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

[ModelTrainLover]

Morning guys. Checking in from study hall. I have all my work done so don't worry. ice is expected Tuesday-Wensday. I am hopping we get it. I am hoping badly for snow

[cnw1995]

Good morning from a ridiculously warm Chicago where I hope the weather change Jon mentioned will roll in after I get home tonight.

Dennis, I second the reference to diecastdirect.com - I got one of my Corgi Trolleys there.

Chief, who's Murph? - sounds like a great name for what must be a great dog.

Laz, I don't think I want to see photos of you wading out to that buck...

Any of you Ohioans know whether the house in "A Christmas Story" movie has opened to tourists yet? I heard it was still being renovated.

I have one of my extraordinarily rare business trips on the 10th-12th - Out to San Jose for a day to see Cisco. Don't think I'll get out anywhere else.

[Buckeye Riveter]

BUCKEYE,  What stores di you go to in PA.?

laz57

Nicholas Smith, Trains and Lanes and the small Hobby Store in Easton, where I purchased my first BEEP.

Congrats on the deer.  When is the venison dinner planned?  I like mine grilled.

[laz 57]

BUCKEYE,

  Did you like that Trains and Planes store?  Lots of stuff but not too good on prices.  I liked it when my wife took me there, but was amazed at what they charged.

  I'll have those back straps ready, for the grill.

laz57

[dwiemer]

Laz, congrats on the deer.  If the pictures that you have are in the process of you going to fetch that buck, I think I would rather not see them  If you have some when you actually have your clothes on, well, that is  another story.  Now, since that is still your BILs deer, you have to get one of your own.

Dr. John, everyone else, thanks for the heads up.  I will try to find some items to make a list for my bride.  I really did marry above my self.

Dennis

[laz 57]

DENNIS,

  The pics will not be me in the birthday suit but of the deer.  Don't want YUZ GIZ, getting hurt from laughing too much.

laz57

[Brutus]

Congrats Laz- great story!  Cab Forward looks way cool in pics online - what's the minimum track radius on that one?  I was going to get a new train for Christmas, but will probably end up getting a new LAY-Z-BOY, since our old couch is starting to wear out pretty badly - helped by the viscous fangs of my little Chewy dog.  Still want to pick up a log dump car and also a Moe and Joe dump car for my future layout.

[Blueberryhill RR]

DENNIS,

  The pics will not be me in the birthday suit but of the deer.  Don't want YUZ GIZ, getting hurt from laughing too much.

laz57

LAZ.....Good story. You probably would look better than " You know who".

[thor]

Good morning all, well actually its afternoon. Boy I'm glad you guys tipped me off about IE7 it tried to install itself today, I ixnayed it and I'm glad I did, if I had any choice in the matter we'd never buy another Microsoft disaster. I never was a Mac loony either but its starting to look real good with all the XP nonsense about massive upgrades week after week that tie up my hard drive and slow the dialup down to stone age speeds.

Another rant. I dunno about you guys but I'm convinced that some misguided males or their daddies are passing on the completely wrong information that there's something manly about being rude and aggressive - hint- there isn't, quite the reverse. One thing I miss about living down South is the manners are generally a LOT better than up here in NY.

Well today I had enough, it takes a lot to get me mad enough to do this but I insisted on speaking to the head honcho of the craft shop and lodging a complaint about a member of staff who rudely told me "we don't carry them" when I asked for some swiss files. I replied, patiently "Yes, you do. They are essential for jewellery work and I've seen them here but you've moved all the tool displays. You might know them just as small files but their correct name is swiss files, anyway thats what I'm looking for"

"I TOLD YOU" points at me "we dont carry files!"  The other cashier smirks.  Sigh. I find the darn files and go see the store manager and explain the whole sorry debacle.  No apology, no action taken. I said "You aren't the only craft shop in town, my wife and I have spent hundreds of dollars here but we won't be coming back nor will I recommend this place because you aren't concerned enough about your customers to see that rude employees cost you business."   I doubt it will make even the smallest dent in either their income or state of mind but that's the way I see it, they've lost my business for good.

As I told the store manager "had our positions been reversed and you were the customer, I should have replied let me find out if we can get them or offered an alternative location where they might be obtained but to see 'we dont carry them' when you do, shows a complete lack of knowledge or concern about your inventory."

I apologise for the rant but I was ready to blow!  Yesterday my wife and I had a bellyfull of the same and her theory is that the persons in question are taking it out on us because of grievances felt about trigger happy cops!  I think thats a whacked out theory but what do I know? In NewYork it might just be true I suppose, not that they ever need an excuse for rudeness here.  I wish I was back in Virginia which I MUCH prefer.

