riogrande5761 Track fiddler Tough day at the office today. A little bit of everything. Electric, plumbing, HVAC. Getting ready for the sheet rockers in the basement. I don't do that anymore. I do still like taping and mudding though. I will have to find my drywall mud shorts soon. Ha ha. I may have a home fairly soon with a basement which is framed in but will need electrical outlets, and sheetrock installed as soon as I can get to it. But we will need to replace major applicances and buy a washer/dryer and a few other things so with all the expenses we won't be able to afford to pay someone to install the sheet rock. We will have to do some DIY stuff ourselves so I'll be installing the sheetrock myself, and mud and tape it. I've learned how to do that over the last four years and am decent at it now. Lucky you can have someone do that for you or have the funds.
Track fiddler Tough day at the office today. A little bit of everything. Electric, plumbing, HVAC. Getting ready for the sheet rockers in the basement. I don't do that anymore. I do still like taping and mudding though. I will have to find my drywall mud shorts soon. Ha ha.
Tough day at the office today. A little bit of everything. Electric, plumbing, HVAC. Getting ready for the sheet rockers in the basement. I don't do that anymore. I do still like taping and mudding though. I will have to find my drywall mud shorts soon. Ha ha.
I may have a home fairly soon with a basement which is framed in but will need electrical outlets, and sheetrock installed as soon as I can get to it. But we will need to replace major applicances and buy a washer/dryer and a few other things so with all the expenses we won't be able to afford to pay someone to install the sheet rock. We will have to do some DIY stuff ourselves so I'll be installing the sheetrock myself, and mud and tape it. I've learned how to do that over the last four years and am decent at it now. Lucky you can have someone do that for you or have the funds.
If I can give you a bit of advice on this I would surely like to.
When you tape.......buy the plus three green cap mud. ( all purpose). Use it to apply paper tape on all the inside corners, the green cap mud has glue in it. Your tape will not bubble.
For all the factory perforated flats and butt joints, used the fiberglass web tape ( this will save you a lot of time) don't buy the cheap stuff get the expensive Criss-Cross stuff (skin color). It will never crack, it is strong.
Buy 90 minute setting compound powder in the bag and mix it 50/50 with your regular bucket drywall compound for your first coat. Only mix a third of a bucket that you can use in an hour.
Edit. You have to mix your 90-minute setting compound with water until it's like a peanut butter consistency before you mix it with your regular bucket mud.
After that go to your regular bucket mud and it'll go on smooth as glass....,...I'm glad I could help.
You can do it.
Track Fiddler
PS. Just to stay on track here. This will provide a great environment for your trains!
Shock Control I am slowing down but I still love going, even if I don't buy much.
.
Me too. I really do not buy near as much at train shows as I used to. I think most of my purchases happened around the time I switched scales to HO. That was probably predictable. Now I just look for things I really need (or are really cool).
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Shock Control Most of what I have accumulated is from train shows. I am slowing down but I still love going, even if I don't buy much.
Most of what I have accumulated is from train shows. I am slowing down but I still love going, even if I don't buy much.
I have been acquiring quite a few things from train shows.
I was having a hard time trying to decide what track I'm going to use on my layout. Atlas code 55 or Atlas code 80. I have been a little leery of Atlas code 55 because of how fragile it is. My fingers are kind of too big and calloused to work with it. I have broken some of the little rail spikes off too easily.
That is a good enough reason alone to lean towards the code 80. The train shows cinched up the decision as I've mistakenly bought some locomotives and Rolling Stock with the bigger wheel flanges that won't run on code 55 so my decision is made for me.
riogrande5761 I wish I would have had a "great wife" the first time around but it wasn't until #2 and the major school of hard knocks first.
I wish I would have had a "great wife" the first time around but it wasn't until #2 and the major school of hard knocks first.
Rio Grande. You're not alone, same thing for me. Number one didn't work out. It's kind of funny my phone ring for my ex-wife is the music from The Wizard of Oz when the witch is on her broom. Lol. As long as number two worked out good we're doing alright. When we learn something from a negative thing the first time around it's a good thing.
Well I got a year to look forward to TrainFest and do some planning. Can't wait should be fun.
