Coffee Pot #6 JUNE 2012 SIX years [April 1 is Anniv.] and going strong and its for all to chat. Plenty of coffee and sweet ice tea for all. Come and join us and chat. GRITS for the Yankees

[KRM]

Laz,

First things to do are throw away your wrist watch and trash the alarm clock

[blownout cylinder]

Good Evening...

Wow. What a day.

First off the treatments..then the visit with Audrey's brother and SIL who appeared at our doorstep. They are travelling across the country ... exciting stuff going on....

[ChiefEagles]

Good night all.  Promised rain never came.   Sad as we need some.  Glad as we got outside things done.

1. Mrs Dorothy's ramp treated.

2. Could cut benchwork materials outside.

Finished and painted workshop area [rearranged from previous plans, more room now].  Got one set of bendwork up.  Had to make some mods.  Will make more mods as I am changing some of the track plan to fit better.  Actually "blew up" Don's plan to a large house plan size sheet.  1"=1' 

Probe, pretty "Pony".

LAZ, how great it is.

Off to bed.

Sleep tight.

 

[sir james I]

Nice pics Brent. Rain is nearby but none for us, again. It was a perfect day weather wise so we spent a lot of today outside. Except for my date with the couch. Banilla and fresh strawberries are headed my way..S.J.

[Anonymous]

Fife - Congrats to Fifepup!

Here are some pics of our trip on The Walkersville Southern:

Christina sitting on the walkway of a little red engine, kinda looked like a Porter


Hi everyone!

This building houses the museum and a small HO model railroad, the little red engine is beside the building.


The train pulling into the station. This coming weekend is steam days! We missed it by 1 week.


Getting ready to pull out from the station


Monacacy River... the night before our trip we had very heavy rains. The river is NOT typically this high




Christina in the passenger car:


The caboose:


Christina gave her first trainride two thumbs up!


I realized after I got home and looked at the pictures that I didn't get many good shots of the buildings, trains, cars, etc... partly to blame was the camera I had, and the fact that I was preoccupied with Christina... no big deal. It is so close to home that I can go just about any time I have free... and TheQ is now interested in going since it is so close and the trip isn't too long.

[anjdevil2]

Fife - Congas to FifePup......

Princess is in Florida driving.....Drove from Daytona to Jacksonville.....funny how she can drive the 2 pedal cars....

Doug, nice UP photos....I'm not partial to western railroads, but they do look nice!!

Brutus: I'll make sure the camera is charged up.  I'm going to attempt to set a layout up.  The added advantage is the show is...um.....RIGHT NEXT DOOR!!!!  I live 2 houses from the high school (my alma mater as it were...) and I will have NO trouble with parking or commuting...and IF i forget something, I'm pretty sure I can go get it toot sweet!!!

Very cloudy today and into the 70's.  Pleasant morning, all the way up to the false alarm I had while I was still in bed.  It sorta killed the sleep in thing.

I ran to the mall today for some insured jewelry repair and wandered off to Sears.  I purchased a tool bag and a set of 1/2" sockets, 10-18mm and spent $9.57.....Love those kinda buys....I was then off to my local BK for a GRATIS chicken sandwich and saw a wheel/tire combo with hubcap, sail north bound.....I was like WTF?????  About 1/4 mile down the road, a Dept. of Corrections van, with uniformed personnel and unknown other occupants had lost the driver side rear wheel....they were, of course being assisted by the local township gestapo....(no, I don't care for the township PD.  My TOWN PD, however, I would do just about anything for.  Good bunch they are).

Devils play possibly their last game of the 2011-2012 season...in a sweep.   Hopefully not...

Parents leave for Chief-land on the morrow.  I'll have more computer time as a result.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

We have thunderstorms coming through here now. Time to shut down and take cover. The radar image I just looked at is really ugly.

[fifedog]

Evenin' boys.  Mission accomplished: Fifepup graduated last night.   We celebrated with wings & yeungs afterwards.  Get-together this weekend with friends and family. 

Chief - belated. Any left...?

Oh!  This past Sunday, Wifey and I took a ride up to Lancaster County.  Seems NS PRR #8102 was in Strasburg.  Magnificent looking engine.  I touched it.  Will try to post some pics soon.  What's with all the black buggies on the roads...?

