General Discussion (Model Railroader)

Evening all.  It was 72 here in SunnyCal today--wore a short sleeved shirt to choir practice.  I mean, C'MAWN, it's supposed to be JANUARY, isn't it?   We rehearsed for Baptisms this weekend.  Naturally, the 5:15 Saturday Vespers has the most of the little darlings, so we'll be there a while, LOL!   One of the choir members grouched, "Can't we dip them all in at ONCE and just get it over with?" 

Spent the day crawling under the benchwork, tightening and re-soldering connections and busses.  Layout seems to work better since I got rid of that BLI whistle doo-hickey.  However, one of my Mountains came roaring out of a tunnel with a rather angry spider clinging to the headlight.  Ah, Winter operations!   At least it wasn't a Black Widow.  For some strange reason, the garages in the neighborhood have become infiltrated with them.  I think it's the weather.  So far I've only seen a couple.  I remember one late summer a couple of years ago when I had a Praying Mantis hopping a ride on a flat car--THAT was fun!  I took the little dear out to the garden where he'd get a better diet.  Next day he was back on the layout.  I figured that he liked my model forest better than the bushes in the back yard.  Either that, or he'd discovered where more little insect critters were than I knew about.  Ah, nature!

I'm going to go out and hopefully finish up the wiring tomorrow and see if all the tightening and re-soldering has cured my 'drop' problem.  Now, a question, and hopefully some answers:  I'm using Atlas slide-switches to control my blocks.  Would I be better off getting actual Toggle Switches to do the same thing?  Remember, I'm DC (by choice, BTW) and I'm running in an uninsulated garage.  I'm just wondering if maybe actual Toggles might improve some of my problems.  Any hints or opinions are MOST welcome, believe me!   I know a lot of you have seen photos of my layout and pretty much like what I've done, but when it comes to wiring and electronics, I'm just a Major Doofus, a lot of the time.   

Best to all, prayers to those in need. 

Tom  

 PS:  By golly, I see it's the top of the page.  Late evening snacks on me, Flo.  Frankly, I'll take some beef and cheese Nachos, but for cryin' out loud, hold the Cilantro.  I HATE that stuff! 

Tom ... save the black widows for SP fans!

Everybody .... I looked again at the site Unca Roggie mentioned.  Their photos included those of a bad wreck in 1964, and it referred to another site for more info on the wreck. If you want to see pictures of lots of smashed up E units go to the following link. The series of pictures includes a few days following the wreck, and you can see one or two passenger trains running through the wreck site. You will also see locomotve parts laying around as locomoties were dismantled at the wreck scene. S total of nine E units were on the two wrecked trains.

http://railfan44.rrpicturearchives.net/archivethumbs.aspx?id=23180&Page=1

Good evening/morning peoples --- our current temperature is now -15C --oh now -16C oh whatever---bouncing around---and it has become clear out-----

Tom; I had one Praying Mantis start an arrgument with my hand---this thing after I put my hand into a creature position--it started making clicking sounds/hopping all over the place---I gave it an uppercut to its proboscus and it fell over got back up and started really going after my fingers--- I'm glad we don't see any Black Widow Spiders----Brown Recluse spiders are interesting enough, thank you very much

BTW---Tom; I'd go with toggles--they're more positive in 'Cliking' than any slide swiches---I'm always wondering if I switched the thing-----another reason I said to heck with DC and went DCC----more control(or what I imagine is control-----)

Anyhoooooo------I'm just grabbing a hot chocolate to go, please---I's going

Praying Mantis are neat little creatures. Love having them around. There is at least one black spider (fast hunting variety) that lives on and around this computer desk in my studio. Whatever it is finding to eat, I'm happy to have it working the nightshift. I do not kill spiders, except black widows of which we have a large population here on the ol' farm.

Couldn't sleep so did a load of laundry. Tired now...Good Night (again) Rob

 Unca Roggie.... I looked on the website briefly, and (of Course) looked up CB&Q. Most of the pix of Burlington were of a wreck I recall.

Firstly: I'm glad that it sounds like I DID pass on some NEW information to some of you folks (its usually that it is ME who is the last to find out about something.) 

In fact, I had a feeling of horror awhile after I wrote up that thread about Railpix, that someone here may reply that mine was the seventeenth thread someone started about the same darn subject. 

One drawback of that site, in my opinion, is how many of the photos are of horrendous train wrecks.  I'm not sure why people find them THAT fascinating. 

I just skip on by them, and snatch up some of those terrific wide vista shots, and include them on my revolving screen saver for a month or so, til I refresh the collection. 

There is a shot of a big steam engine pulled train, coming at the camera's point of view, with a 50's massive Buick waiting at a grade crossing, that is SO cool, you have to stare at it over and over to convince yourself it is NOT a great PAINTING someone did.  That can be found in the "all time faves" section in there. 

Anyways, enough of that.  I wanted to mention how I also liked the timber wall {pictured way back there} that Sue also noticed and mentioned she liked. 

I instantly went back in my mind to how I made a 1:1 version of such a wall, several years ago, using that awful creosote-encrusted, backbreakingly heavy railroad tie-type timber (NEVER AGAIN!  But I may try reproducing it in HO scale, now that I see how good it can look.) 

OH, and I'd also like another small plate of gravel, if there's any left after midnight in here...pretty chewy, I have to admit, but makes for great ruffage, I'm finding.

Good Morning from Tipton IN !

 Good morning.

It's 29 and partly cloudy out here by the lake. It's a nice warm 72 in here where I am. The high today should be in the upper 50's and it will be partly cloudy.

