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2008 and the Coffee Pot is still on and over 3 years. Here we gather as friends with trains. Sweet ice tea too. Locked

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Posted by fifedog on Monday, March 10, 2008 9:16 PM

Sounds like a good idear, Sir James.  Mocked up some of the next ridgeline for the CUMBERLAND EXTENSION today, so hopefully I got the momentum boost to knock out this next section.

G'nite Chief.  Left the light on...

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Posted by sir james I on Monday, March 10, 2008 8:44 PM

EVENING

The pots quiet tonite so I guess the beds begining to look good. 37 today, a little snow melt but we still have lots to get rid of.Brutus if you come by, you know where the key is, and no whistle blowing.  Good nite Chewy,,,,S.J.

"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks 

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Posted by Buckeye Riveter on Monday, March 10, 2008 7:14 PM
 RockIsland52 wrote:

To the Ohio boys, didn't this last storm set single storm records for you?  I heard Columbus totalled more than 20".  Single snowfall record for my locale North of Boston was 34" on 1/26/05, not the Blizzard of 1978 at 27". 

Jack     

Jack....I live about four miles from Port Columbus where they officially measured it at 20.4", eclipsing the city's previous record of 15.3 inches set in February 1910.  The Blizzard of 1978 was far worse.  Five people died due to this storm.  In 1978, 51 people died just in Ohio.

Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum. Smile, Wink & Grin

Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..

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Posted by spankybird on Monday, March 10, 2008 6:15 PM
 RockIsland52 wrote:

To the Ohio boys, didn't this last storm set single storm records for you?  I heard Columbus totalled more than 20".  Single snowfall record for my locale North of Boston was 34" on 1/26/05, not the Blizzard of 1978 at 27". 

Jack     

Back in 96, I lived in a small town call Chardon, Ohio. Once again the weather channel was there. We had 60" (yes 5 feet of snow) fall in a 3 day storm. It took the National Guard to dig me out.

I am a person with a very active inner child. This is why my wife loves me so. Willoughby, Ohio - the home of the CP & E RR. OTTS Founder www.spankybird.shutterfly.com 

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Posted by sir james I on Monday, March 10, 2008 5:43 PM
It's 35 degrees here and the coffee is cold. Need some hot coffee.

"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks 

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Posted by johnandjulie13 on Monday, March 10, 2008 2:45 PM
 Wes Whitmore wrote:

I did some research on those.  I recommend the natural gas version, so you do not need an on site storage tank.  I think they are a little less efficient, but you don't need to storage tank.  I bet you are looking at close to $5-10k, depending on permits, size, automatic transfer switch, and installation.  Good thing is that they are programmed to run on their own during maintenance times, charging batteries, etc.  It doesn't sound like you need anything more than your basic battery backup system for your sump pump (basement watchdog, etc), unless the reason the pump didn't run is because the backyard was a frozen tundra.  Just ask yourself how much does your pump run in the summer after a good rain.  That would steer my decision.  If you still want generator power, I would just get a really nice portable unit for emergencies, and spend the rest on trains.
Wes

Hello Wes:

We have a natural gas back up generator.  While I like it, you are right, it is not very efficient. In our area, the natural gas has a lot of impurities which means the generator has to be serviced often.  I have to change the spark plugs annually (along with the oil, oil filter and air filter) because they gets so grungy.  It does provide peace of mind, especially with an automatic transfer switch.

I was just teasing Brent by implying he should have a little Honda generator so that he could have some light and run his power tools even when the rest of the house is in the dark.Wink [;)]

Regards,

John

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Posted by johnandjulie13 on Monday, March 10, 2008 2:39 PM
 Wes Whitmore wrote:

So guess what...  mortgage rates have gone up almost a point in 3 weeks.  Does that make sense to a nation approaching a recession?  It's almost as if they want a recession.

Wes

Hello Wes:

It is called the Law of Unintended Consequences.  As the Fed continues to lower rates, trying to stimulate the economy to avoid a recession, investors start worrying about inflation, which causes bond yields to climb.  Unfortunately, bond yields are used to set mortgage rates.  The good news is that there are still some attractive variable rate loans available that would allow you to keep you initial payment lower.  When I bought my first home in 1990 I was happy to get under 8%.  It is all a matter of perspective.  Good luck with the house hunting.