Take it easy
Track fiddler
Track fiddler Sounds like I'm not the only one with a great wife. That's good to hear.
Sounds like I'm not the only one with a great wife. That's good to hear.
Well as it turns out Judy can only get Sunday off. Train Fest will have to wait till next year when we can plan it out and both have the time. Train Fest I just gotta laugh every time I say it or hear it. It sounds like the Woodstock of choo choo shows Lol. Since she has Sunday off we're going to keep it local and go to the smaller train show in St Cloud Minnesota. It is only an hour and a half away. It certainly is not worth it to drive 5 1/2 hours to Milwaukee for one day of fun. Is anyone else going to the Milwaukee show. Has anyone else ever been to this show? How was it? Thanks Track fiddler
Since she has Sunday off we're going to keep it local and go to the smaller train show in St Cloud Minnesota. It is only an hour and a half away. It certainly is not worth it to drive 5 1/2 hours to Milwaukee for one day of fun.
Is anyone else going to the Milwaukee show. Has anyone else ever been to this show? How was it?
Thanks
Must be distance too great if you can't have 2 days for Train Fest? I'm in Virginia so no way but I'm looking forward to hearing what is going to be announced this weekend. It looks like Wheels of Time, EactRail and ScaleTrains will be announcing new goodies - probably going to hurt my wallet!
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Well as it turns out Judy can only get Sunday off. Train Fest will have to wait till next year when we can plan it out and both have the time. Train Fest I just gotta laugh every time I say it or hear it. It sounds like the Woodstock of choo choo shows Lol.
Paul. It sounds like you are one of the lucky ones that have a gem of a wife. My Judy is just like that too. When I told her I regret it not getting the all-black 2-8-2. She said honey you work hard and you deserve to get what makes you happy, so don't do that to yourself next time.
I'm pretty lucky like that too. While I am a diesel era guy, and try to keep a cap on what I buy and focus, I've always wanted a steam engine. Intermountain makes a nice cab forward with Lok Sound, and my wife said, sure, go for it. It was a nice treat for her to let me spend the $375 I paid for it which wasn't something we were planning on. Bless her! I do try to make that a rare thing so as to not take the mickey - as the Brits would say - she is British.
ATSFGuy. You got that straight. That Hamm's beer boxcar was under other cars I uncovered. Shame on me for burying it, thinking it would still be there later if I decided to come back and get it. When I came back to buy it, this lady already had it in her hand. Snooze you lose.
I think the Athearn NACC Hamms beer box cars were largly sold out, but MBK has shelve stock that isn't in there online system so I grabbed one while in town for the Timonium show. Didn't see any on the tables at the show. I decided I needed one after verifying the ran on the D&RGW in the 1970's.
My way of doing a show is, with my wife leading the way, try to systematically visit all the tables. I bring a limited amount of cash and usually stick with that as my limit. I evaluate what I find - and memorize things I am interested in. If there is a no brainer, I'll grab it right away, otherwise I'll try to see the whole show before deciding what I want to go back for. There has been a few times I went back and an item of interest was gone, but it wasn't a killer deal or a must have in most cases so I wasn't defiskated (as the little 5 year old girl my wife cares for would say).
SeeYou190My wife loves to go to train shows with me. I also always spend more when she is along. She always says something like "if you want it, go ahead and get it" while I am still debating the purchase in my mind. . Then we go out to eat. . I am very lucky. . -Kevin
Me too. We make a trip out of it, she enjoys wandering around, even steers me to make sure we don't miss tables that may have things of interest. We usually go out for a taco salad for lunch and I'll visit MBK if we are there on Saturdays.
Track fiddlerMy Little Gem of a wife said if that's what you want to do I will try to get the time off of work to do it. She has some clout there and she probably will get the time off.
My wife loves to go to train shows with me. I also always spend more when she is along. She always says something like "if you want it, go ahead and get it" while I am still debating the purchase in my mind.
Then we go out to eat.
I am very lucky.
OK ! Try and join in on Saturdays photo shoot of the forum members. See Dave Nelson's post, "Lucky (?) 13th Forum Member Gathering at Milwaukee's Trainfest, Nov. 11" thread.
