Good Afternoon!
I had a hard time to log into this forum the last couple of days, but miraculously, it now works again.
The rain seems to have ended, at least for the moment. It´s partly cloudy and temperatures are rising to be close to what one could call summer - with a little goodwill!
A big to Jeff Reich, the new person at the helm of our favourite magazine! All the best wishes to him from this end of the Big Pond! And a big thanks for those delicious donuts
Morning all
Still alive. Been AWOL, so much w**k to do and we are moving like "fast freight" to finish this project. Lots and lots going on...
Hobby barn news: this weekend we I set up three sections of scaffolding and put all of my spare trim on the scaffold. Then we cleaned up all the trash and loaded it up to be hauled off. This coming weekend we will be pulling the electric feed to the barn and getting disconnects installed..also Thursday the landscaper is supposed to start installing our slate patio. MOH is very excited about that.
Seems are needed around here for many of the folks so I will be lifting your needs up.
Hope to be able to stop back in soon. Maybe Thursday ?
TTYL
YGW
YGW: Not sure if this will post as I'm learning how to get YouTube into imgur. So anyway here's the next load of slate for your patio...
"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.
Welcome Jeff Reich to Model Railroader and thanks for the donuts.
FRRY .... Your work on the CB&Q cboose certainly is outstanding. I did a similar conversion to three Bachmann cabooses. In addition, I removed the tool box molded in plastic to the underframe because I did not see any in all photos I saw of the Burlington NE12 way cars. ... My "round tuit" for them is to install realistic details under the cars, but I doubt I will do that.
Der ..... Thanks for asking about my friend, Dan. He was re-admitted to the hospital last Wednesday, and it has been very difficult. Hopefully, he will reach a point where he can be in a hospital closer to home soon instead of 230 miles away.
YGW .... IT sounds like you work too much. We diners are looking forward to seein the completed hobby barn.
Old School Scratch Builder .... I hope Luna's surgery is successful.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Afternoon diners,
Hey I was thinking about donuts too this morning, thank you Jeff.
The rain might have stopped for you Ulrich but it still going on here. Basically late in the day. I forgot to mention I like your new layout sign.
I was going something like that years ago. But instead just insert a state quarter into the layout to show what state the railroad was located in.
YGW- Is your slate patio in the gardening/patio design books?
I'm having difficulty buying the last few things for my layout. And I can't blame the hot burning sun 102 and humidity 76.
I might have weekends just my brother spends them with his girlfriend. To remove it under the bed, dragging it outside to work on than bring it inside to cure.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
gmpullmanWatch carefully at 14:00 after pressing the throat sheet, the foreman shoves some dazed and confused fellow out of the way
I must be watching the wrong flick, at `14:00 Aunt Bea is answering the phone.
They are still digging up mustard gas remnants from WW1 in Washington D.C.
Doing chores around the house today. Everytime I go outside from the air conditioning my glasses fog up.
Aurora Borealis forecast says you folks up north might see it tonight.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Steven OtteGood Monday morning to all! Today, Jeff Reich officially comes on board the Model Railroader staff as our new Managing Editor. And he brought donuts to celebrate. Welcome, Jeff!
Thanks for the donuts, Steve.
Is the whole editor thing now a discussable topic?
"Managing Editor" is not the same as "Editor." We've only seen rumors about that for a week and a half now.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasley Is the whole editor thing now a discussable topic?
If by "discuss" you mean "speculate on the reason behind personnel changes and what they imply for the health of the magazine with no actual first-hand information to back your speculations up," then, no.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
Afternoon folks!
Chloe, any of those doughnuts left? Ooooooo! Both of those chocolate covered ones are there. Yes! bring both of them here and a cup of decaf, please.
It was a fun weekend out at the museum, but not a werll attended one. This is two months in a row of weak attendence. Not very good for the bottom line. I'm thinking and hoping that people are waiting for the steam loco to be pulling trains next month. we will have 4 days of operations then. I was on train for 16 hours over the weekend and am feeling some muscles today. Did get to chat with a lot of the visiters and spend more time answering questions that were posed.