Regards,

John

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Posted by johnandjulie13 on Monday, March 10, 2008 2:35 PM
 RockIsland52 wrote:
   It took me 5 years working full time days and going to school at night (28 courses).  When it was over, I skipped the graduation ceremonies because I felt: Who goes back to prison to celebrate their release?

Jack     

Big Smile [:D]Big Smile [:D] That was funny.

However, the difference is nobody ever chooses to go to prison.  I went to my graduation ceremony.  While it was 95 degrees in a non-airconditioned gym in the middle of June, I was still glad that I went.

Regards,

John

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Posted by Wes Whitmore on Monday, March 10, 2008 2:24 PM

Brent,

I did some research on those.  I recommend the natural gas version, so you do not need an on site storage tank.  I think they are a little less efficient, but you don't need to storage tank.  I bet you are looking at close to $5-10k, depending on permits, size, automatic transfer switch, and installation.  Good thing is that they are programmed to run on their own during maintenance times, charging batteries, etc.  It doesn't sound like you need anything more than your basic battery backup system for your sump pump (basement watchdog, etc), unless the reason the pump didn't run is because the backyard was a frozen tundra.  Just ask yourself how much does your pump run in the summer after a good rain.  That would steer my decision.  If you still want generator power, I would just get a really nice portable unit for emergencies, and spend the rest on trains.
Wes

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 10, 2008 2:06 PM

Even after the power failure the past few days the sump didn't turn on when the power came on. I did check the sump and the level never went up. So I think we're OK as far as that goes. We are in the middle of the slope and there is nothing but woods behind us.

The generator is more of a 'feel good' purchase, a reassurance that if we were not home when this happened then we wouldn't have to worry. The system we are looking at is LP and can power the entire home for 1 week if we turned on every light and left them burning 24/7. Since that will NEVER happen we are pretty certain we could power the essentials for 2 weeks without worry or refilling the LP tank.

It is definitely MORE than we need, but the piece of mind it provides is well worth the money, IMHO, and it will help with resale as well.

SnOhioans... loved the pics! Brings back some fond memories.

Jack - Oh I am going to graduation. I didn't put in this amount of work to not be officially hooded. Plus I am the first member of my immediate family to earn a Master's so this is not just my celebration, but theirs. They have put up with the limited visits due to school for 2+ years and now that I'm done we're hoping the visits can be longer and more frequent.

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Posted by Wes Whitmore on Monday, March 10, 2008 1:54 PM

I hear that we set a record for single storm in March, but I could be wrong.  It was pretty bad...I got some cool pictures though! 

I'm just waiting for all of this to melt and flow through my basement sump.

So guess what...  mortgage rates have gone up almost a point in 3 weeks.  Does that make sense to a nation approaching a recession?  It's almost as if they want a recession.

Wes

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Posted by RockIsland52 on Monday, March 10, 2008 1:16 PM

Wes, those are some priceless pics of the little guy.  So when he gets older and tells the tale of when the snowbanks were twice as high as him, he will be correct!  Frame one of dem photos.

Brent, a local buddy of mine with a sump pump in the basement with his trains had two floods and train disasters.  No battery or generator backup.  In the first the pump failed, and in the second the power went out in the middle of the night and stayed off for 8 hours.  Same result.  All he could do was watch the carnage.  Re school, you must be pumped, the light at the end of the tunnel after a lot of sacrifice.  It took me 5 years working full time days and going to school at night (28 courses).  When it was over, I skipped the graduation ceremonies because I felt: Who goes back to prison to celebrate their release?

To the Ohio boys, didn't this last storm set single storm records for you?  I heard Columbus totalled more than 20".  Single snowfall record for my locale North of Boston was 34" on 1/26/05, not the Blizzard of 1978 at 27". 

Jack     

IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.

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Posted by Wes Whitmore on Monday, March 10, 2008 9:39 AM

Brent,

My dad just uses a simple 8000 watt 240V electric start generator.  He saved money by just flipping the breakers manually to feed the house.  It has enough power to run the furnace, and almost everything else that is 120V.  He has been happy with it.

Wes

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Posted by johnandjulie13 on Monday, March 10, 2008 9:39 AM

 cnw1995 wrote:
Morning all. Glad to not get your snow. Supposed to be 50s this week. Will melt what little we have left. Ran trains last eve. without pileups. Watched Forrest Gump too. Good movie.

