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

[ChiefEagles]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Buckeye Riveter

QUOTE: Originally posted by dougdagrump

Chief, I find it hard to believe that it could be worse than O'Hare or Atlanta. [:D]

[#ditto]
The Chief knows better than to go through O'Hare. [}:)][}:)][}:)][;)]

I fly through O'Hare every time I go NAWTH WEST. O'Hare is not bad at all. Charlotte was screwed up as usual. The plane flew for 40 minutes when the pilot said we were 60 miles out. Best I could tell we flew to Greenville SC and back to land. Then when we left [30 minutes late, and I had an hour's layover] we taxied out, sat for 15 minutes in a line that never moved. It was like they shut the airport down. Then we moved and sat for 10 more. Then we did the regular taxi up and sit while one takes off and one lands. We got to Houston and I think we flew to San Anton and back before we landed. One and half hour late arriving here. Found the computer room. Hiden behind a door that says "office". You have to ask where it is. Just left a restaurant next door to hotel [right near BPS for a change] that had all you could eat shrimp [boiled and fried]. If I eat another one, I'll die. Train shops are non existant here. One is open only on Sat. And Sun. and not close by. Jim A, the Hobby Lobby that was up the street is not part of the national chain. Had several K-Line sets at regular pices and some Super Snap track. One Lionel starter set. Lady said trains were seasonal and they had more at Christmas. [V] Got to go. This computer is so slow, it fills in each line as you scholl down. [:0] Back to the store.

[wrmcclellan]

It is actually raining here although it remains to be seen how much.

Chief - I sat in a plane on the ground at DFW for 6 hours a few years back. Made the trip to Wash DC take over 9 hours - the same amount of time it takes to fly from DFW to Paris.

[Anonymous]

Hey everyone, beautiful day here in western MI, with bright sun and upper 60's temps. Just got home from doing an overnight run in Detroit area that had six stops. Had done two yesterday and did the remaining four today. By the time I got back to GR it was all done within eight hours. The east side of the state is too crowded for me lol.

And in other news, my UP 4-8-8-4 Big Boy is finally home today! [:D] Finally paid off the final layaway payment and now the BB has a new home. Gonna rig up an oval of track later this weekend so I can take some pics for the Sunday Photo Fun. Will be a great way for the loco's new debut.

Now the next thing is to order a bottle of the JT Mega Steam, so maybe I should wait to run the smoke unit until then. I also got two new cars in layaway now, the CSX crane car and its matching tender. Also saw a CSX boxcar and tank car as well, but I will wait on those for next time. Now I need to work on getting a better transformer, and the Z-4000 should fit the bill nicely. May check on that next week when I can.

Gonna start working on getting some of the stuff I got on order paid down or off, like sometime next month I am expecting the Gunderson Twin-Stack cars from Atlas and the two boxcars I have on order with AM Hobbies.

I booked a flight to Houston to visit my brother near the end of next month and to see my cousin graduate from HS, both which will occur within the same week. So looks like some adventure coming up ahead.

Hope everyone has a nice afternoon!

[wrmcclellan]

Chris,

The MTH smoke fluid will work well for you until you can get the JT's. Looking forward to your photos.

Well it turned into real rain here. Got about an inch at my house [:D] Cuts down on the foundation watering bills.

Roy

[JeffPo]

Went to visit Miss Edna at Todd's Train Depot today during my lunch break. Picked up a Pennsylvania work caboose, a Reading hopper, and the New York Central Flyer Passenger Expansion Set. Those passenger cars are mainly just for my kids to play with. Also picked up a few pieces of Fasttrack so my Polar Express can stretch its legs a little more.

Last night I finished cleaning up another railroad lantern from the New York Central line. This one has also been sitting around in my garage for a few months. The fuel fount had ooey, gooey, black tar like stuff in it, from where old kerosene had sit for many, many years. The wick had also turned to mush inside the burner. Took a while to clean it up. Had to ultimately use lacquer thinner to break that gunk up. I worked on it a bit every now and then, but I finally got it presentable.

http://www.mindspring.com/~jeffpo/nycbbred.htm

JeffPo

[cnw1995]

Well. the radon guys are gone - and I've already run to Home Depot to pick up some indoor outdoor carpet - hope to have the rest of the basement in some sort of order by Sun night. so I can start thinking about the layout. I got 28 by 10 ft to work with - any ideas?[:D]

I could use the help.

