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

[csxt30]

Don, glad you are getting the patio thing going.  Slip around those requirments and inspections.

I took the Chiefs advice, and with the help of some neighbors, we put up the room over the garage this weekend.

We will probably start laying track tonight, if we don't run out of Bud.

Don : very nice & it looks like you even have air conditioning already !! Can't wait to see more progress !!

Thanks, John

[ChiefEagles]

OTTS boys - prepare for a RAID!

I will be flying into Cleveland Friday Sept 1st. I have a family reunion in Akron Sunday Sept 3rd.

I assume there will be an OTTS event at the museum Saturday?

I thought we swore this Texan into the Sacred O.T.T.S.  He is on the records as an " Honorary Member ".  

Chuck

That's right Chuck !!   Roy is one of us !!    I sure hope I'm able to get to the museum when Roy comes !! I better email Buckeye & Chuck & get them there too !! Hope Tom doesn't have to start working Saturdays now !!  Wow !! What a Wing Ding we're gonna' have !!

Thanks, John     

Yes he is [a spy for the REBS]

Don, looks like you've got more done than me.

Spent the whole afternoon servicing my truck and then developer came by.  He stayed an hour.  Wasn't as hot as when I did wife's car.  Humid but had breeze.  Only got damp and not soaked as usual.  Now relaxing with sweet ice tea.  later.

[Brutus]

Don - nice addition - looks like you left some room for future expansion as well!

[Dr. John]

Howdy, everyone!

It was actually kind of pleasant yesterday and today - temps in the upper 80's with a steady breeze. Still humid but a lot nicer than the 100+ degree temps we had last week.

Looks like the time is here to put mom in a nursing home. Called three places today, one has a short waiting list. Will take her to the doctor on Friday and see about our next step.

Beginning to think more about the next Christmas layout. Have to work on the track to scenery ratio. The track foreman wants more rails, the city fathers want more Dept. 56 buildings. Guess I'll have to see which voice in my head speaks loudest!

[dbaker48]

With all the reunion activity, and SIL appreciation I thought I would share our family  information

Many, many years ago
When I was twenty three
I got married to a widow
Pretty as could be.
This widow had a grown up daughter
With flowing hair of red,
My father fell in love with her
And soon the two were wed.
This made my dad my son-in-law
And changed my very life.
Now my daughter was my mother,
For she was my father's wife.
To complicate the matters worse
Although it brought me joy,
I soon became the father
Of a bouncing baby boy.
My little baby then became
A brother-in-law to dad,
And so became my uncle,
Though it made me very
sad.
For if he was my uncle,
Then that also made him brother
To the widow's grown up daughter,
Who of course was my step-mother.
Father's wife then had a son
Who kept them on the run,
And he became my grandson
For he was my daughter's son.
My wife is now my mother's mother
And it makes me blue.
Because although she is my wife,
She's now my grandma too.
If my wife is my grandmother,
Then I am her grandchild.
And every time I think of it
It simply drives me wild.
For now I have become
The strangest case you ever saw,
As the husband of my grandmother,
I am my own grandpa!

[wrmcclellan]

Don,

You found the Chief's autobiography.

[csxt30]

Don,

You found the Chief's autobiography.

Almost forgot, some one was looking for a water tower like Toms to redo ! This one is at only 3 dollars shipping so far & only 1 bidder, with 4 days to go yet. The high bid is at 1 dollar & a few cents !!   

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=017&item=270017455568&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Thanks, John

[Brutus]

csxt30: Thanks man!  I keep getting outbid on these, but I'm the top bidder now.

Don - that's terrific, I'm going to copy it and email it to everybody I know!

I've got an extra baked beans vat car somewhere and I think my kids and I are going to kitbash it into a Halloween car with Blood, Brains and Slime vats.  I think it was only 3 vats - need to dig it out.

PS - I ordered that Fastrack book on Amazon.  Has anyone read the CTT book on Lionel working accessories?  How current is it?