I think spring is finally near!  I have had enough of this winter.  I would like to give Al Gore a piece of my mind...Wink [;)]

You watched Forrest Gump.  I read Around the World in 80 Days last night.  Two big sections dealt with train travel (across India and across the U.S.)  Jules Verne's account was pretty amusing when they try to get a train across a damaged bridge. Tongue [:P]

Regards,

John

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Posted by wrmcclellan on Monday, March 10, 2008 9:33 AM

Morning all!

Rained all night here and more rain today - it's all good. Hit 71 yesterday - might be 65 today?

Fifer is right that Tony Stewart is probably off Goodyear's Christmas list! Wink [;)]

Another busy day today - hope all are doing well!

Regards, Roy

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Posted by johnandjulie13 on Monday, March 10, 2008 9:28 AM

 lionroar88 wrote:

John,
A generator is something we are looking into. I have some pics, but haven't had time to get them downloaded and edited... and with company coming I need to get the layout operational again, they are coming, be patient. I also just started my second to last course in my Master's program and these are the two most instense courses I've got, so my layout time is going to be dwindling over the next few weeks.

Exuses, excuses, excuses...Big Smile [:D]

All kidding aside, you have done a tremendous amount of work in a short period of time.  Don't let my pestering get you off track.  Congratulations on getting near the end of the paper chase.  I remember those days.  I went to night school for about nine years, while working full time, to get my undergraduate and graduate degrees.  I know what you are dealing with.  Good luck.

Regards,

John

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 10, 2008 8:50 AM
Love the pics of all the snow! I haven't seen snow falls that deep since 1978 (March). The blizzard of '93 was bad, but nothing like 78! It was over my birthday and we were digging snow forts, tunnels, and just about anything else you could think of... sled riding takes on a whole new dimension when done in a tunnel!!!
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Posted by cnw1995 on Monday, March 10, 2008 8:47 AM
Morning all. Glad to not get your snow. Supposed to be 50s this week. Will melt what little we have left. Ran trains last eve. without pileups. Watched Forrest Gump too. Good movie.

Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 10, 2008 8:47 AM
 johnandjulie13 wrote:

 lionroar88 wrote:

I did get 2/3 of the river coated with plaster cloth, then ran out, have more now but with the power being out I couldn't finish. Also got 1/3 of the plaster cloth coated with spackel, looks pretty good. Need to fill in a couple cracks but that is it. Have to finish the plaster cloth tonight and get the JB Weld(ing) done on the two plate girder bridges. Hopefully tomorrow I can paint the bridges and spackel the rest of the river. Wednesday I have to start reassembling what I dismantled for river construction as my little sister and her family will be here this weekend to celebrate the most important holiday...

Brent:

You are a machine!  Don't let the fact that you don't have electricity get in way.  You should have a portable generator Wink [;)]  How about some pics?

Regards,

John



John,
A generator is something we are looking into. I have some pics, but haven't had time to get them downloaded and edited... and with company coming I need to get the layout operational again, they are coming, be patient. I also just started my second to last course in my Master's program and these are the two most instense courses I've got, so my layout time is going to be dwindling over the next few weeks.
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Posted by Wes Whitmore on Monday, March 10, 2008 8:43 AM

 We got a few inches of snow here in Delaware...

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Posted by johnandjulie13 on Monday, March 10, 2008 8:33 AM

 lionroar88 wrote:

I did get 2/3 of the river coated with plaster cloth, then ran out, have more now but with the power being out I couldn't finish. Also got 1/3 of the plaster cloth coated with spackel, looks pretty good. Need to fill in a couple cracks but that is it. Have to finish the plaster cloth tonight and get the JB Weld(ing) done on the two plate girder bridges. Hopefully tomorrow I can paint the bridges and spackel the rest of the river. Wednesday I have to start reassembling what I dismantled for river construction as my little sister and her family will be here this weekend to celebrate the most important holiday...

Brent:

You are a machine!  Don't let the fact that you don't have electricity get in way.  You should have a portable generator Wink [;)]  How about some pics?