Oh, by the way, I want to all to know I am really happy to be here today. I mean REALLY HAPPY TO JUST BE HERE TODAY!!!! Driving home on the NYS Thruway from exit 46 to exit 42 last evening was bumper to bumper most of the way... A little over half way to exit 42 I was using cruise control set at 70mph which was what everyone in the right hand lane was going. I was driving about 6/7 car lengths behind the car in front of me. The left lane was moving a few mph faster and was really bumper to bumper with les than a carlength between most of the cars. Stupid to say the least and was as usual was slowing down and speeding up often. A lady who was in some big time hurry manages to pull up along side of my Volt and had gotten so her back seat was even with the front of my car just decides to instantly change lanes and pulls right over onto where my car was!!!!! All I can say is now believe what the salesman told me when I bought the car. The Volt supposedly has the same suspention and therefor similar handling as the Corvette! I was able to hit my brakes and swerve sharp right off the road and straighten out as the idiot lady was probably an inch or so from hitting my car (she just...Pulled into my lane with me driving in that space!)... Lucky the guy behind me also knew how to drive and wasn't tailgating me either so he was able to stop and not rear end me. As soon as she went by (now she is about 3 feet behind the car I was originally following) I was able to pull back into my lane. Blew the horn for about a minute and a half and flashed my lights at her (never a cop around when you need them!). In the next slowdown in the left lane she swerves right back over in between two cars in that lane (probably had 3 or 4 feet excess room to do that). Wonder what she had been drinking earlier, I do! At least I was now fully allert and awake! And after 10 minutes or so I stopped shaking!
The city of Geneva has finally gotten around to finish the repaving of the street a couple houses up from where I live.... Working right through the thunderstorms going on from time to time..... It was supposed to finished last Friday.
Catch you all later!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Good morning from the fiery West Coast of Canada.
Decided to have a seat and see what's going on in the diner. Jeff, Welcome and thanks for the donuts, I am very good about what I eat, however, I do have a weakness for donuts. One donut is half my calories for the day so it will be an extra half hour on the bike for sure.
hon30critter JaBear: Thanks for posting the old film of The Canadian. I rode The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver and back in 1965. I was 11. Dave
JaBear:
Thanks for posting the old film of The Canadian. I rode The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver and back in 1965. I was 11.
Dave
Dave! You were 11 in 1965? What a GEEZER! I was only 8.
BigDaddyAurora Borealis forecast says you folks up north might see it tonight.
Every once in a while we get a good show so I'll keep my eye's open. We have had some spectacular space shows (meteor showers) when we have been a hundred miles away from civilization camping in the Rockies. The thing that is really stunning is you can easily see the shape of the Milky Way and where we are in it. I'll never forget the first time I saw that, I couldn't quite believe it.
Put some new strings on the six string this morning, may have a large group watching as evening unfolds at the dog show this weekend and a couple of us start playing. I take the trailer down to the show for the wife for four or five days even though it is only about 5 Kms away. She likes staying there as all her friends are staying there in their RVs. I come home every night as there are dogs to be fed.
A couple of years ago we had a couple of our American friends staying in their big motor homes in the front yard as they were not allowed back in the U.S. after the dog show without passports and U.S. customs turned them back. Good thing there was a U.S. embassy in Vancouver to get Passports through. They still camped in our front yard for the ten days it took to get their Passports. Now, Canada customs won't let U.S. citizens into Canada without Passports as it was getting too expensive to feed all the ones that couldn't go home.
Have you ever noticed how the older you get the longer jobs take to do around the house? Jobs I would whip off in a day now hang over my head like a cloud as they seem to take forever.
Well, best get to it.
All the best to all.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Steven OtteIf by "discuss" you mean "speculate on the reason behind personnel changes and what they imply for the health of the magazine with no actual first-hand information to back your speculations up," then, no.
No, I just want to thank Neil for his years of service and dedication to the magazine and the hobby. I think the magazine improved substantially when he took over, and I'd like to publically wish him health and happiness in his retirement.
Forgot to add this to my post. Maybe one of our more capable members could build a working track layer like the one in this video.
BigDaddyI must be watching the wrong flick, at `14:00 Aunt Bea is answering the phone.