[Anonymous]

Hey Doug 28x10[wow] You must be thinking all night in what your going to do. I can imagine what's going thru your mind right now. Get back to you later just got called for supper. Felix

[jonadel]

This has absolutely nothing to do with trains but with so many family folks here I thought you might enjoy this for the kids & Grandkids & kids at heart. Here's one for you........ www.hancockhouse.com for the live, streaming video inside a bald eagle's nest. It's in British Columbia on Hornby Island. The eagles have apparently been nesting there for 19 years producing an average of 2 young/year. They have 2 eggs right now (since March).

Jon

[johnandjulie13]

Hey Doug:

With 28x10 can you have a CNW line extending from Lake Michigan? It would be pretty cool to have one corner of your layout by the lake and have the layout expand from there. Just my $.02.

Regards,

John O

[ChiefEagles]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cnw1995

Well. the radon guys are gone - and I've already run to Home Depot to pick up some indoor outdoor carpet - hope to have the rest of the basement in some sort of order by Sun night. so I can start thinking about the layout. I got 28 by 10 ft to work with - any ideas?[:D]

I could use the help.

What did the radon guys say???????? Let us know what happened.

[ChiefEagles]

BPS Houston [Katy TX] is dead. More employees today than customers. Back at room. Went to Katy TX restored depot and took pictures. Also got pictures of two big UP diesels getting ready to do switching duty. Want to get pictures of empty grain elevators. They are skeletons of the past. Use to be full of rice. All the rice farms are now turning into subdivisions and shopping centers. I 10 bought up the tracks from Katy to Houstona nd widened the freeway. They should have used one track for commuter trians which they do not have. Then they b---h about traffic. Cut tracks into at stop light and put up two bumpers. [V] Chat alter. God bless Texas and all Southerners [I guess Yanks too [;)]]

[Anonymous]

Houston was always bad on traffic, especially on 10 near Katy and the west side of the 610 loop. I-45 was just as bad going north into Spring.

I was in Benton Harbor the other day while getting unloaded at a stop, I was right next to a real bumper on a dead end track siding. Even went out and walked on the rail for a bit. I sure hate I didnt have my camera with me.

I also saw some green colored CP Rail boxcars....up till now I've only seen red, but now there's green too. So no fantasy color there.

[spankybird]

Doug - How many main lines are you thinking of [?]

Maybe you should take a trip to Cleveland and we can design a layout for you. I have been doing alot of that kind of thing lately.

tom

[Anonymous]

Using RR Track I presume, right Tom? Pretty soon I need to get to learning to use that program myself now that I have it.

[johnandjulie13]

Evening all:

Just a quick note to celebrate my 100th post. [:)] Only 1,900 to go. [;)]

I was successful in wiring an electrical outlet in our attic today. Our new whole house fan arrived by UPS, so that can get installed in short order. Hopefully that will give me more time to run the trains this weekend.

Regards,

John O

[mitchelr]

Good morning from Gettysburg. It is currently 45 to get to 65. Beautiful clear blue skies, not a cloud in sight.

Got some teacher evaluations to write[xx(]. Yesterday was Grandparents Day at our school. Wow what a crowd. With a school our size, we may have to go to Grandparents Week to spread out the crowd[;)].

After I get the evals written I want to get that 1688 Torpedo together and take it to the repair shop. Probably cut some grass and do other yard work.

Have a great day.

Mitch[swg]

[wrmcclellan]

Can't believe we beat Spanky to the first AM posts.

Storms last night. Got about an inch of rain here. Really needed it.

Doug, sounds like things came out all right on the radon venting if you are planning the layout comeback!

Chief - all the folks in Houston are out fishing and don't have time to go to BPS!

Our last soccer game was cancelled today due to wet fields. Rats - the season has already run over due to earlier rain and cold weather this year.

John O - Congrats - keep 'em coming!

Mitch - gald to hear the grandparents day was so successful!

Cloudy and cooler here today. Maybe a bit more rain.

Have a great day all!
Roy

[Blueberryhill RR]

[code]Good Morning from Blueberryhill [/code]It is 47 degrees and sunny. Going up to 73 degrees
and SUNNY. Nice weather.
Today is Saturday. The nice neighbor of mine cut my grass yesterday. He and his wife just had a baby girl last year. Really great kids.
Feeling a little better each day. Have to watch it, though, it's easy to overdo it and strain
yourself. I have to keep a log on my breathing exercises. Feels goood to breathe good.
Well, I will go for now. Talk to ya later.
Y'all have a great day.
Chuck

[wrmcclellan]

Chuck - it is good to hear each day is getting better for you! Do what the doctor says - eat an apple too!

