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

[Jumijo]

Morton Grove? Isn't that where Revell/Monogram Models is headquartered?

I hope the Chief gets some time to work on his train room.

Jim

[Brutus]

Belated Happy Anniversary, Chief!

Worked downtown all day yesterday. When I was leaving, a lady pulled up in a big van full of kids (maybe 10 kids) and wanted to know where she could park for free around there. This is right next to St. Louis Union Station. They were going to the Hardrock Cafe. I told her she could park on some side streets by a factory on the other side of the railyard, but it would be dark soon and I wouldn't do it - there is a halfway house over there. Finally convinced her to cough up the $12 to park right next to the Hardrock Cafe, under a light, and be very careful. She kept telling me she's from a small town and parking is free there after 5PM, so I finally told her that St. Louis is too stupid to do something that might attract customers, which is why we all live out in the counties or outlying towns (like Arnold/Imperial etc) and just commute when we have to do so, spending as little money downtown as possible! I hope they made it out alright and didn't lose anyone! I parked over there once when our parking lot (which isn't free even for employees) was being cleaned and resurfaced and when I came out at the end of the day some guy was trying to cut through my plate to get the sticker in the middle - a$$h*l!

There used to be a cool train store in the Union Station, but it was way off at the far end and I only went there a few times. I think it has been closed for years now though.

[jefelectric]

Good morning all,

Dennis, I thought Brunswick stew was always made with squirrel!

Roy, I loved that news article, sent it to a few friends.

Paul, aren't greenhouses great. Just love to go out there in the dead of Winter. This morning i walked in and discovered one of my portulaca (rose moss) seedlings was blooming, the flower is twice as big as the plant! The weather here for the past two weeks has been as bad as any we had all winter. About 2-3 weeks ago we had a great day and I got about half the back yard cleaned and old growth trimmed. Hasn't been nice to work outside since.

Doug, How about posting a picture of the Birney.

[mickey4479]

Good morning. Back from mass and breakfast. Sitting here reading a few posts so I can delay clean up from kitchen floor tile replacement work. I have been without a kitchen for well over a week now. It will be good to get it cleaned up and the tile sealed next week. Sunny but cool here today. Be well.

[Roger Bielen]

Roy - loved the terrorist article, sent it on to a couple of engineers that'll appreciate it.

Chief - come down hard on those involved. Time to nip any future problems in the bud, nothing like a few days of community service to wake them up, especially if being suspended from school is taken lightly. Seems like the parents might need a social worker paying them a visit.

[thor]

Morning all! I think I just got a good deal.

I stopped by a second hand shop on an impulse because it was a nice day and I hadn't seen the place before and I had $20 that I was supposed to use to make dinner with but I thought maybe I'd see some old train mags or something I could be reading whilst I wait for the next installment of Lionel, there's a sale at Trainland this Saturday!

Anyway rummaging through a box of odds and sods I discovered a blue plastic locomotive, no tender, inside the shell it says 8040-6 and I bought it for $20 even though it looked a bit ratty and I used all my pocket money.

I reasoned that I could use it to make a British outline loco with, plastic is easier to work with that cast metal but the real reason I bought it was for the AC motor. When I got it home I fired it up and it ran perfectly and smoked too! Then I discovered that the internals are the same as my Atlantic, well the chassis is the same but its metal and the loco has a coil atop it with a switch that sticks up out of the boiler. I'm guessing thats a directional switch but I'll find out in a minute.

Called up the wife to confess as she might be expecting a hot dinner and could conceivably get a bit narky and she told me to go back and buy up the rest! God, I love her and You too as I cant imagine where that impulse came from otherwise!

PS Before I carve up that blue plastic shell with my Dremel, its not irreplaceable or anything, is it?

Cheers, Mike

[dwiemer]

Mike,
I have a 8040, no added numbers, but it was a cheap Sears set from the early 70's. Anyway, the metal part sticking up is a directional lever as you suggest. Mine is not Blue, and I have not seen one that is, so you may want to inquire further. I doubt it is anything special as they seem on the cheap side. Good luck with it and please post photos when you do your handiwork.
Dennis

[dwiemer]

Originally posted by jefelectric

Good morning all,

Dennis, I thought Brunswick stew was always made with squirrel!

John, No, Brunswick stew is made with hog/pork, and usually the meat from the head, etc. The Squirrel is served with corn bread and greens. Now, some do make camp stew which has squirrel, hog, deer, and any other meat (except snake and possum). I actually work with a guy who makes and eats this and has been known to use roadkill, if it is fresh.
Dennis

TCA#09-63805