Mike.
My You Tube
Guess what. We have some late dinners over here at the Track fiddlers home.
I talked to my Judy over dinner. I explained to her how I talked to the vendors at the train show in Shakopee. Most of the vendors are going up to St Cloud Minnesota for the next small train show next weekend. Two of the vendors I talked to are going to Milwaukee Wisconsin next weekend for Train Fest! , the largest train show in the United States.
My Little Gem of a wife said if that's what you want to do I will try to get the time off of work to do it. She has some clout there and she probably will get the time off. She said if I can't you just rent a car and go by yourself and have fun.
Only the lucky ones have a wife like mine. I'm going...... I hope she can go with me.
At a train show in Tampa last year there was a brass dealer with 3 Sunset heavy mikados at $550.00 for all of them.
I did not buy them, and I really have no need for them, but by golly, it sure would be an awesome site for a gathering of the STRATTON & GILLETTE's standard steamer in a photograph.
Rio Grande. You got a chuckle out of me. You are right, train shows are like a box of chocolates. The cars I got with the backwards couplers are like the nasty piece pulled out of the box of chocolates that I don't like. Ha ha.
Joe. Agreed. I guess that's why I go, to find a great deal.
Ricky. I can relate to that. I always stop at the section where the kids are on the train ride and get a smile on my face seeing all the other smiling faces.
Larry. That was the price of my GP 7 and my RS 1 $45.00 each but the vendor sold me both for $80.00. They are both mint. Happy
Stix. I noticed that too. Some of the vendors had boxes on top of boxes and stacks of Cars three tall. You really had to dig to find anything. So unlike that huge train show in St Paul a couple of years ago that only takes place every 5 to 7 years.
Thanks for sharing.
Train shows are kinda like fishing, you might go to a couple and not find anything and then 'boom' at the next one you find like five really good deals.
BTW I was at the Shakopee "Great Train Show" too, although IMHO it should really be the "Pretty Good Train Show". Seems like it's very hard to really find anything compared to a 'regular' train show / flea market, partly because of the way most sellers are set up is quite claustrophobic...instead of the dealer being on one side of a table and the buyers on the other, you have racks stacked up with train stuff and you have to go into an enclosed area (usually with a number of other people) and try to squeeze through the narrow aisles and find something to buy.
joe323 Train shows are fun if a bit repititive in my area I enjoy walking around and yes sometimes I even get a good deal.
Train shows are fun if a bit repititive in my area I enjoy walking around and yes sometimes I even get a good deal.
They can be repetive. I lived in central NY for about 14 years and there was large train show every November - filled the better part of two very large state fair buildings. Out of all the train shows I've been to (Indianapolis, Houston, Buffalo, Louisville, Rochester, Syracuse, several cities in Virginia and Maryland, the Syracuse train show was the biggest show full of old train junk I have ever seen.
It was shocking table after table after table of old train junk that gets pulled out every year and hauled to the show - land fill material most of it. Sure, it would only be a few bucks to get trains for a child and not worry about cost if they are abused, but like half the show is just tables of that stuff and you get tired of walking quickly by it to try to desperately find something that might remotely be of interest. Oh well, thank goodness thats in the past.
Larry, that Syracuse show was so full of old train junk and very littel real stuff of interest, hardly any new stuff or even stuff built after 1980, and what few tables had newer stuff were asking high prices, I came away from that show with nothing at all several times. At least I didn't have to drive far while living there. Even still, the last year I finally decided to not bother.
Now Timonium has had the odd show which was a dud for me, and I didn't buy anything - probably a few times, but with MB Klein just up the road, I'd go pick up a couple items there so I don't think I've gone home from Maryland totally empty handed save maybe once in probably 24 visits since moving here(there are 4 shows a year at Timonium). Thats not too bad, but MBK is a back up and rarely there isn't something there I can't leave behind - MBK has a 10% off one item on show days too ;-)
You never know when that specific item you've been looking for might appear at at train show on a vendor's table!
That's why it's good to browse around, good treasures are always hiding.
riogrande5761But there have been the occasional show where I come away with nothing, which isn't very often but some are duds.
