The pot of coffee is always on [even after 2 years have passed]. Come on in. Sweet ice tea too.

[Jumijo]

Doug Wallace sent some funny jokes around yesterday. I only have one, but I'll share it.

A minister was out in the woods hunting, when he came upon an enormous grizzly bear who attacked him and threw him to the ground. The minister shouted "Oh Lord, please make this bear a Christian"! There was a bolt of lightning that struck the bear and he stopped attacking the minister, got down on his knees, folded his front paws in prayer and said, "Dear Lord, thank you for this meal", which I am about to receive".

Jim

[csxt30]

Good Morning Everyone !!
Tom : Those are some really nice structures for the museum layout !! They are looking great !!
I was looking at where to put these 4 brass lights I had gotten a while back & came up with the idea of putting in an island with them. Can't wait to get them wired up, but I have to make the road wider now, which I have the room to do it. Just wonder if anyone can comment on the idea or add to it !!

Thanks,

[Jumijo]

John,

The island idea is a good one! It adds dimension and turns an ordinary road into one with some character. Nice job!

Oh, looks good as is, but if you want to add to it, how about some trees?

Tom,

That layout is really coming along. Great structures you found. You and the OTTS gang are doing a heck of a job!


Jim

[Anonymous]

John, I like the island you made. Gives a nice boulevard effect. Like you said, you've got room to widen the road - you ought to go for it. Maybe build some sidewalks too.

[Buckeye Riveter]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pigseyes

Can't wait for the Chief to depart ,cause I know we will get some good funnies from the Buckeye Man. Sunny and 45.......................Tim

I have one of the best stories set to go for this Saturday Morning.

[Sturgeon-Phish]

Hi all,
I've not stopped or posted here in this thread before. In Southern Ohio, it's overcast and 34 degrees. Off for a few days, and would like to wire up streetlights on the layout. We'll see. Track tested the first time a American Flyer 310 I just finished refurbing, pulled 3 aluminium passenger cars great. The 310 is a great little engine.
Jim

[cnw1995]

Welcome Jim!
John, what is the island made out of?
Cold and sunny in Chicago this morning. Hope to dab some paint on my tan K-Line figures this weekend so they look more like people from a distance.

[1688torpedo]

Hello All! LOL Jim A.- That sure is a good Joke. Just goes to show that you have to be careful what you wish for.[;)] I wonder if that Minister had some Grits in his Coat Pocket?[:P][:)] One sniff of that stuff and the Bear would have run away![8D] CSXJohn- Your traffic island looks swell with those Brass Lamps.Very detailed with your other buildings in the photo. Take Care all.

[dbaker48]

Good morning all...
Didn't get the pictures posted regarding the Angels Gate hirailers but will. Took time off last night went to the train shop I have the MTH Big Boy on order with, just so he wouldn't forget us. Yeah, Yeah..... left there with a UP rotary snowplow, and set of trestles. Well Chief, we have now added another dimension to OUR floor layout. Elevating another track, now we have four tracks on the floor within a 72" radius.

Kieth, thanks for the words of concern regarding young people driving. We too have had a ra***his year with teens, being involved in fatal accidents. Really horrible. Calif. put a law effective on Jan 1 this year. A teen can get a learners permit at 15 1/2 , which is required for 6 months. Then, when they receive their license may only drive alone, or have atleast 1 person 25 years or older in the car if any under 25 is in the car.
Mixed emotions regarding this I sure would not wanted these restrictions when I was that age. It is difficult to enforce and support as a parent. He and a friend go bowling, and they cannot ride together? But maybe it will save some lives, eliminating peer pressure, and hopefully will not encourage racing.
Constantly reminding about safety, and observing when we drive together. Will never NOT worry the issues just change. [2c]

Major computer show this weekend, probably work until 8 or 9 tonight, then 11 hours tomorrow, and 9 on Sunday, then back to normal for a couple of days. Then a teachers conference in Palm Springs for 3 days. No time for trains for the next week or so.. DRAT

Oh , very disappointed with the Lionel fast track trestle set. Seem poorly designed between the base and uprights. Not very stable. I guess I will have to nail some plywood pieces to the floor, on top of the carpet.