So I went to the other craft store, told them  that we toy train nuts are a potentially huge customer base if they did but realise it and we come in their store looking for stuff we can adapt to our needs and how nice it would be if they realised how similar various rafts including bead making, jewellery and trains are in terms of materials needed, skills exercised, tools used and they told me to make up a list of the sort of supplies I require and they'd see what can be done.  The difference being that Store A is in a low rent location and Store B caters to a more affluent clientele.  Well lets see if it has any effet, I'm not asking for miracles but some styrene extrusions and sheet, some brass supplies and a bit of bass wood would definitely make my life a lot easier.

I don't like using InterNet sources or credit cards, I prefer real stores and paying cash.

Thanks for listening.

[Jumijo]

Well it's a Holiday season dream come true. Both Britney Spears AND Pamela Anderson are single again and very much in play.

Another fine one here today. Work is a pressure cooker, but the weather is very nice. Mid 50's and sunny.

I hope the only thing Laz decides to bare here is his soul. Stay cool, Laz!

Chuck,
I made my portals out of ridgid insulation. Very easy stuff to work with. Just giving you options.

Thor,
Great rant! You should move the heck out of NY. Too many rude people there. And they tork funny too.

[dbaker48]

Thor,
I can empthize with you completly, and being a merchant sometimes the customers can get carried away as well.  The store personnel not knowing their inventory can be understood.  But being rude, and the management not giving a hoot either is not acceptable.  I had two customers yesterday I was ready to chase out of our facility.
The first one was upset because her printer now misspells, with our new cartridge!  Seriously !!!
The second one was upset that a cartridge he bought 2 1/2 years ago wouldn't work and wanted a refund.  In the second situation I evaluated how significant is this customer, and is it worth replacing his cartridge.  Upon review of our records I found that he had purchased 3 cartridges and I had replaced them 4 times.  Definetely a customer I can do without.
I know as a result I find myself being much more tolerant of how I am treated as a customer, and actually have to make a conscious effort to prevent an developing an attitude that people are just out to take advantage of our business.  Sometimes its a real challenge.  It can also lead to hightened discrimination, I find a certain subset of the population here to be very difficult......
    - What kind of deal I get?
    - You have free stuff?
    - I no pay sales tax, OK?
    - You just round off to lower dollar?
English is usually just as stated above. 

[ChiefEagles]

Well it's a Holiday season dream come true. Both Britney Spears AND Pamela Anderson are single again and very much in play.

What differnece does it make for you?  You sure are not in the running as a mate.

[Jumijo]

Well it's a Holiday season dream come true. Both Britney Spears AND Pamela Anderson are single again and very much in play.

What differnece does it make for you?  You sure are not in the running as a mate.

hummina hummina hummina hummina

[Buckeye Riveter]

BUCKEYE,

  Did you like that Trains and Planes store?  Lots of stuff but not too good on prices.  I liked it when my wife took me there, but was amazed at what they charged.

  I'll have those back straps ready, for the grill.

laz57

LAZ,

The Trains and Lanes store has a great selection, but you are right, the prices are high.  I have been there before and have found it to be a great place to find the odd ball out of stock piece.  When I post the photos, you will see what I purchased at Trains and Lanes and it is certainly a hard to find piece.  I had been told that the Chief was trying to destroy all of them. 

For my money, the best train store I have ever visited is Caboose Hobbies in Denver.  If I lived closer to Denver, I would be in the poor house.  Davis, due to the demise of K-Line is now smaller but they still have one of the best G Scale departments with great prices.  Train Express in Indianapolis has moved and the verdict is still out for their new operation.

Not to start a battle royal, but certain train stores that I have visited are not very accessible for the wheelchair bound person.   T&S Hobbies, near Wheeling,  is a store that is very accessible to the handicapped.  Wide aisles.  Since I'm on a roll, another complaint I have with several stores is lighting.  Some places are so dark you can't read the descriptions on the boxes. Maybe I should ask for a flashlight when I roam the aisles.

Looking forward to your big buck barbeque just after the York show.

See ya down the tracks,

[Jumijo]

A woman I work with brought me in a bunch of trains today. We just transferred them from her trunk to mine. She said she still has more to come next week when she moves her parents into their new Connecticut home.

See you all tommorow. I'm getting ready to head home.