Sorry for the confusion. I was referencing the video posted by JaBear. I have added the following clarification to my post:
In the above video about Building 3685 Horsepower Locomotive in 1928—
I apologize for any confusion I may have caused...
Ed
Luna is doing well after her first TPLO surgery. She is spending the night at the vet and will be wearing a collar to prevent her from chewing at her back leg where the knee was repaired. Here she is in recovery. Thank you to those who gave your best wishes. DJ
I was worried about my husky Luna all day that I just had to go and buy these used little puppies from Maritime Hobbies & Crafts in Halifax. Made me feel better.
Wonder what she had been drinking earlier, I do!
Evening All! Flo, could I just get a pitcher of raspberry iced tea? Still too warm for much of anything else.
Hobby Front (maybe):
I finally got the mock-up of my hotel idea built. This is using the PDF file from DPM of all the HO wall sections. (With some help from my friends at a local print shop.) As you can see, it is not a small building. The plan is to call it the "Four Suits Hotel." Each tower will have its own name: Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs and Spades. The grids on the top of the towers will be atria with the name of the tower. Additional pieces of wall section will be put on top on each side built similar to the angled cap that came in the Walthers Cornerstone Modulars kits. The sloped section of the roofs will run into each other. The idea is to make it something like a greenhouse-type roof. (I visualize better than I describe sometimes.) The space in the center back will be another angled roof to have a small indoor pool/eating area for the hotel. Ambious? Yes! But I don't know if it will ever happen. Another idea for the expansion. I will, however, start getting the pieces every once in a while in order to have them.
Evenin' Folks!
Janie I could use a refil on the decaf please......
der5997Ray: That is altogether too close for comfort. Very glad you came to no harm! Interesting about the Volt suspension and handling….
Thanks! I have no idea how exact the suspension on the volt is to the Corvette, but I will say it is the most responsive car I have ever owned! (The comment was made because I told him I had read a review that said there was a difference between the radius of turn on one side Vs. the other and the author wasn't impressed.....) I will say that I have had 5 close calls since I bought the car 8 months ago. If I had been in the Prius I think 4 of the 5 would have resulted in accidents. Three involved animals running across the road and two were from idiot drivers in other cars. Those would have been hits in most of the cars I have driven.... I think drivers continue to get worse!
Only thing I got done last week on the layout was to add safety rails on the curved girder bridge I built last year. While glueing those in place I managed to hit the joint on the bridge where the two halves of the girder bridge come together with the soldering iron (I put rail down on wood ties using Pliobond and then use the hot soldering iron to strengthen the glue bond). I used a whole lot of those words that Mommy told she was going to wash my mouth out with soap for using, I did! Built a new top metal piece (plastic actually) and added "rivets" last night. Today I got that glued in place and hopefully when painted the screw up won't show.... All I need to do now is paint the repair and then fill out the paperwork to get it evaluated for a Merit Award towards the Structures NMRA Certificate. Also need to fill out the paperwork for the 1832 Octagon Blacksmith's Shop and get that evaluated as well. If they both earn Merit Awards, I will be 2/3rds done on the Certificate.....
I'll end with a short quote.....
"The time is always right to do what is right." - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Have a great night out there... Prayers for all in need!
Good evening all.
Zoe - I will have a nice sclice of apple pie please. Of course make it al a mode. Thanks.
YGW - No, I haven't dumped any off the lift... Yet. Our lift is wide enough to fit any two appliances side-by side, and can fit most two deep. The largest thing it can handle is a crated 54" Yard Tractor/Deck combo. (It will not however fit once the deck is assembled onto said tractor.)
I say yet as the other guy has dumped a fridge... but he was trying to squeeze a 5th one on instead of the normal 4. That trick only works with smaller items, like washers/dryers, or kitchen ranges.
DJ - (OldSchool) - Glad the husky is doing well!
Garry - Hope Dan starts recovering soon!
Ulrich - Keep hanging in there. Glad to see you still pop in here every now and again.
Howmus - Yeah, drivers lately are dumb! I had someone pull out in front of me the other day, and go all the way across both lanes of the 4 lane road it happened on. (No other traffic, and I moved to the left lane to allow room!) I missed the back of their car by about 10" or so... squealling tires from locking up my brakes and all.