[Anonymous]

Brent,

               If my LG Plasma dies, LED will be my next move.  It seemed like it took some time for the color to develop when my LG was new, but maybe it was just me getting used to it after the Vizio LCD.

What don't you like about HH Gregg?  Was it the employees that stick to you like glue as soon as you walk through the door, then proceed to tell you what you want?  That was my issue with them.  Felt like Radio Shack.  I like to be free to walk around and check out other items (impulse buys FTW).

Best Buy upset me when they changed the terms of the $80 two year Porduct Replacement Plan.  I found out when I took failed 360 #3 back, and they gave me a refurb instead of a new unit off the floor as they had done previously.  Otherwise, I probably have a yellow price tag on me.

Joe,

          I am kind of an expert on seller's remorse.  Didn't realize what I had until it was too late.

Called an AF contact of mine and have another  (this one will be #3) 314AW on the way.  Won't sell this one like I did with the last one.  Need to find a control box...again.  Had two of them as well.

Recent upper and lower billet grille:

 

[Stourbridge Lion]

Siesta Time....

What, I'm not allowed to do that at work; bummer!  Another Ed's OJ in the special Ferromex glass please...

Got the past weekends Trip Reports post on my blog now so feel free to stop by and check them out.  We were in a mixture of DSP&P, C&S, and AC territory chasing old narrow gauge railroad history while it can still be found up in the Colorado Rockies.

[SPMan]

Laz, the thing about retiring from your kind of work leaves the possibility of doing the same stuff in your own shop at home maybe.  On the other hand retiring from engine service on the railroad, it is not likely that you will ever find another railroad engine to run.  However, D. Baker is having fun running that steam engine at Knott;s Berry Farm out here.  When I retired, I offered my services to a railroad museum not too far from me but they did not want any help.  Now my license has expired and I don't care to renew it.  Although it is an avocation to you, you can still run the lokie.  Have fun.

Dennis, prayers that your upcoming trip will be a safe one and that your family gets a special blessing for taking those kids.  I hope that you and they will have a happy life.  God Bless,

Ray

[laz 57]

Hi GUYZ,

  A BIG THANK YOU for all DA WELL WISHES on my retirement.  I am still here at school for my last two days of teacher detention days err eh In service days.  Anyway gonna clean out all my stuff and my wood.  Yesterday after all da kidos left they had a nice lunch set up for all us retirees, four of us from the MS.  Had a nice meal and got my engraved clock and a nice monetary gift.  As far as the last day thing about emotions, no I didn't yesterday with the kids, nor anything with the luncheon.  I did wonder out loud that there was NO BEER in the bag which got a big chuckle.  Maybe will realize it when I walk out my shop doors for the last time?  Will see.

Stay frosty,

laz57

[KRM]

Hi guys,

Beautiful day here on the north bluff above Marseilles.

Well I have been kind of busy, I was still doing gravel Monday and Tuesday and trying to work without killing these ribs of mine. Tomorrow will be the last day for the gravel hauling unless someone else on the lane wants’s to chip in for more.. Ha Ha Ha.   So tomorrow we will go over the 150-ton mark from 27 loads.

Had to change the High Pressure Sodium light on our shed today because the thing seems to only work when it wants to for the last two weeks. Last night it did not come on at all so I figured I better get a new one before Katie, her friend and their kid’s camp out Friday night in the yard. I put the new one in and held my hand over the sensor and it came on so I hope that is that. Darn bulb cost $21.00 and the whole fixture only cost $49.00. Kind of like printer ink.

Brent, thanks for the scoop on the new TVs. Ours is 21 years old and still working fine but I want to upgrade in the next year or so and I have no idea what to get, so your info helped a lot.

DougM, Nice find and picture. I am thinking about going to that train thingy on Aug 12. Maybe we can meet up? I bet Ben will get the hang of it faster than you think.

Chief, Glad you had a good birthday, now get back in the box. 

Dennis, Best of luck on the trip. You have been waiting so long that it must be nice to know you’re about at the finish line.

SJ, good luck with the stitch removable tomorrow.

V8Dennis, hope you can sell that place fast and for a decent price. I used to manage my brother’s apartment building and it is a job to get GOOD renters so I know what you mean.

LAZ, is it over yet? 

Prayers for all in need and a special prayer for BOC 

[dwiemer]

Good morning.  I am whooped!  Worked all day into the morning, got home around 0200.  I find it takes several days to recover from such days.  In younger days, it was easy.