Jim

[dwiemer]

Jim, Do you need my address to send those trains? Just kidding!  sounds like a great deal.  I have purchased trains from people who have gone to garage sales, but never had a coworker just load up my trunk.  Congrats.

Dennis

[Dr. John]

Hi everyone. Wow! Full of good Mexican food from Poblano's restaurant.  Watching "House" and playing on the laptop. Need to get on the Christmas layout in a few minutes and get the village set up now that the track work is done.

Jim, I have to confess to being envious. That's a nice co-worker to load you up with trains!

[mitchelr]

 Yours truly got down to his birthday suit and waded out through a channel about 20  ft wide and 4.5 feet deep, to this island.  Brrr cold, maximum shrinkage, numb feet.etc.  Got there my brother tossed me my hunting boot and I drug this deer back to where I crossed, tossed my boots to my brother got in again and quickly got to the other ide and out.  Good thing the temp at that time was in the mid 50s and no wind otherwise I won't have dreamed of doing this stunt.  But now I have this to hold over my brother in laws head.  He'll never live thi one down.  I'll never forget it either.  I will post pics when he gets them.

laz57

I can't wait for the pictures of you in your birthday suit  dragging a deer across the beaver pond...  I bet we could sell those pictures or at least blackmail you to  keep them from showing up on your boss's desk

Mitch

BTW - Sister and BIL and baby are still in FL waiting for paperwork to alow them to leave FL and head home.  Please keep them in your prayers.

[dbaker48]

Congrats Jim, if you need more trunk space I will be happy to provide you with our UPS account number so you can ship them.

CTT made it to the west coast today!  Looks like a good issue.  Kevin is probably still waiting on his, I imagine it arrived in Seattle today, then by barge to AK, and who knows how to the interior.

Chief, I have to admit as a result of seeing your plan,  I am replanning my layout.  I don't have that much less space than you, and want to see if I can get some better action to accomodate longer trains.  Plus as a result of putting up a tempory layout a couple of things became obvious.  Previous layouts I had Plasticville, and I thing there was only one or two, 2 story buildings.  Today with 5 and 6 story it can sure make the room look real small real quick.  So see if I can't come up with better space utilization.

[1688torpedo]

Hello All!    Don B- That is a very generous offer you made to Jim A. Maybe he'll throw in a couple of Shemp Three Stooges Video's for your famous layout theater. Laz- Hopefully your Photo will not be on CNN yet. Those Deer should know better not to Drown in Water.They can die that way.. Don B- Maybe CTT will do a feature on your layout someday complete with simulated outdoor theater. Take Care all.

[jefelectric]

Laz, Sounds like an interesting hunt. Are you sure the BIL didn't snap a picture when you were not looking. You may see it posted on SPF. BTW here is a picture of my son and grandson taken this evening. They got both today. Grandson is only 13 and this is his second deer.

Don, Having been in business for many years I know your pain. Construction is a little different. I usually tried to complete the job to the best of my ability for the really difficult customers, but was always to busy to do any more work for them. My belief was and is that there were plenty of genuinely nice people out there and I didn't have to work for jerks. It worked for me. Retail isn't quite that simple.

Chief, Sounds like you are moving right along. If you haven't checked fred bear's (Jake Andrews) latest thread, he is asking a question that you can help him with.

Thor, I know how you feel as well. My wife gets aggravated at me for not asking when I can't find something. Usually at the craft stores I frequent, I know more about the inventory then the sales help that seems to change weekly.  To be honest I seldom run into rude clerks, just not very knowledgeable about their products. The local trains stores that I frequent are staffed with excellent people, both courteous and knowledgeable.

[Brutus]

Power went out at work for about 2 hours - they are putting in a ramp from the highway behind our building to access the amtrak station and a future bus depot.  Bad news for me, since it will block my view of the train yards.

Thor - I used to work in retail and do tend to make allowances, having had my share of rude customers, but these guys you were dealing with were pretty stupid.  All that manager would have to do is apologise and keep your business, but wouldn't do it.  Hope the new store works out for you.

[webenda]

I cannot stop these emails:

(Trains.com Forums) New Post to Forum: Re: The pot of coffee is always on [even after 2 years have passed]. Com

I turned off  "Email me replies to this post" in the two posts I made to the "pot of coffee."

They kept coming.

I went to "Update Profile" and turned off "Enable Email Notifications of replies to your posts."

They kept coming.

I deleted the posts.

They keep cominig.

Now I am going to report this abuse using the report abuse link in the bottom right corner of this post.