[ChiefEagles]

I've got an extra baked beans vat car somewhere and I think my kids and I are going to kitbash it into a Halloween car with Blood, Brains and Slime vats.  I think it was only 3 vats - need to dig it out.

Then your train can't run on natural gas.

[Jumijo]

Jim,
I ordered the FasTrack book and Dick Teal's repair book from Amazon and found both to be kind of disappointing. I hope your milage differs. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoy David Doyle's post war book.

Worked some more on the layout last night. The kids helped and we had a great time. All that's left in the way of scenery is the very end of one table, near the transformer. Not sure I like some of it, but it's easy enough to change.

Rain here today. Coming down pretty good. Haven't had much lately. Should sent it to Roseyville. They need it.

Gonna go pick up my $30 GP9 after work today. It's done up in UP yellow and gray. I want to repaint it, but to what, I don't know. Maybe B&M marron and gold.

Have a great day everyone.

Jim

[mitchelr]

Good morning from Gettysburg.  Currently it is 75 degrees.

We are all packed and ready to head to Morgantown to unload the rest of the boy's stuff.  When I went off to school I think I had one suitcase and later on I had a stereo.   We have my wife's van and my Dad's truck along with all of the junk the Boy took with him in his truck...  And to think I get to haul it all again in May

Hope the weather holds out.

Mitch

[cheapclassics]

Good morning all,

It is foggy and mild in SE Indiana with temps headed to the low 80s today.  Mitchelr, I know what you mean about hauling kid's stuff to college.  I did that duty eight times and hopefully four more.  Dbaker48, I like your room "addition" and your story about "mixed" relationships.  That would be very confusing at best, but I suppose it is possible for that to occur.  Roy, I hope your trip to Ohio goes well.  Soccer season starts for the high school teams tonight.  I am relatively hopeful the boys will have a good season, but the girls are definitely in a rebuilding year.  My mom looked and felt better last night.  Lucas did better with the chemo yesterday, but still "lost" supper and went to bed early.  I will keep you posted as events unfold. 

I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training....in the free world (with apologies to Neil...Young, that is),

Mike C. from Indiana

 

[Blueberryhill RR]

Good Morning from Blueberryhill....

It rained last night. No thunder. Now, it is 64 degrees and sunny. Suppose to warm up to 82 and stay sunny.

Today we are going to shampoo a few carpets and work around the house. I probably will have to start the mowing cycle soon for this week. Grass is growing well. Maybe tonite for starters.

The summer is moving along. Soon it will be Fall. The kids are starting to get ready to go back to school. It's been a great summer. For me.

Off to the Dining Car. Breakfast. Be back later.

Y'all have a great day.

Chuck

[jefelectric]

Good morning all,

Chuck, No concern about mowing grass here.  So dry it crunches when you walk on it.  Only mowed a small portion (mostly weeds) last week & the only thing that has grown since is the edges close to the watered flower beds and garden.  At least a month since we had any measureable rain.  Were supposed to get a shower this morning, but all it has done so far is a few drops on the sidewalk.

Don,  I love your addition over the garage.  What percent grade is that for your layout?

Going to take a break from the dollhouse project today and build some spacers to convert some bookshelves to train displays.  Want to provide 3 levels on each shelf.  It wont be dust proof but at least give me a place to put stuff when I want to run something different.  All of the enclosed cases are full.

Jim Fortner,  Don't know if you have seen the new Lionel catalog yet, but it has some Halloween items.  Since I don't normally follow those items, I don't kown if they are new or have been in previous catalogs.

Well, off to the wood shop.

[wrmcclellan]

Morning all!

Another hot one here today! Several areas here are having to close their sports fields due to huge cracks in the ground from no rain. One school showed their groundskeeper with a crack in their football field that was over 3 feet deep and 3-4 inches wide. That's what good ol' Texas balck gumbo clay will do for you. When we had a dry spell many years ago - one of my work buddies had his house (slab on grade) pivot on one corner and the opposite corner moved 6 inches. It oulled the sewer line apart and broke a water line at a joint.

Glad to hear everyone is doing well. Have a great day all!