[spankybird]

Good Morning All from NE Ohio

where the temp is 53 and going up to 72 with Blue Clear Skies


We had a great OTTS meeting last night with about a dozen of us showing up. Not bad with it being a good spring day.

Chris – yep, we have been using the RR tack planer. If you need help, you know where I live.

Hey Chief, did you also take a tape recorder with you so you can hear what real trains sound like [?]

Lake Farm Park is having ’Trains in the Park’ this weekend. Sunday is free to all Lake County Residents. On Rt 6 about 1.5 miles east of Rt 306.


Pick of the Day


All be safe
Tom

[dwiemer]

morning all,
convolesing on the couch this morning. Great movie on RFD-TV, an old 16mm film on railroads from the 40's and 50's. Lots of late steam and early diesels from all over the country. Anyway, have a good one.
Dennis

[wrmcclellan]

Dennis - hope you get better soon. Take it easy.

[pbjwilson]

Here's one for Collin.

What kind of engine is this?

[ChiefEagles]

Morning from stormy Houston. Brought much needed rain to Texass. Roy, will run them inside today. [;)] Tom, sounded just like Railsounds and not the MTH sounds and especially the MTH horns [they sound like a sick goose]. [:p] Get well Dennis. BTW, watched the Challenger DVD you gave me while flying to Houston. Great. [:D] I wond a 4-6-2, a caboose and floodlight tower on the auction. Off to the store. God bless all.

[spankybird]

Chief - you better get a tape recorder and then play it back when you get home. Seams like your memory is failing you in your old age or is it too many Grits.

[cnw1995]

Morning from a cool and gray Illinois.

Chief, the radon guys showed up yesterday on time; good thing I took the day off; they had a zillion questions about 'how I wanted it done' - I got another test to run in a few days - the state doesn't let the installers doing testing on the same jobs. They were impressed I was doing this on my own - 95% of their biz is crabby home-sellers having to get this done on a deadline as part of a real-estate transaction. The good news is all my pre-tests lined up v. high: 7.4-7.5 which means something having to do with micro-curies. Hope this work takes it down below 4 at least. I went ahead and scheduled them without the long term one that I feared lost in the mail. It was just late. My neighbors are all intrigued now - and insisting I try to claim this on my insurance. But after days of taking everything out of the basement and garage, and now putting everything back, I just want it done. There's a vent popping up behind the garage roof, a little fan whirring away 24/7 in the garage attic, they sealed the sump wells and perimeter of the garage and basement. It went just like Buckeye said it would! To paraphrase felix, I'm trying to look on the bright side. The crawlspace vent is very near the ibeam so it is not too noticeable. the crawl was covered with grey heavy plastic, so I spent all night spreading a dusty piece of canvas atop it, then putting the seven gigantic pieces of foam board down all in a row. This weekend, I hope to put down some indoor/ outdoor carpet top of that. Then ponder the track plan. I haven't a clue really though I would like to double-track whatever I do and maybe feature a wide trolley barn - I'm trying to brainstorm a transfer table as a centerpiece but that may be too much for now. I'll want to run my sole passenger train too like John suggests as a branch C&NW line. I am inspired by some of Paul's photos to build more flat hills - in a sort of evening or dawn motif because the layout area is kind of dark. Hope to have some photos to share tomorrow night.

[csxt30]

Good Morning Everyone !! Worked double shifts yesterday.
Good to see Chuck is doing well !
Dennis : now you have to get better ! Try an apple a day, also !!
Doug : sounds like you are starting all over with your layout ! Can't wait to see the progress tomorrow !!
Think I'll do a little yard work today, plus change oil in my truck. It does seem to be a lot better on gas consumption, now that I'm not loosing it !!
Hope everyone has a nice day !!
Thanks,

[Anonymous]

Hey CSXT-30.
get you a goat to mow the grass.
have a great day have fun.

Nstrackman

[Brutus]

April Showers - out driving the van while wet Brownies dumped bags of donated supplies into the back. Now going to a retirement party for our friend's dad.

[johnandjulie13]

Good Morning All:

Doug:

I am glad to hear that the Radon work went well. Levels of 7.5???? Those are extremely high, I can see why you decided to try to mitigate the problem. If all goes well, your levels should be down to about 2. Good Luck. Also, don't keep us in suspense with regard to your new layout plans.

Regards,

John O