Regards,

John

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Posted by johnandjulie13 on Monday, March 10, 2008 8:29 AM
 RockIsland52 wrote:

John......remember the Chicago storm of January 2, 1999 which dumped 22" and the January 13, 1979 storm that dumped 21"?  The 1-26-67 storm you mention dumped 23". 

Jack

Good Morning Jack:

I do remember the January 2 snowfall.  I didn't think of it because, given the date, I did not have to work, so it didn't have the same impact.  That was a lot of snow.  I can empathize with our friends in Ohio.  The good news is that we are a lot closer to spring, so our bretheren to the east can think warm thoughts. Wink [;)]

Regards,

John

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Posted by sir james I on Monday, March 10, 2008 8:29 AM

GOOD MORNING

Detroit area has clouds and 26 going to middle 30s. no new snow but feels cold. We still have snow on the ground from a week ago. A few grass spots but mostly snow. My wife is at daughters, one of the boys is sick again. And then she will be Again. Guess I'll run some trains and read a little more OGR. I just can't get into this issue. Have a good day,stay safe.  S.J.

"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks 

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 10, 2008 6:58 AM
Mornin' Fellas

Power was restored last night around 10:00. Didn't lose anything in the fridge or freezers! Thumbs Up [tup]

Like Fife I didn't get anything done on the layout. [tdown] (He probably has a better excuse than I do)... or at least a more creative one.

I did get 2/3 of the river coated with plaster cloth, then ran out, have more now but with the power being out I couldn't finish. Also got 1/3 of the plaster cloth coated with spackel, looks pretty good. Need to fill in a couple cracks but that is it. Have to finish the plaster cloth tonight and get the JB Weld(ing) done on the two plate girder bridges. Hopefully tomorrow I can paint the bridges and spackel the rest of the river. Wednesday I have to start reassembling what I dismantled for river construction as my little sister and her family will be here this weekend to celebrate the most important holiday...

Have a good one...

BTW - Where have Laz and California Don???
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Posted by cheapclassics on Monday, March 10, 2008 6:51 AM

Good morning all,

It is a cloudy and cooler day in SE Indiana with temps in the 30s, but the roads were clear on the way to work today.  My wife is subbing everyday this week for the same teacher so she will be busy.  I won the Lionel Classics eBay auction last night, which completely surprised me.  I had the usual fare for breakfast this morning.  I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

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Posted by fifedog on Monday, March 10, 2008 6:47 AM
Mornin' boys.  Clear & 27 here in the Mid-Atlantic region.  Moving the clocks forward doesn't seem to bother my system like rolling them back does.  Better get some work done around here today, 'cause I got a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y-n-o-t-h-i-n-g done this weekend...
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Posted by Blueberryhill RR on Monday, March 10, 2008 6:23 AM

Good Morning from Blueberryhill....

It is a cloudy 28 degrees. Only going up to 34 today with a few snow flurries. It just won't quit.

Today is a busy day. I have a lot of errands to run and chores to do. It doesn't look like  I will have any train time. Ran the layout yesterday and enjoyed the fun.

Dining car has arrived and is ready for breakfast. Later.

Y'all have a great Monday.

Chuck

Chuck # 3 I found my thrill on Blueberryhill !!
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Posted by RockIsland52 on Sunday, March 9, 2008 11:59 PM
 johnandjulie13 wrote:
 GregM wrote:

Wow!  That is some snow! The only snow I can remember that bad in my part of the country (Chicago) is back in '67.  Hopefully, some warm weather will be on its way.

Regards,

John 

John......remember the Chicago storm of January 2, 1999 which dumped 22" and the January 13, 1979 storm that dumped 21"?  The 1-26-67 storm you mention dumped 23". 

Jack

IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.

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Posted by fifedog on Sunday, March 9, 2008 9:35 PM

NASCAR race wasn't that great, and I don't think Tony Stewart wll be on GOODYEAR's Christmas card list this year. WHOA.

Catcha all in the morning.

G'nite Chief.  Left the light on...

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Posted by wrmcclellan on Sunday, March 9, 2008 9:33 PM
 spankybird wrote:

AS long a GregM posted snow pics, here are a few of my car. I took these this morning, after cleaning the drive 3 times yesterday.

Tom - that is a LOT of snow - this means you could't make it to the Waffle House for some Grits to melt the snow with!

Regards, Roy

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