[cnw1995]

Another nice day here in Chicago where I am back in the office after a few days off hosting my mother - don't want to leave her alone with my bride for too long - just a few more days of visit left. Yesterday I lost an argument with the bride to go to the Illinois Railway Museum with the family and we went to Donley's Wild West Town (also in Union, the same town as the IRM). What a hoot! A real throw-back to a local 'theme park' - the two youngest boys enjoyed a Wild West show, pony rides, shooting air rifles and bows, panning for gold nee iron pyrite, rode self-propelled hand-carts; and open cars run by a miniature gas-powered General.  I took solace in looking over a gigantic display case full of Lionel pre-war and Standard Gauge models. Anyway, it was fun - and I still can take the guys before the end of the month to the IRM. See http://wildwesttown.com/ if you ever visit this part of Illinois.

No water problems here this year for once.

[Brutus]

Never fear, Chief - as my wife will attest, I always seem to have plenty of natural gas!

There are 4 vats - maybe one should be GRITS!  Actually, I was thinking of the 4th being Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts.  I'll have to get some of that decal paper for the printer so I can relabel these.  I'll talk to the shop guy and find out what kind of paint we need.

John - thanks for the info.  I've got some stuff on order already, but Lionel is apparently running a little later than expected on shipping these.  I guess they figure as long as they are out by October it's okay.

Hope that fastrack book is useful :(.  I've been playing with RR Tracks all day yesterday and came up with a few plans for the Halloween set up.  Now my wife is getting a little anxious that it will be "too big" whatever that means. 

[ChiefEagles]

Morning all.  YAWN.  Man, did I sleep late.  Went to sleep in the recliner.  Woke up and posted a reply here and shut down.  Went to bed and slept until 7 AM.  Boys were quite too.   Let them in and out and went back to bed.  Woke up and clock was showing 10 AM.   [Apitz, eat your heart out.]  Jim, for $30, you should buy both GP9's.  Afterall, you just told someone to pull their 401K and spend it on trains.   Wish I could get some of tha train.  I watered again last night.  Take too much of my time.  When I went to college, same here.  Now days, it takes a moving van.  Oldest went to Appalachian in Boone NC.  First year the same loads up and loads back.  Second year, apartment and she got job for summer up there.  Then only moved her back when she graduated.   Ohteres went to school here.

Got to get moving fast.  Have a good one.

[dougdagrump]

Mornin' All,

Helped get our daughter's claaroom ready for classes yesterday, going back again this morning. Don't know where the district got their so-called computer pro's for her room but I never saw such a tangle of cables in my life. I think maybe they were graduates of the "Spaghetti Factory".

Has anybody checked out the Just Trains site? They have the K-Line Pacifics, black not blue, on special. Awfully tempted but between buying some reefers and other goodies my budget is pretty much tapped out. Oops, almost forgot my ten wheeler pre-order, fortunately delivery has been pushed out one more month.

Don, Isn't that garden layout at Andersens amazing, I especially like that homebuilt trestle.

I vaguely remember those trips with the kids stuff to and from college. Our daughter went to school way up in northern Cal, almost to Oregon. You talk about a boring drive, once you cross the "Grapevine" you have hours and hours of nothing just the white lines of the interstate.

Well, have to finish putting stuff in the car for todays classroom projects.

Catch you later tonite, provided I can stay awake.  

[MartyE]

Morning all.  Nice morning on tap here in Western PA.  Got a little rain last evening.  Did one of my free credit checks this AM and all looks good there.  Watching the MTH Chirstmas thread on the other forum too.  MTH needs to hire a spell checker pretty quickly.  They all make mistakes but man they are on a roll!  Hope everyone is having a great day!

[wrmcclellan]

Jim,

Get this little voice recorder kit and you could have your vat car sing as it goes around the layout!

http://store.qkits.com/moreinfo.cfm/FK928

Great green gobs of greasy grimy gopher guts,

Mutilated monkey meat,

Little birdies' dirty feet,

Great green gobs of greasy grimy gopher guts,

Shucks I forgot my spoon!