I now have a stuck left front brake caliper... And I over-cooked it and ripped off the brake pad from the shoe in the couple days since...
My Car will now be getting fixed next Thursday...
I Think I may invest in a Dash-cam... Just so when (It's bound to happen, or so it seems) I hit an idiot I have a defense!
Ken - Your sales have been much better than mine... Although I did have the dumb question of the year, by far! Check it out below...
W*%K - Sales have been lousy, but the question of the year came Saturday.
A person called our store, and said, and I quote this:
Customer - "I'm interested in a tractor (Lawn Mower) there, but I need to know if you have a demo unit?"
Me - "Demo unit? As in one you can check out in the store?"
Customer - "No. One that I can take to my house and test to see if I like it." (Not sarcastic, but totally serious here....)
Me - "No, we don't do that."
Customer - Grumpily - "So, If I don't know if I'm going to like it, why should I buy it? Who would buy a tractor without knowing if they will like it or not?"
Me - "Try (name of competitor). See if he will let you demo one from him. Have a nice day." I then hung up.
People....
Weather - Nice day today, if a bit on the warm side. Hot and humid in the forcast though for mid-week.
Tom - Railfanning here has been hit or miss. The "specials" in my area, are below...
Trains - Real -
First, NS DC/AC Conversion #4000, from before. (Got Flickr now!)
And then today, CSX Track Geometry Tran W003, led by CSX 9699, a GP40WH-2...
And the entire train.....
Now - Trains - Models -
Working on a few things, but no major progress on any one thing. However, I am now close to running trains, even if only teporarily....
Hope all are well, and all enjo the night!
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
Evening Diners
Flo, Ed, Jan, Brent and I will have a please and give Rick a RBF on my dime.
Today must have been National Dead Beat Day! Well it seemed that way at work! Had way more stupid customers in the store that I cared to count!
1 Wanted to see what a Queen Mattress Frame looked like? Showed him and he said "I don't know if that what I need" and left!
2 Girl with Plumers Crack showning was looking for a Queen set. Wanted a good pillow top and would send $125 to $150 for a good set!
3 Woman walked in and said she wanted to see what a Futon looked like. Turned around and left after walking 15 feet into the store.
Rick I can beat that hands down! When I was in the Auto Repair I had a customer that wanted to paint his whole car. He was looking at color chips and put his finger on one as asked "If I paint my color that color, what would the color be"?
Gary I been meaning to say I was impressed by your bridge and layout! Soory to read about Dan set back! Is it a small or big set back?
Old School Bus Hope the pup does well! I like dogs better than most people I meet!
Later, Ken
I hate Rust
Ken,
I second your statement about dogs. Prius----almost T boned one tonight. They are the right size to be shrouded behind the passenger side rear view mirror on a Mercury Montego. Fortuniately I had my "Early Warning Device" with me--when it screams you will, by reflex alone, stomp on the brake..was driving her car. After a pointed discussion, she asked , "what if I had been driving my truck?" My response was, "I would have slapped it into 4 wheel drive, dropped into bull low, hit the throttle to cut the turbocharger in on the diesel, and gone over the top of the old bat driving a moterized rollerscate." I would have been over four feet higher, have a different mirrior configuration, and am forced to start out very gently due to the torque delivered to the rear wheels, even in overdrive".
I looked right, and then was looking left when I started to pull out. Her Prius was completely hidden by the rear view mirror, and the door post. Somthing to watch out for in the future.
Why was I driving Miss Daisey? going to the store to buy a dryer, it died in service. It was so much fun, like a root canal. The selection process women go through to buy an appliance is almost beyond description.
Enjoyed the train videos--
herrinchoker
I found out tonight that our club's Vice President (and current acting President) has just been hired by Rapido Trains. How cool is that?!? Needless to say he is one happy guy!
He told us an interesting anecdote related to his hiring. While he was in the middle of being interviewed the sound of railway crossing bells started up very close to the building. The interviewer apologised for the interruption and then proceeded to get up and run to the back loading door which faced the tracks. So did just about every other person in the building! Apparently this happens several times a day. Perhaps rail fanning is a requirement of the job! Actually, I guess most of us would see it as a job benefit.
