Kurt,
I have been messing around with Realtrax for well over a year now. I haven't found any of the tabs to break, and I have redone my layout config about 50 times now. I have found that they put too much paint on the center rail. Sometimes it's not even a conductive rail in stock form, and you need to sand it off. Power will pass through the track, but the train won't get it. Also, the spring connections that actually carry the current at the track joints need to be align properly. Sometimes they do not, so your best bet is to flip over the track to make sure they are mating well. Solder it if you feel sure you are not going to change it. One 0-31, the T on th rails sometimes don't line up seamlessly, and the guide truck might catch on it. I don't have the problem much on anything bigger than 0-31. I find it to be super quiet on ceiling tiles. The only noises are when wheels hit the T rail sections that don't line up well. Some grinding and soldering will fix that. i have a couple of 30" straights, and they are dead silent.
Their switches aren't great. All of them physically throw, but I had to work with them to stop the derails. I think they get better as you use them.
Chief - All the best with your mom. I dread the day I have to do the same.Wes
Mornin' boys. Sunny & 54 here in the Mid-Atlantic region. Only good thing is haven't had need for AC yet. I heard gas perhaps at $6 a gal by end of summer, and that really got me down last night...a lot of folks are gonna struggle.
Chief - Best o' luck with Mama'. Perhaps she's just getting you back for all the shenanigans you did as a teenager...
Phish - My offer still stands. Only too glad to help.
mitchie - so let me get this right, not only can I get a drink of water from the fountain, but stand aside and power-wash my car at the same time? Cool.
MartyE - those 2 IDOL finalists give hope to dweebs all across this great land...
Good morning all,
IIABSDISEI with temps in the high 60s. Prayers going for out Chief's mom and all those in need. I practiced soccer last night for almost hour and half with high school kids. The good news is that I am still standing. The bad news is .... that I am still standing. Man, I was sore and tired, but I had fun. The one advantage I have is my weight. I do not get to use it often, but I was able to "body" my way around people a couple of times. (Old age and treachery). Watched a MLS soccer tape when I got home. Those guys are good. I had the usual fare on the dining car this morning. I hope everyone has a good day.
Keep on training,
Mike C. from Indiana
fifedog wrote: mitchie - so let me get this right, not only can I get a drink of water from the fountain, but stand aside and power-wash my car at the same time? Cool.
Good Morning All
Weather is still the same, damp gloomy and 45. what a wonderful spring this has been.
Chief good luck with your mother problems. This is only for me I'm NOT refering to anyone else: I hope if I am stuck here that long someone puts a pillow in my face. My daughter said she could not do it but I told her to tell mom she will be glad to.
donb. I told you guys I was sick and not to get close to the screen, hope you are feeling better today, but probably not.
Brutus,Kurt,ect where did we go last nite? I don't remember any of it. Did I have a good time?
We are one day from Friday so all you working folk hang in there.,,,,S.J.
"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks
Charter Member- Tardis Train Crew (TTC) - Detroit3railers- Detroit Historical society Glancy Modular trains- Charter member BTTS
Overcast and 50 here on the North Shore but mid 40s inland, could smell the salt air this AM. All of the shellfish flats are closed---red tide. The pattern is that the weather is ok during the days but rain every evening. Lucky I got all the lawn shaved Saturday, took 4+ hours with bagging because I had let it go too long.....got to stay on top of it now.
Chief, my continued prayers for your Mom's health and in finding her a (new) home that can accommodate her needs and safety.
Your words really struck home with me, especially because your Mom is not right down the street from you. That was my situation with my parents. I got to thinking about how, for me, family can be either helpful or alternatively can fade into the woodwork when a long term challenge such as this occurs. Sounds like you have been designated the leader in the family lineup to make things happen for Mom.
I found that a blessing when dealing with my aging parents because the rest of the family stayed out of mucking up the major decisions. Soon that became a curse because I couldn't DO everything myself. My first major mistake was in not getting their buy-in and shared ownership with the execution of the plan.
Family is sometimes geographically spread out which limits participation. My sisters erroneously assumed that I had everything under control and could do it myself. Adult grandchildren looked at Dad/Uncle (you/me) as the ball carrier who assumed I had everything handled. Some family members can be very helpful if asked, but I made my second major mistake, waiting for volunteers. Then stewed because no one came forward.
My nephew (a grandchild) sat quietly when I began this process but became invaluable to me when out of frustration and desperation I asked for help. Then others (not all) in the family began to chip in. In retrospect, some may have wanted to help, didn't know how, but for some reason were afraid to ask me if and how they could help.
My Dad's pastor actually found a trustworthy, retired grizzled veteran expert in recalcitrant seniors whom I hired to move in with my folks 24/7 five days a week. Pastors know a lot of people and resources.
