LOT of medications say "do NOT take with grapefruit or Grapefruit products". It IS possible that citrus, period, for you is out with your meds.

I cannot tolerate the oranges {or couldn't grapefruit} as it gives me a major heartburn like nobody's business.

And,since I can't, and grapefruit is taboo...I stay AWAY from the oranges/orange juice etc.

{lemons or limes don't seem to bother me, but I don't eat them straight up either. The diluted juices are used in cooking that about it.}

It is unfortunate that you can't tolerate the fruits, as you seem to like them{?}.

I eat a lot of bran, fiber and whole grains to keep me off the pot, but antibiotics put me there a LOT...

ULRICH: Once you get settled into your work at Bundestag, you will find relaxing time to do MRRIng, I have faith, and you will continue to post here!!! Gee, our very own Bundestag man!

[Anonymous]

Lunchtime!

Flo, a Barry-sized burger with all the works, please! I need a lot of energy in the coming days!

I am just finishing my speech for tomorrow´s opening of the State Party Convention. We are expecting some 300 people and about 60 media folks, including three local TV stations. It´ll be a big event for me, not having been in the limelight for so many years. Have not worn a suit & tie, either, for a long time.

The polls are constantly on the rise, and so are the membership figures. It seems, as if we founded this party just in the right time. If we do our homework properly, there is hardly a chance left not to enter the Bundestag in September.

As much as I like this political work, the much I "hate" not having a lot of time for MRRing. But first things have to come first - first my country, then my layout

Have a good one!

[galaxy]

Morning coffee in the diner with friends...

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING!!!

Today is Tuesday, April 30th,2013!!!

I have said the prayers and lit the prayer candles.....

MAKE  it a GREAT day...pay it forward...and MAKE someone's Day!

[james saunders]

A week until I go to Thailand

see you all in May...(Tomorrow.)

[wetidlerjr]

"Good Morning!" from Tipton IN

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

TIPTON IN

[cudaken]

 Evening, I think?

 Flo, Beer Pleases in a Frosted B&O Mug.

 Work Front Had a 7:00 Oil Change that all so bought a Radiator Flush, I was guessing we be done around 8:15 PM, we close at 8:00 PM. I was off by a half hour, so we where wrapping up at 8:45. Guess what walks in at 8:45, a Flat Repair!

 Now how do you turn down a middle age woman with a 1/2 inch bolt head hanging out of her tire? Tobias my last Mechanic agreed to stay and fix her tire for her. Got her done at 9:15. Both Tobias and I got a $5.00 tip, heck she did not have to do that! If all possible I will not leave a person stranded, but I did take the tip anyway! 

 Jim You cannot get new Proto gears any longer. But, you can uses Athearn BB gears form a SD 40-2 I think? I have the part number if you need it, just not handy right now. I bought extra gears when I was replacing gears in my BL 2 PK 2000's. Only certain run's of Proto's have gear problems. I know BL 2's do, some E's and now the GP 30's. I am sure there are others, but I will leave that to Jeffery and others to answer that part.

 I am off Tuesday and it will be a full day! Not looking forward to it at all!

 Later, Ken Yes Flo I will be closing the dinner tonight.

http://s83.photobucket.com/user/cudaken/media/Main%20Bench/UP60003.jpg.html]

[mbinsewi]

'Evening gang,  just thought I'd stop by and say howdy.......ahhh... what the hey....as long as I'm here, fill me up an icy mug,   Chloe?  am I right?   mmmmmmm..thanks dear... nice and cold....Wow a switch in the weather up here SE WI.  Tomorrow near 80 !  sweet, but like they say about the weather in WI, if you don't like it now, just wait a minute....it'll change!

Thanks for greeting guys, and glad the pics of my sweet lil' 700 didn't ruffle anybody.  Jim, I had the motor out already, head off and carb apart, making a parts list, when I took the pics.  I wanted to make sure the motor was strong before I got in too deep.  I have another one sitting and waiting it's turn, a 725.  I have all the attachments for the 700 too, and they will all fit on the 725.  roto tiller, snowblower, dozer blade, and a mower deck.  They all need work yet.  I have a bathroom I have to redo first.....orders you know, before I get carried away with anything major.

I'm also planning next winters project, a 9' addition to the left end of my current layout.  I need a staging yard, and something to do with all the stuff I've collected the last couple of years.  So it will be about 9' long, to the corner of the basement, about 22" wide, so it matches the narrow area of what I have now, with a 4'x4' end for a balloon track.   Everything else will be staging yard.  I'll build it same as I have now, with storage area under the layout for more plastic storage totes of family stuff.

Also planning things for, well,  what we WI folks call  "Up North"  in the north woods of WI, about 300 miles north.  Built a garage on our property up there, put the pop-up camper inside the garage, set it all, and call it  "home away from home".  There's always plenty to do up there, of which fishing is always at the top of the list.  They still have snow and frozen lakes yet.

Well, that one went down good, thanks again dear, heres a little some thing for your tip jar, and I'm out here!  Have a good one people!

Mike.