Jim,There's very few shows I walk away from with nothing more then a cup of coffee and a slice of pie for the trip.
One of my plam slaps was walking away from a Atlas NS GP38 HH for $45.00 used.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
If I am not busy, I will go to a show or two (sometimes three or four) a year.
Last one I hit was at the OC&TRR depot in Titusville Pa. over the summer. (Not a big show, but summer is off season for train shows. They hold it, and train rides on their line, during time when kids are out of school, and are usually getting a good turnout for that reason. They will do a special, where if you do both things, it is a better deal, but I was hitting it that day before w*^k, so only did the show.) I ended up with two new (well, new too me.) locomotives for a steal, along with two Accurail covered hoppers, and a ScaleTrains RivetCounter Tank car, all at great prices. (While one loco needs just a couple small things, like lighting, decoder, and weathering, the other will be a project to finish up. But, I got them both for what I would have paid for just the one used normally.)
Only a couple times have I been bit with the "should've got that the first time I saw it" bug, but it is usually more so of me talking myself out of it, as it is not quite what I was looking for/needed. (Or, a couple times, not as great of a deal as I was comfortable with.)
Overall though, I have had more good than not.
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.
Joe Staten Island West
Train shows are definitely something I enjoy attending. My wife comes along and it's a trip out even if the show yields no treausure finds, we still enjoy browsing and viewing the large modular layouts at the Timonium MD train show and chatting with people.
Like Forust Gump side, Train Shows are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. I went to the October Timonium show a few weeks back and due our schedule, couldn't go on Saturday - thus MB Klein was closed.
But at the show I found some excellent deals at one table. I'm a Rio Grande fan and found 6 new Red Caboose GS Gondola's which I was able to purchase for $12.50 each - if I bought them at Kleins for example, they would have been around $30 each. Also got a IMRC 50' UP box car for $10, discount normally $24-32. Also found a Trix UP coal car for $20, so quite the happy camper. But there have been the occasional show where I come away with nothing, which isn't very often but some are duds.
Track fiddlerI also want to add, am I the only one with regrets when I get home from a show? I should have bought this, I should have got that.
No you are not. I have had that happen.
On one occaision, I was talking about a locomotive I really wanted but had not bought. My wife said "we can afford it, go back and get it". So I did. But usually it's gone when I go back.
OTOH, I have so many goodies bought over the years, I really can't complain.
Paul
Sounds like fun Mike. It's always nice to have something to look forward to.
I also want to add, am I the only one with regrets when I get home from a show? I should have bought this, I should have got that.
There was an all black Great Northern, I do believe a 2-8-2, beautiful. The George Costanza came out in me. Also there was a Hamm's beer box car. It looked like a case of beer on wheels. I went back to get it and this lady had it in her hand, you snooze you lose. I wish I would have got those things too.
Take care
I love going to train shows. I usually find some stuff to buy - on occaision I have really gotten something at a good deal. But even those times I don't find something (rare) I still love going and looking.
As long as your happy with your purchases and the price paid, its all good! First train show of the season next Saturday for me, just a small show. The following weekend is the much larger fall NMRA show in Danville, IN. Will be looking for buildings and stuff for my new little layout. I need to get 1 piece of code 83 snap track so I can replace the rails in my plate girder bridge, rest of the layout is done with code 83 track and all I have on hand is code 100. Layout was missing the bridge. Might just see if I can get a new bridge. Cheers Mike the Aspie
Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome
Good evening Forum members.
Train shows sure are fun. I went to one in Shakopee Minnesota today.
I got some new toys I'm happy. A GP 7 and an RS 1. They are older stock but Atlas and I had confidence in the old guy I was dealing with. I will have to change out the couplers, no problem.
Also on the roster I got some Duluth masabi orr cars. A great mix with Great Northern in the Midwest. The couplers are backwards. I've never seen this before I will admit I'm a little green back to the Hobby again.
So I have to change those out too I wasn't planning on that. You really got to watch what you're doing at these train shows. Ha ha, can anybody relate to this?
Edit. I don't know if I was clear enough. I don't mean just relating to backwards couplers but experiences at train shows not getting exactly what you thought you were getting.