Use your resources, all of them.
Jack
IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.
Good morning,
Chief, sorry to hear about your mom! I know it can be hard when dealing with parents and their needs as they get older, I have a father who is 85 and drinks Vodka like a fish and he is real cranky at times & sometimes nothing pleases him at all! Also I have worked at a place called Council on Aging in a city north of West Palm Beach for about four years and dealt with older people who had Alzheimers or Dimentia, trust me it is no picnic!
I got a job yesterday! Start in the morning tomorrow, toll collector on turnpike.
About working with Ross switches the track pins are Gargraves style and need O gauge tubular track to hook up to. You will need an adapter track from MTH to tubular O to make it work. It could be possible that Gargraves makes a new adapter pin, not sure though.
Lee F.
sir james I wrote: Brutus,Kurt,ect where did we go last nite? I don't remember any of it. Did I have a good time?
I'm not sure where we landed either....with all of us, including that 800lb rug in the Tardis, Laz was the only one who could reach the controls. All I heard was 'Hold On'.
We may all need to belly up for a larger one....Doug bought the economy model because he was saving for dinner and parking last night.
Kurt
cnw1995 wrote:I'm waiting for the Tardis to pick me up. How did a pair of free symphony tickets end up costing so much for dinner and parking? Sorry to hear about your mom, Chief.
Doug - watching the American Idol final show at a sports bar does not qualify as "free symphony tickets"
Chief - prayers for your mom. We'll hope for the best.
Don - get well soon - Chris too!
Sir James - glad you're better!
Mitch - if the Chief were your mayor - your town would still be debating "what is a school" and "how much does it cost?"
A place I worked at some years ago had a fire in the plating shop. Fire dept pulled up and attached a pumper to add pressure and water to the sprinkler system via the standpipe next to the building. They connected and cranked up the pump and immediately blew the pipe apart. Now there was no water in the sprinklers. Needless to say the plating shop was a bit of a loss. Luckily it was a separate building on the campus.
Very cloudy here. Some showers possible through Monday. Low 90's predicted with high humidity (UGH). Got the lawn mowed while there was a nice breeze last night.
Hope all are doing well. Have a great day today!
Regards, Roy
phillyreading wrote: I got a job yesterday! Start in the morning tomorrow, toll collector on turnpike.
Excellent news Lee! Congratulations!
After reading all the Realtrax problems posts in the Forum, makes me wonder if it is worth all the fuss. So far what I got out of the discussion is that it looks great......and???
DougDG......brilliant minds think alike. I had poundcake hiding under my mountain of strawberries and whipped cream while wife chose the boring route, no poundcake. Would also explain why I am the one who looks pregnant.
DougM......read your symphony posts and didn't see anything in there about your foray to Rush Street afterwards for wild dancing and a nightcap. Thought your driver and your limo would have saved you the parking expenses.
Don.....keep an eye on convalescing Chris. He may take up an interest in running your trains, necessitating scheduling run times.
Brent.....after reading what you got for grades, I realized that you are missing your calling. You should write a book on multitasking, sell a bazillion copies, and retire to the HoneyDo list and the train room full time.
Mitch....can't remember who had the right idea about the water pressure impasse. Getting all of the decision makers in the room at the same time to force a solution is the ticket. Doesn't the town water guy and fire chief report to the mayor, permiting guy too? Good luck getting parents to let you know in advance whose 5 year old is coming to dinner. Move up registration deadlines next time around? Hiring teachers at the 11th hour and being able to accommodate the additional classroom space on short notice is not an appealing dilema.
MikeC.....just consider yourself the Shacquille O'Neal of the youth soccer set. Buy a hot tub for evening recuperation sessions. Also, ratchet up chasing people around the track at the Y. The old grey stud just ain't what he used to be. Join the club.
Lee....great news on the job front! . That can sometimes be a dangerous job with all the nuts out there on the road. Be safe.
Sir James - Mailman has just delivered a parcel form the hamlet of FRASER, MICHIGAN. All smiles here. Thank you.
Phish - got your email.
lionroar88 wrote:----Jack - Susan wants me to write a book of excuses... But I would have to find time first!
Brent.....SusieQ is smart like that. She knows you should write a book on things you really know best. Maybe we could co-author the book? If we got the wives together for a brainstorming session on our excuses, the ideas would really flow. But then we'd probably have to break the ideas up into separate releases/volumes.
RockIsland52 wrote: lionroar88 wrote:----Jack - Susan wants me to write a book of excuses... But I would have to find time first! Brent.....SusieQ is smart like that. She knows you should write a book on things you really know best. Maybe we could co-author the book? If we got the wives together for a brainstorming session on our excuses, the ideas would really flow. But then we'd probably have to break the ideas up into separate releases/volumes. Jack
fifedog, glad I could help.. he is very fast at getting things shipped out. Has file boxes of Microscale so now you know where to look. They are big in O 2rail so he carries them all.