[ChiefEagles]

I cannot stop these emails:

(Trains.com Forums) New Post to Forum: Re: The pot of coffee is always on [even after 2 years have passed]. Com

I turned off  "Email me replies to this post" in the two posts I made to the "pot of coffee."

They kept coming.

I went to "Update Profile" and turned off "Enable Email Notifications of replies to your posts."

They kept coming.

I deleted the posts.

They keep cominig.

Now I am going to report this abuse using the report abuse link in the bottom right corner of this post.

Email Bob Keller.  It took them about a month to stop my getting replies.  Bob got someone in IM to stop it.  I have never asked for a "reply email" since.   A problem with this software.

Don, not much room for buildings [houses and etc] that are not part of the action [coal mines, grain elevators, intermodle crane, coaling ramp and coaling tipple and etc.] on this one.  I love operating trains and the operating accessories.  Some love running trains through towns and etc.  Each to his own liking. 

Will get some work done as worked intil after dark vacuming up leaves with the JD.  Now wife's Christmas "stuff" can be put in the yard and on the roofs.  Kerr Lake too high to go fishing and get buddy's pontoon out for the winter.  Turned down a County regional transprotation meeting tomorrow [well today as it is after midnight] to work on train room.

Goood night all.

[Frank53]

A woman I work with brought me in a bunch of trains today. We just transferred them from her trunk to mine. She said she still has more to come next week when she moves her parents into their new Connecticut home.

See you all tommorow. I'm getting ready to head home.

Jim

Jim:

Do you need my address?, just in case there is some crummy old post war stuff in those boxes?

 

[mitchelr]

A woman I work with brought me in a bunch of trains today. We just transferred them from her trunk to mine. She said she still has more to come next week when she moves her parents into their new Connecticut home.

See you all tommorow. I'm getting ready to head home.


Jim

Jim - We are all envious.  We want details,  what kinda stuff did ya get?  Kinda like early Christmas presents.

Mitch

[Jumijo]

A woman I work with brought me in a bunch of trains today. We just transferred them from her trunk to mine. She said she still has more to come next week when she moves her parents into their new Connecticut home.

See you all tommorow. I'm getting ready to head home.


Jim

Jim - We are all envious.  We want details,  what kinda stuff did ya get?  Kinda like early Christmas presents.

Mitch

I opened up the boxes last night and found a very nice 726, a green 5 striped GG1, a 2065 and a 773! All with boxes!!! There was also a ZW controller, track, some PW rolling stock, alluminum SF passenger cars, a barrel loader and a coaling station. The other box had an operating milk car, a log loader, a 224 with black handrails, some buildings and trees, a KW, and a gorgeous boxed 2343 set. There was also 2 N gauge sets and some HO carnival ride kits.

Didn't get home until almost 7pm last night. Work was a bear and a half. Let's see how today goes. It's rainy here today. Highs in the mid 50's but warming into the high 60's tomorrow and Friday. Christmas caroling Friday with the Brownies. Whoo-boy! Can't wait for that!

I'll come clean now. To be honest, the woman gave me 2 N gauge sets and some HO carnival ride kits. She said there is much more to come, but I doubt if any of it will be O gauge stuff. Still, free is free. If the kids don't want it, I'll flip it at the LHS.

Have a good day everyone!

Jim

[cheapclassics]

Good morning all,

It is rainy and warm in SE Indiana with temps in the 60s again.  CTT finally came to SE Indiana yesterday.  I have not read all the articles, but it looks they are going back to what they do best in talking about nice layouts and the history of toy trains.  I enjoyed the section on Super O track because I was really not familar with it.  I finally got upstairs last night to do some work on some projects.  We watched "Veronica Mars" as well.  It was a good episode.   I hope they keep it on the air.  I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[laz 57]

HI GIZ,

   48 and not bad today to get to58?  Then all the cold stuff to come in from OHIO on friday.

JELECTRIC, nice pics of the deer. 

MITCH, glad nobody had a camera at the beaver pond, I don't need all the fan mail.

Played with my Lionel Lionmaster last nite.  Very impressed with it.  It has a real good sound system and the much improved smoke unit will give MTH a run for the money.

All have a good one.

laz57

[laz 57]

A woman I work with brought me in a bunch of trains today. We just transferred them from her trunk to mine. She said she still has more to come next week when she moves her parents into their new Connecticut home.

See you all tommorow. I'm getting ready to head home.


Jim

Jim - We are all envious.  We want details,  what kinda stuff did ya get?  Kinda like early Christmas presents.

Mitch

JIM,

   Where can I meet  these kinds of women?  AH women with trains.....

laz57