[csxt30]

Thanks for the responses guys !!
Doug : I made that island out of a long piece of 1/2" balsa I had. Maybe should have been a little less thick. Then have been painting it with concrete color.
Jim: great idea for some some small trees on it ! Maybe shrubs !
Groucho: yes, I'm going to widen the road. Never thought of Blvd. effect, thanks !! Oh, & good to see you stop by !!
Kieth: Thanks, yes, I wish I could get more of those brass lights, I just stumbled onto them on E-bay one night.
Well, got them part way wired up now, still some more to go !
Oh, Don, be sure & teach him good RR crossing stops, look for trains & don't take any chances. It takes a good mile or two to stop a train. Of course it's good to remind everyone about rail crossing safety !! [:)]
Thanks,

[dbaker48]

Speaking of safety, also Cruise Control on cars should come with warnings regarding its usage during rain or wet roads. Instant hydroplaning! The system can run away with itself.

[csxt30]

Don : thanks !! I never knew that.
Thanks again,

[cnw1995]

John, here in Chicago, there are several streets with islands -- upper Wacker Dr. was redone a few years back with islands that stretch a block - at either end, the island has a small sidewalk for crossing pedestrians, then there are a series of street lights but they are in the middle of huge flower planters that essentially take up the whole island and serve as traffic barriers (no one's going to drive or try to walk across a planter with walls 2-3 ft. high.) - looks just like your island if the sides were built up a bit more and the ends shaved down or extended flat.
My daughters coming up on 15 this summer - permit age here in IL. She's begging to learn 'early' instead of through drivers ed in the next school year. They have an evening curfew and are not supposed to have other teens in the car - neither enforced. A brief recent flurry to raise the driving age was slammed by of all people parents who don't want to have to drive their teens around an extra year...

[wrmcclellan]

Morning all!

Jim - [(-D][(-D][(-D]

Don - too bad about the trestle set. I agree it is not as solid for a floor layout. Maybe you could use the older tubular track and trestles for the elevated portions of your layout?

John - like the lamps on the median. I agree that a couple of shrubs or small trees would also look nice.

Tom - those buildings look pretty good! With some scenery they will look even better.

Cooled off here and we had some thunderstorms and short light rain this morning.

Have a great one all!
Roy

[dwiemer]

Hey all,
With regard to young kids and driving, I HIGHLY recommend that you put your child into a defensive driving class. It will lower your insurance rates and will teach some great safe driving techniques.
Jim, I agree, the Chief is a real busy guy for being retired. I think it is more apropriate to say that he has moved onto another carrier, or two.
John, that is a great idea you have there with the Island. I have a few small shrubbs that I bought in the after Christmas sales that would look good. They are round shaped, but in large pots as you would have on a structure like yours. The lamps look great too.
Dennis.
PS, another joke,
Guy is walking down the beach and comes across a lamp. Rubs the lamp and a Genie comes out. Tells him he has 3 wishes, but cautions him that whatever you get, your mother-in-law gets twice as much.
Wish #1, A hundred million dollars.....bingo, there it is and his MIL gets twice
Wish #2, A 10,000 Sqare ft. mansion on the beach.....Bingo, there it is, and right next door is his mother in law with the 20,000 Sq.ft one
At this point his mind is going numb with his new found fortune and he is thinking of wish #3, should he ask for a Mint, in the box JC Blue Comet?, should he ask for a collection the size of Khuns? should he ask for a layout the size of CHIEFS?[;)]What should be his last wish? After all, his MIL will get twice as much.
Then it hits,
#3, I want to be beaten half to death[xx(]

[dbaker48]

Allegedly the teen driving thing here is being inforced. The kids all must be signed up for a behind the wheel course by a "professional" ($200), before they can get their permit. And completed before a license is issued. The new law is ex post facto, ALL kids who had a permit issued in 2005, had the "restricted" license rule take affect as well, If under 18, cannot drive between the hours of 11pm and 5 am, (no problem with that). But it is really difficult if It is quite difficult to find a school where the instructor speaks English as a primary language.
We planned our vacation last summer specifically to help him learn to drive. We took a "road trip" from here (So. Cal) and went as far as Knoxville, and Dolly World, he drove in 13 states and as many different types of roads as I could find. It really worked well. We had stopped in New Orleans 2 weeks before Katrina. Our train re-involvement hadn't occurred yet.

[mickey4479]

Good day to all. Sunny again and in the 50s maybe. Hoping for rain Sat and perhaps Sunday. We need it.
Tom: I like the dark brown structures on that layout. Are you building a new layout? The structures look like coaling facilities. Are they scratch built? What are the dimensions, please.

A place on my layout needing scenic details. Still contemplating.