Did some initial prep work yesterday to modify the double entry doors of the Walther's engine house. My intent is to make it into one wide entry instead of two narrow ones. This will allow me to run two tracks in from a turnout placed in close proximity to the structure. There are still two other projects that require my attention so I at least have something to keep me occupied for a while.

Today's Weather for:
Sundown, LA  71446-6114      1/14/2009

Wind Chill:  29°F (-1c)
Humidity:  84%
Dew Point:  25°F (-5c)

So Far Today
High:  30°F (-1c)
Low:  29°F (-2c)
Rain:  0.00"
Rain Rate:  0.00"/h
Gust:  3mph NE

  Today  High: 58 (14c)   Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 50s. Southwest winds around 5 mph.

  Tonight  Low: 32 (0c)   Mostly clear until late night then becoming partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 30s. West winds around 5 mph in the evening becoming north after midnight.

 Mawning everyone, I guess some of you are still cuddled up under that nice warm blanket

Most unusual weather here in Northeast Florida, We've had two days of COLD rain, We normally get warm rain in advance of a cold front, but this rain came in on the backside of a cold front.

So.. in the 30's today thru Monday with two days of Hard Freezes.

And you though Florida never gets cold 

Anyway.. gotta run.. a lot of stuff to do today! 

Buggy

AAH---good freezing morning everyone---we are sitting at -23C--so 'pooter is telling me--with some more snow on top of the 15cm we got yesterday. And it will be a high of -14C with tonight's low at -24C----just a few minutes north of here the low will be -30C---YIKES!----thankfully the wind is not putting out rediculous windchills---for example the windchill here is just -28C----if the wind was any stronger we'd definitly would be in CNCharlie territory----

Buggyman; YIKES--for where you are that is cold and hard freezes to boot---the citrus growers are going to love that----stay warm down there---

Rob; Praying Mantis--when we see them are fascinating. We don't really see a lot of them up here-----but last summer we saw a couple of 'stick' insects---they do look like twigs---then a leg moves----

Well, I got a few things to catch up on today---no work today so I get to do some rail stuff---

Mornin' all!

When I rolled out of the driveway this morning it was 11 degrees, but it's warming up now.  Later this week they're talking about wind chills in the -30 to -40 below range.  Can't say as I'm looking forward to that!

Currently: 12°F Light Snow

Wind: South at 12 MPH
Humidity: 83%
Dewpoint: 11°F
Barometer: 29.99 inches and steady
Wind Chill: 1°F
Sunrise: 8:05 am
Sunset: 5:43 pm

Well, my wife has a ladies Bible study every Tuesday morning that she hosts.  These things often end up as all day affairs.  Yesterday they got to throwing around a few questions that a few of them have had in the backs of their minds.  It's great seeing people so hungry for knowledge.  Ended up, the questions that didn't get an answer got posed to me last night (You know, one of those "Lets ask the Pastor / Bible College student!" things).  I will say, they hit on some tough ones!  Some of them were the kinds of questions that the answer is, "We'll just have to see when we get to heaven."  I'm pretty sure that wasn't my most popular answer with them.  Oh well, I don't want to say something that I can't back up, right?  It was great though, just seeing these ladies with that want to know attitude, and talking about things with them.

Well, I'd best get back to the phones.

Later!

Paul W. Beverung:

I missed the lawyer joke, could some one repeat it please when I wake up.

Oh OK Paul, since you asked here is the one that I posted:

What is the difference between a catfish and a lawyer?

-

-

-

-

One is a scum sucking bottom dweller and the other one is a fish. 

Nice work on the layout Ray! 

New Haven I-5:

The color wheel on my Samsung TV broke yesterday and it won't come till the end of the month.

Luke, that is one reason why I opted for an LCD as opposed to the DLP and projection type screen.

I've been working on the layout the past few weeks and started the upper deck benchwork and lighting project. Here are a few of my latest photos of the progress.

Measuring the outside length to mark cuts for joists.

 Added a new tube light fixture, now I can see!

For those who may not know about it the new online magazine MRH is now available for download, it is over 75 MB and in PDF format. It was released on Saturday the 10th.

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/

LSWrr:

Jeff, I’m sending those gas pumps and a few other odds n’ ends to you today, you should see them in 3-4 days. 

Well my new heater got it's big test last night. It's 28 outside and a nice toasty 72 throughout the entire trailer and I never had to adjust it even once. My old heater NEVER did that.

 in a SOUTHERN mug, please & thank you.

***Unca Roggie, my wife falls into that catagory. She even wants to model an Amtrak derailment.

***Barry, have a look at this stick bug I took a photo of. That is, if you can find it. It's a tough one to spot, so I also have a cheater pic where I outlined it which I can post later.

Carpet guys are on the way. YIPPY!

Rob

Good Mornin' everyone!

Janie, I'll have my FGLK Mug filled with dark roast and then some nice hot oatmeal with brown sugar.  Need something to warm me up.  It is currently a nice pleasant 6°F outside here in the Finger Lakes with a high this afternoon of 10°F.  This is the weather where your feet on the snow crunch!  No wind out there and clear and sunny.  Visibility is at 8 miles right now.  Low tonight will be 2°F with snow. 

Thanks to all of you that have commented on the photos I posted here.  Glad you liked the scene.

Jeffrey glad your heater is working well!  28° where you live is a lot less comfortable than 6° where I live. 

I have a short list of "must get dones" for today so I best finish my coffee and get going.  See you all later.