[Jumijo]

My kids are a long ways off from college age, but I used to tote my sister-in-law's junk back and forth to school for her. I remember one day in particular, it was nearly 100 degrees and just as humid. My legs were getting weak from lugging her stuff up 3 flights of stairs in the heat. Glad those days are over!

I have 2 sayings for that lazy bones who sleeps his morning away.

1. You snooze, you lose!

2. The early bird catches the worm.



Nice poem, Roy.

Jim

[laz 57]

Hi GIZ,

   Got an inch of rain at 430 this morning till 720.  We needed it big time.  Now humid.

Got problem with phone line fixed, seems we had a surge and popped a protector.

  I think I have found out what is wrong with my heel and it is Sciatic nerve problem.  Anyone have the remedy for this type of pain?   I looked it up and the nerve wraps around the heels of the foot.  Its a real pain in the butt.

Have a good one?

laz57

 

 

 

[jefelectric]

Laz, The rain just doesn't want to come South of the turnpike!  Where is that pain?  Your heel or your butt?

Jim, Your story reminds me of my oldest daughters freshman year, her room was on the third floor and I think she took everything that she owned.  I was sure I was going to have a heart attack before we got all her stuff up there.

Just had lunch & now back to the wood shop to work on my project.

[MartyE]

BTW I updated my photo album if anyone is interested...

http://www.martye.com/photoalbum2006a.htm

[Brutus]

Laz - go to the doctor.  If it's pain just in front of the heel, it could be plantar fasciitis, which is caused by a sort of partial tear of the plantar tendon usually at the heel.  I had this and it was cured by wearing little cup things in my shoes for a few years and never walking around barefoot.

Roy - that's the one!

[Dr. John]

Nice shots, Marty! I like how you bring your layout to life with detailed scenes and the story of life in Kodiak Junction.

[ChiefEagles]

My kids are a long ways off from college age, but I used to tote my sister-in-law's junk back and forth to school for her. I remember one day in particular, it was nearly 100 degrees and just as humid. My legs were getting weak from lugging her stuff up 3 flights of stairs in the heat. Glad those days are over! I have 2 sayings for that lazy bones who sleeps his morning away. 1. You snooze, you lose! 2. The early bird catches the worm. Nice poem, Roy. Jim

and the New Endland Yankee will never soar with us EAGLES.

[dwiemer]

Afternoon guys, Hope y'all are having a great day.  Today was the first day of preschool for my 4yo son.  Went well and when asked if anything exciting happened, he said "yes, Dillan Puked!", oh the world of a 4 year old.  I have spent more time than expected trying to get a @#$% belt for the vacuume cleaner as my bride ran over a diaper and it burned the stew out of the old one.  You would thing that Sears would have a belt for one of their own items, or that at least the parts/service store would.  had to order it on line and will be next week before it comes in.  Will have to lug another vacuume down stairs for the time being.

Jim, if they have any more $30 GP9s, I would take one.  Don't really need one, but could always figure something to do with it.  I could make a special engine to haul grits cars up north. 

Not much else happening in these parts.  It is a bit cooler ( in the low 90s), but it is a welcome break from the past few weeks of 100+. 

Take care,

Dennis

[More to restore]

Nice photo's Marty! You have quiet a few nice trains running there. Personally, I like the 671 steamer very much. Looks great. Looks like Wendell has enough to drink and Ms. Becky works in a rather hot bakery... Thanks for sharing your pictures.

Things have been slow over here as ususal.
I finally finished restoring the 655 boxcar, well after half a year it is about time, but I am really happy with the result. I bought it cheap on Ebay (yes, I know, I am Dutch) and soon discovered that the corrosion spot on the side was a major one. A major case of toy train abuse, as if somebody had dropped acid on it! There ought to be a law...
Anyway, I filled the quarter inch hole with solder and sanded, plastered and sanded many times, spray painted with George Tebolts paints, polished the metal parts and assembled it back together.
What next: well there are plenty of cars and loco's that need attention, so, I will be busy with finishing the 604 observation next evenings.
Greetings
Egbert