[gizmodawg_55]

To the N.E.Ohio guys there is an auction this this Friday night in Madison..... Color photos see website @ www.hookedonauctions.com...

[Jumijo]

This doe walks out of some bushes in the forest and says to herself "that's the last time I ever do that for 2 bucks"!

Mickey - another great structure!

Have a great weekend, everyone. See you at 6:00 AM Monday morning.

Jim

[csxt30]

Well, got it about done, all wired & the street widened ! Thought I'd get it on here before Jim went home, but.... Anyway, here's a couple pictures !




I have the transformer turned down as far as it will go, but have to figure out something else for power, I think ! Just too bright for picture taking.
Thanks,

[tschmidt]

Afternoon,

I took the day off today to make a trip to the doctor. Basically just to get a few things checked out. I have to leave in a few minutes for a youth meeting with young people from all over the northeastern US. Fortunately it is close to home this year and I don't have to travel far. I figure by the time I get back to checking this forum I'll be pages behind. I am looking forward to what Buckeye has to post tomorrow morning.
Have a good day all.
TomS

[spankybird]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gizmodawg_55

To the N.E.Ohio guys there is an auction this this Friday night in Madison..... Color photos see website @ www.hookedonauctions.com...

Thanks Ed, several of us OTTS boys are going to be there. [:D]

How about you [?]

[tmcc man]

Good afternoon everyone,
Well, thank you to all who sent me their email addresses. Nothing went on today, except for the fire alarm going off, because of a power surge. Well, going to get some more money for the cycling team.

[Anonymous]

>
> Oil Change instructions for Men:
>
> 1) Wait until Saturday, drive to auto parts store
> and buy a case of oil, filter, kitty litter, hand cleaner and a
> scented tree, write a check for $50.00.
> 2) Stop by 7 - 11 and buy a case of beer, write a
> check for $20, drive home.
> 3) Open a beer and drink it.
> 4) Jack car up. Spend 30 minutes looking for jack
> stands.
> 5) Find jack stands under kid's pedal car.
> 6) In frustration, open another beer and drink it.
> 7) Place drain pan under engine.
> 8) Look for 9/16 box end wrench.
> 9) Give up and use crescent wrench.
> 10) Unscrew drain plug.
> 11) Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil: splash hot
> oil on you in process. Cuss.
> 12) Crawl out from under car to wipe hot oil off of
> face and arms. Throw kitty litter on spilled oil.
> 13) Have another beer while watching oil drain.
> 14) Spend 30 minutes looking for oil filter wrench.
> 15) Give up; crawl under car and hammer a
> screwdriver through oil filter and twist off.
> 16) Crawl out from under car with dripping oil
> filter splashing oil everywhere from holes. Cleverly hide old oil
>filter
> among trash in trash can to avoid environmental penalties. Drink a
>beer.
> 17) Buddy shows up; finish case of beer with him. Decide to finish oil
>change tomorrow so you can go see his new garage
> door opener.
> 18) Sunday: Skip church because "I gotta fini***he
> oil change." Drag pan full of old oil out from underneath car.
> Cleverly dump oil in hole in back yard instead of taking it back to
>Kragen to
> recycle.
> 19) Throw kitty litter on oil spilled during step 18.
> 20) Beer? No, drank it all yesterday.
> 21) Walk to 7-11; buy beer.
> 22) Install new oil filter making sure to apply a thin coat of oil to
> gasket surface.
> 23) Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine.
> 24) Remember drain plug from step 11.
> 25) Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.
> 26) Remember that the used oil is buried in a hole
> in the back yard, along with drain plug.
> 27) Drink beer.
> 28) Shovel out hole and sift oily mud for drain
> plug. Re-shovel oily dirt into hole. Steal sand from kids sandbox to
> cleverly cover oily patch of ground and avoid environmental penalties.
> Wash drain plug in lawnmower gas.
> 29) Discover that first quart of fresh oil is now on
> the floor. Throw kitty litter on oil spill.
> 30) Drink beer.
> 31) Crawl under car getting kitty litter into eyes.
> Wipe eyes with oily rag used to clean drain plug. Slip with stupid
> crescent wrench tightening drain plug and bang knuckles on frame.
> 32) Bang head on floorboards in reaction to step 31.
> 33) Begin cussing fit.
> 34) Throw stupid crescent wrench.
> 35) Cuss for additional 10 minutes because wrench
> hit bowling trophy.
> 36) Beer.
> 37) Clean up hands and forehead and bandage as
> required to stop blood
> flow.
> 38) Beer.
> 39) Beer.
> 40) Dump in five fresh quarts of oil.
> 41) Beer.
> 42) Lower car from jack stands.
> 43) Accidentally crush remaining case of new motor oil.
> 44) Move car back to apply more kitty litter to
> fresh oil spilled during steps 23 - 43.
> 45) Beer.
> 46) Test drive car.
> 47) Get pulled over: arrested for driving under the influence.
> 48) Car gets impounded.
> 49) Call loving wife, make bail.
> 50) 12 hours later, get car from impound yard.