Thanks for the kind words.  We still have several weeks before we go, but I generally do not post the exact times we will be out of town for obvious reasons.  We are excited.  With the fact that we are adopting special needs children, they require us to be in touch with the children's welfare and services office.  This also allows for special needs resources through the schools and county, so it is a good thing.  My wife was talking to the lady who handles adoptions for DFCS, and it seems she has a new friend.  They laughed about things and the folks there are very helpful.

On a somber note, they are having the funeral for a local Marine who was killed in Afghanistan recently.  The Patriot Guard is in town which is a great thing.  I can't be there, but supposedly, that "church" from Kansas is planning on protesting.  They may find a rather cold reception from our area.  We love our military here and have lots of rednecks that would be more than happy to explain things to these misguided folks.

Laz, wish you well in your retirement.  I am sure you will have plenty to keep you busy for years to come.  

Doug, thanks for the information.  I will have to check into that if time allows.  That was a great find at the station.  Sure is a handsome looking car.  Regarding teaching Ben soldering, that is one of the great things about our hobby, gives opportunities to pass along knowledge and skills to the next generation.

Chief, glad you had a good birthday.  Saw the photo with the sombrero. Funny!

God bless,

Dennis

[Stourbridge Lion]

Good Morning CTTFans!

It's 60F and clear here in the Mile High city heading for the mid 80's so at least the old forecast of 90's all week is not happening but it's still warmer then I care for.

[sir james I]

It's 63 and sunny.

Doug M. nice find. Thanks for the pic. A bad breakfast this morning, poached eggs on 1 toast with fried Spam. I like eggs so I do try to leave as much yolk as possible on the plate. I think we are going out this morning to walk some stores, good exercise and feels good to get out..S.J.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 76°. 

Heat Index:  76°F   Humidity:  94%   Dew Point:  75°F

High:  81°F   Low:  74°F
Rain:  0.01"   Rain Rate:  0.00"/h
Gust:  7mph SSW

High: 92°. Partly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 90s. Southeast winds around 5 mph.

No plans for today. I may get some layout work in later.

[cnw1995]

Aloha.  Sunny and 70s continue. Spent the evening trying to teach the youngster how to solder. Lessons continue tonight. . Look what I found in the station, It has a road engine on both ends, this obs, a few other cars and a beautiful dome car in the middle. 

[ChiefEagles]

Morning.  Showers coming [not really forecasted until this PM].  Fred came earlier than he said he would.  Had to chat with newspaper.  Rush to get going now.

Lets not forget, lot of good men died on this date in WWII.

Have a good one. 

[Anonymous]

green97probe

Brent,

I don't know if you have an HH Gregg store in your area, but they have had good deals on TVs.  Best Buy's bait and switch extended warranty sent me there for my 42" LG Plasma.  How do you think LED compares to Plasma?

Probe - I've not been impressed with HH Gregg... not at all... will most likely never step foot through their doors again. BestBuy keeps me coming back because I am a RewardZone member silver level and their prices are very competitive and they will price match.

Here is my review of Plasma/LCD/LED:

Plasma - good in low light areas, not suited for brightly lit rooms (lots of sunshine) the reflective screen causes too much glare diminishing the view. Burn-in issues if you don't watch 100% widescreen or HD content. Larger screens are nearly impossible to move with just one person. Lower cost point that LCD or LED.

LCD - Lighter than Plasma, no burn-in concerns, can be used in low light or semi-bright areas. Do not buy anything with under 120hz refresh rate.

LED - Far and away the lightest of the three categories. No burn-in concerns, can be used in ALL light as LED tends to be brighter than Plasma and LCD. Do not buy anything with under 120hz refresh rate. Most expensive of the three.

[Blueberryhill RR]

Good Morning from Blueberryhill RR....

It is a sunny 57 degrees. Going up to 76 today with sunshine.

Today is a busy day. Wife is grocery shopping. That is becoming a nasty job. Prices keep going up. I have a few chores to do and then I can relax until the groceries arrive. Nap later.

Dining car is here with Cheerios for breakfast.

Y'all have a great Wednesday.