Cheers!!
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Good Morning!
Another grey day, but at least dry. It´s supposed to gret much warmer during the day, but as of now, I don´t see that. Still way too cold for the second half of July.
Zoe, are there still some of the donuts left Jeff sponsored yesterday? I´d like one and a mug of coffee, with a few drops of milk and a spoonfull of sugar, please!
My southern German MRR friend Gerd has produced a short video of his HOn30 mini-modular logging layout, that I´d like to share!
Gerd´s narration in English is quite, say, entertaining, but we all know what a "fried" train is, don´t we
The layout is built using simple plywood boxes Gerd bought at an art & crafts shop as the benchwork. The sections are aligned and connected with banana connectors/sockets, a simple, but very efficient way. The boxes measure 200 by 400mm. Gerd used Peco HOn30 track and switches for this layout. Rolling stock is a mix of Minitrains, Roco, Liliput and old Egger stock, the locos are from Minitrains.
A lovely little shelf layout, nicely detailed and the "living proof" that one does not need a huge space and an awful lot of cash to enjoy model railroading!
hon30critterWhile he was in the middle of being interviewed the sound of railway crossing bells started up very close to the building. The interviewer apologised for the interruption and then proceeded to get up and run to the back loading door which faced the tracks. So did just about every other person in the building! Apparently this happens several times a day. Perhaps rail fanning is a requirement of the job! Actually, I guess most of us would see it as a job benefit.
Dave, if that place would be where I live, folks would not have the slightest chance to do any kind of job. We have 250 trains each day!
Make it a good Tuesday for you and your loved ones!
Hello Railfans!
Before I tie up for the evening I wanted to stop by and thank yall for all the nice comments. I enjoy a good challenge like that and hope Ed finds the nitty gritty on the subject. Id like to know how far off I am.
I was also kinda hopin to hear some other observations (ahem!). With the exception of wiring shorts in our layouts dont we all like a good mystery? One of recent interest came to bare when i noticed a delicious stack of pancakes displayed conspicuously here at the diner.
Now all looked fine and dandy to me until i read the fine print and something was mentioned about.... motor oil? I thought to myself, that cant be right and dismissed it entirely as a misprint.
About four bites in and a spoonful later it hit me. Hey wait a minute... there was an editor of MR just recently up and poofed! So i fumbled back through the pages and low and behold, who other than an another MR editor - the PANCAKES! OH NO!
Holy red cabooses batman, what should I do? Should I slip Flo a note on the bill? What if shes in on it? What if they ALL are in on it? Do i call the magazine police?
Maybe I should go back and talk to that smoking catapiller (notice i spelt it write this time?)
Goodnight everyone!
Douglas
der5997 Nice Gons, BTW. Are they from one of the recent collects acquired by Mike?
Yes they are and the previous owner upgraded the wheels and couplers to metal. Ten different road numbers as well.
gmpullmanIs 29 minutes too long?
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/4309
Rick - I'm just curious, but did you catch the CSX Geometry train at the museum in Northeast, PA? The pictures had a familar look about them. I haven't been there for a couple of years, but hoping to visit again in the Fall. A lot of interesting stuff there, and the members I have talked to are very nice.
Tom
Pittsburgh, PA
Good morning all...
Yesterday I started taking down my layout, or for right now packing up my layout. I got my subway cars and a bunch of rolling stock all wrapped up and boxed. Who knows when I'll see them again?
The girlfriend and I are seriously talking about moving in together after our divorces are both final. She's very enthusiastic about the trains, another good sign.
Me again!
Inch - I am at a loss of words! This is beyond of what I can express! For you and your loved ones:
Made a short video of my little steamer roaming the tracks of Engiadina, but I am not really happy with it. The video editing software I used seems to be not fully compatible with Windows 10, as there are some glitches in the video I don´t have in the source files. Furthermore, the lighting is not sufficient, so the shutter speed is slow, blurring the moving train. This issue will be solved once I have installed the layout lighting in a valance above the layout. Another thing is the trees next to the chapel - they don´t look right and will be substituted with another set of pine trees.
Next time better!