[Roger Bielen]

John, the island looks great, I've been through many a small town with the exact same thing.

[Roger Bielen]

LOL at all todays jokes. Another beautiful day in the south, tee shirt weather.

[dwiemer]

John,
Another idea of something that may look good in the center of the island. How about the "Old Time Clock" from Lionel. I think it would look great located between the two center light posts.

Mickey,
Another great job. It reminds me of a old cabin located in Garfield County, CO called "Capt. Smith's Cabin" it has a few smaller structures around it, and some old scrub oak. Perhaps that would be some details to add.
By the way, where do you purchase your stock to make your scratch built projects? I am going to attempt several for the layout. Not sure mine will be of any quality, but ya gotta start somewhere.
Thanks,
Dennis

[csxt30]

Roger & Dennis: thanks ! I will look for one of those clocks now !! Also want to get telephone poles for down through there & thinking I'll also make sidewalks !! That will mean all the buildings have to be up on something too. Not easy designing a town !! [:D][:D]
Thanks,

[Anonymous]

Collis Huntington did it rather well John.

So did Henry Gasaway Davis.

Dear Tech Support:

Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0. I soon noticed that the new program began unexpected child processing that took up a lot of space and valuable resources. In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now monitors all other system activity. Applications such as Poker Night 10.3, Football 5.0, Hunting and Fishing 7.5, and Racing 3.6

I can't seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my favorite applications. I'm thinking about going back to Girlfriend 7.0, but the uninstall doesn't work on Wife 1.0. Please help!

Thanks,

A Troubled User.

REPLY:
Dear Troubled User


This is a very common problem.

Many men upgrade from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0, thinking that it is just a Utilities and Entertainment program. Wife 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM and is designed by its Creator to run EVERYTHING!!! It is also impossible to delete Wife 1.0 and to return to Girlfriend 7.0. It is impossible to uninstall, or purge the program files from the system once installed.

You cannot go back to Girlfriend 7.0 because Wife 1.0 is designed to not allow this. Look in your Wife 1.0 manual under Warnings-Alimony-Child Support. I recommend that you keep Wife 1.0 and work on improving the situation. I suggest installing the background application "Yes Dear" to alleviate software augmentation.

The best course of action is to enter the command C:\APOLOGIZE because ultimately you will have to give the APOLOGIZE command before the system will return to normal anyway.

Wife 1.0 i s a great program, but it tends to be very high maintenance. Wife 1.0 comes with several support programs, such as Clean and Sweep 3.0, Cook It 1.5 and Do Bills 4.2.

However, be very careful how you use these programs. Improper use will cause the system to launch the program Nag Nag 9.5 and/or PMS 99.0. Once this happens, the only way to improve the performance of Wife 1.0 is to purchase additional software. I recommend Flowers 2.1 and Diamonds 5.0!

WARNING!!! DO NOT, under any circumstances, install Secretary With Short Skirt 3.3. This application is not supported by Wife 1.0 and will cause irreversible damage to the operating system.

Best of luck,
Tech Support



See Ya!

[Anonymous]

SpankyI, dig that coal tipple/coaling station. Can you get several close up pic and email them to me?

That is exactly the structure I want to build.

Mickey, what would you take for that old falling down barn, how about a coaling station, I just finished a sweet one?

John, I am glad to see pics of your layout. It looks very good, you work around that stuff all day and then come home and do it in miniature, I dont know how you do it.

The UPS man came down the street just now and the dog woke up and ran to the door.

I guess Bubbette is correct about me buying to much on ebay.

Jim, I have had 3 transplants and I can tell you the last person a fellow may ever see in this life is an OR Nurse. I have yet so meet one who wasn't as much a highly skilled tech as she was an angle of mercey and comfort.

ER nurses like wise.

You can have some of those floor nurses, LOL.

My mother was an RN and my brother a paramedic. I love them all.