Chuck

[cheapclassics]

Good morning all,

IIABSDISEI with temps in the 70s.  Spent last night shop vaccing the shed where I put all the magazines.  It really needed a good cleaning.  Monday night neighbors borrowed some yard tools so they could clean up the  branches the boys had taken off the evergreens.  Nice to know there are some good people in the world.  I helped them carry the piles of debris around to the front so the trash collectors would pick it up.  They also used part of it as mulch for a flower bed in front of the duplex.  I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning..

Going to have our 30% chance of showers with the risk of those ol' t'underin'boomers again today...we got a drenching yesterday...again...

Today is my second visit to the hospital for the cancer treatments...I seem to be not having too many issues with it this time.......

Cancer can go BEEEEP!!! itself...

 

[Demay]

Konbanwa,

I had an easy three-mile run this morning and I finished just before the rain started.  The workday went by fairly quickly as I spent most of it cleaning out my email folders.  We just had grilled ribeye steaks and asparagus for dinner.  I will play with the kids for a little while and then get into my schoolwork. 

Laz – Congratulations again!  I’m sure the last day was somewhat emotional.  The Golden Hammer award was a cool idea.  I hope your successor keeps it up.

Bob –

Probe – I’ve heard of buyer’s remorse, but never seller’s remorse.

V8 – I hope you sell the house soon so this stressor will be out of your life.

Sayonara,

Joe

[blownout cylinder]

Good Evening...

Had a wonderful day of rain and silliness with Spring here...Springing all over the place...chased him around...then actually tried to run some trains...

Going to head for ...now, g'nite....

[Brutus]

Great work on that building there, Jeffrey

LAZ - BIG CONGAS!!!!!  Woot Woot!  You deserve a great day and a great retirement man!  Now you can run extra for Buckeye and Fife?  Make sure people pay you for your help and project for them now, you are on a fixed income!  You can listen to Bob and Tom now, too

8NT - we finally got a sleep number bed, so we can each have what we want.  It has lasted very well so far - I think we've had it 7 years now?

Got Jeff's tiller home tonight and took about 2 hours to do the front area just once - it compacted a lot since 1999 when I last did it, plus grew a bunch of new rocks and roots   Oh well, Char and Kevin and Hannah helped.  Char really helped a lot, because she could get the rocks out of the tines when it bound up on me.  I did have to break one of the rocks up with a hammer to free it though.  Tomorrow we have dinner plans with family from out of town, but we'll finish Thursday by using the tiller to mix in some peat moss and fertilizer - I think four bags to break up that clay.  Friday night, we'll pick out some plants - mostly decorative grasses or something like that?  Saturday, the we'll get that planted early in the morning and then take off the rest of the day.  Sunday, I have just a couple small pieces of drywall to do and prep the inside corners for bead strips. 

Got some more fastrack, so need to find a loop from one of my sets down there and do a floor layout for fun

TARDIS is ready, so let's get going - I think Patrick is driving tonight?  Mike can navigate, I'll be in the in the drop bay getting a pallet of Old Mills ready to parachute down to a buddy!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Time for me to call it a night. See y'all tomorrow.

[sir james I]

It's 65 now.

As I understand it the LEDs are the backlighting with an LCD screen. I bought a brand name plasma TV and we spent an entire evening trying to get it to look right. It went back the next morning. Brought home a 46 inch Sony LCD and have never had to touch the settings. This is NOT an opinion, just my experience. I took granny shopping for clothes today, nothing. But I will admit the stuff we looked at, I would not want her to buy. Banilla is ready...S.J.

.

[ChiefEagles]

Busy day.  Up early with Lucy and Finn to groomers.  Back so Fred and I pressure washed Mrs. Dorothy's ramp [black widow lady in 80's and can't hardly walk].  If it does not rain, will treat it tomorrow AM.

Went to Lowe's to get pressure washer pump treatment [ACE did not have ] that Fred had never heard of.  Showed him how to use it.  Installed flooring in workshop of Box.  Benchwork tomorrow.

Several In-laws, Fred and Wife went with us to Mexican for a belated birthday dinner.  All over ate.  [plop plop fizz fizz]  Back here for coffee and walk thru Box.  Now to bed.

Dennis, big prayers for safe and sucessful trip.

LAZ, how great it is. 

All sleep tight.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

It's 93 here now. Glad I got the parents yard mowed early. Being on the tractor behind that hot engine wouldn't be pleasant. Decided I had to get it done today as the extended forecast shows rain for nearly every day through to next Tuesday. Now that the job is done it'll probably change to blazing sunshine every day.