Chief- I hope things are working out with your mom. Later all,,,S.J.
A quick stop over on my busy day with a quiet moment. Have FIL and his bride down at the house for the son's graduation tonight. Regarding the filming...it is in the church and we have between 4 and 6 pro video cameras to film it. Just not sure they have enough help. I have not gotten a call about it, and I hope that they do actually video it. Beyond that, it is out of my control.
Chief, continued prayers for guidance and peace in dealing with mom. I know one of the guys I work with has a care giver who is a retired guy in good health taking care of his father in law. He did move him closer to town as he had been living in Florida. That may be an option for you, but regardless, it is a tough thing to go through.
Lee, congratulations on the job. Make sure you get a big jug of that waterless hand sanitizer and get in the habbit of avoiding touching your face while working. Lots of germs on money and you don't need every bug that is out there.
Brent, great work on the grades. Now it is time to focus on the "family" if you know what I mean. Good luck in that.
Rock, I hear your senator has a lot to deal with. While I have nothing but disdain over him, I hate that he is suffering through this. Bad news for anyone to have to go through.
Well, gotta run. Hope everyone has a great Friday Eve.
God Bless,
Dennis
TCA#09-63805
Afternoon All !
Crazy weather here, this time last week the A/C started runnin like crazy, tuesday it gets downright cold, now we have severe t'storm and flash flood warnings. I hear the thunder rumbling but really haven't seen any of the fireworks yet, as long as there is a good rain with the lightning one bad fire in NoCal is enuff.
Getting stuff ready for museum tomorrow, still not 100% sure of what to take. Senility I guess, sometimes not sure of what is or is not packed.
It has really started to get pretty dark outside, think I mite log off here and shut some things off(unplug).
Later all !
Remember the Veterans. Past, present and future.
www.sd3r.org
Proud New Member Of The NRA
Thanks guys on the congrats about the job!
Did some wiring under my layout today as it was really raining earlier and I was off the computer because of lightning strikes nearby. Almost felt like a Tropical Storm came through, got very dark and windy then it just poured down for almost two hours straight, along with lightning strikes. Hopefully this storm will drown some of the wildfires here in Florida.
Ran some switch wires under the plywood, now to hook them up in the next few days, also hooked up my upper level train that goes around the ceiling. Two post war NW-2's running on a post war type R 110 watt transformer, anyway is the post war type R differant than the pre war type R other than watts, like terminal voltage outputs?
Good Afternoon !
Brent - Regaurding the Marauder, I am very pleased with it. Looks good and does a nice job. Sometimes I have had an issue when backing it up and crossing a switch, it sometimes isn't sure which direction to go. But, I have to admit I usually end up checking the switch and make a couple of minor adjustments and it's resolved. Also, the advice from Dennis is right on target, (no surprise).
Regarding Chris
Had a chest x-ray, and Dr appt., scheduled for today. The x-ray happened but the Dr appt was cancelled. . In all fairness to the Dr., I really applaud him. He normally has surgery on Thursday, and when he found out Chris had plans on going to Sandy Eggo, to see a Marine graduation today, the Dr scheduled Chris in at 11:30. The Dr indicated that the office wouldn't like him doing that, but it was his choice. Then he had to cancel because of 2 open heart surgerys, 1 of which took a lot longer than expected. Nevertheless the Dr. was able to look at the x-ray, and saw "some" improvement, but because Chris was still able to expell air through the tubes, didn't want them removed yet. So rescheduled the appt to late Friday. Did tell Chris he could go as a spectator only, NO physical strain or activity.
Now the Parents intervene- Since he is "19", he knows what is best, so the trip is still on! I'm thinking OK 4 19 yr old boys in a motel room.... hmmm, and then I have his Mom with me, like she isn't going to be worried. So had a "family meetin" and told Chris he WOULD have to comprimise, and the Mom was going to go as well. She's driving down in her car and got her a room at the same Motel. She will also be attending the ceremony. Everything working out well. Chris really accepted the idea well, surprise! I think he was even comforted with the fact that IF anything happened she would be close by. And, it sure is making her feel LOT better about it. She also know the parents of both of the guys graduating and is pretty good friends with them. An additional benefit is to ensure he gets back in time for the Friday Dr. appt..
Talked with the Chief - He seems to be doing pretty well given the situation. But, it sure isn't easy. Times like this is when you really appreciate spiritual comfort!
On a brighter note, I have a night alone, so maybe get some train time. Havn't even been in the train room in a week. Probably won't do much just play with them. Want to see what I can come up with as a Camera Car, will probably steal some ideas from what K-Line has done in the past. When I was at York I picked up a track adapter kit, (voltage regulator) to operate 9v with. So think I have just about everything I need.
Gotta check on getting a new router I think ours has died.
Later
Don
wrmcclellan wrote: ChiefEagles wrote: jonadel wrote: lionroar88 wrote: sir james I wrote:Yea Roy, even the blinking light gets turned off at 9PM.And then they have to pay someone to flip the switch every morning! If the Mayor hadn't shot the town squirrel he could have done it And the groundhog!!!!! Who stays up until 9 pm in Roseyville??? I know its not the Chief!
ChiefEagles wrote: jonadel wrote: lionroar88 wrote: sir james I wrote:Yea Roy, even the blinking light gets turned off at 9PM.And then they have to pay someone to flip the switch every morning! If the Mayor hadn't shot the town squirrel he could have done it And the groundhog!!!!!
jonadel wrote: lionroar88 wrote: sir james I wrote:Yea Roy, even the blinking light gets turned off at 9PM.And then they have to pay someone to flip the switch every morning! If the Mayor hadn't shot the town squirrel he could have done it
lionroar88 wrote: sir james I wrote:Yea Roy, even the blinking light gets turned off at 9PM.And then they have to pay someone to flip the switch every morning!
sir james I wrote:Yea Roy, even the blinking light gets turned off at 9PM.
If the Mayor hadn't shot the town squirrel he could have done it
And the groundhog!!!!!
Who stays up until 9 pm in Roseyville??? I know its not the Chief!
The hound dog under the porch is sometimes on the prowl at that time of night.
Chief...Prayers for your Mom. Make sure you don't mention my name in her presence because I would not want her to have a set back.
Busy, busy, busy and tomorrow I wear the suit and tie to work. Yeach!!!
Chief, LAZ, and Marty....I remember all your posts and video of the Legacy system you guys posted. Lionel should have paid you for your testing.
I was in Marion, OH today. Wow!! If you want to watch big trains, Marion has them. NS and CSX both have mainlines going through the City. New intermodel yard was just opened on the CSX east-west route. (Quiz: What president was born in Marion, Ohio?)
See ya later,
Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum.
Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..
Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR
TCA 09-64284
Evening all. Another one of those days. Dr. and I both fought with Mom. She still wants it her way but I think she knows different. No one yet has been found to stay with her. Becky is going to keep a close eye on her until I find someone or move her here to assisted living. I think Becky and Husband do not want her to leave. They are like family to us any way. They both lost their parents long time ago. Miss Emma is like a second Mom to them.
Brent, I will send you my three ERR Cruise Commander Combo kits to install for me. Pam asked me yesterday about that. Told her I was waiting for a rainy day when I had no meetings. She laughed.
Tomorrow, mow grass, spray and sand walls [removed anchors and mudded plaster in two rooms]. Then maybe trains. [fingers crossed on both plans, Town Hall clerk asked when I stopped by for about 30 minutes, "You going to be here tomorrow?" ]
Just back from a Chamber reception sponsored by TV 17 and the pretty little reporter. The hostest introduced Kerry Hall as the "Mayor's best friend". One of the older ladies whispered to me, "Better watch that Mayor!" Later.
God bless TCA 05-58541 Benefactor Member of the NRA, Member of the American Legion, Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville , KC&D Qualified
ChiefEagles wrote: Brent, I will send you my three ERR Cruise Commander Combo kits to install for me. Pam asked me yesterday about that. Told her I was waiting for a rainy day when I had no meetings. She laughed.
Buckeye Riveter wrote: I was in Marion, OH today. Wow!! If you want to watch big trains, Marion has them. NS and CSX both have mainlines going through the City. New intermodel yard was just opened on the CSX east-west route. (Quiz: What president was born in Marion, Ohio?)See ya later,
What no stop over at Waldo at the G&R Grill You have to get one of thier Ahmish/German stly bolonga sandwich half inch thick very coares all beef slab with onion swiss cheese and sweet pickels also have awsome peanutbutter pie, deep fried califlower and brocilli soup. you can find the place at the exit for route 98 off of rt 23 north at bottom of off ramp there is an intersection turn left till you come to a traffic light this is the town of waldo make a left and at the next traffic light on the rightside of street is the G&R Grill. It is a very busy place open late friday and saturday nights closed on sunday.
EVENING ALL
Sun came out about two hours before sunset. Suppose to start warming a little tomorrow.
I felt better today so this afternoon I went to daughters and helped SIL work a load of cement in a strip along his driveway. He had already preped and framed, I just helped when the truck came. I guess that was my exercise for today. no trains but going to that store tomorrow. Need to leave my money at home, so many temptations. Well guys where are we going tonite or is everyone coming here. I am on a two bottle limit after last nights six pack I don't remember anything. Thats just too many rootbeers in a short time. S.J.
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