Coffee Pot #5 MAY 2013 TEN 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 Yanks.

[charliebrown]

Good Morning all

To all the fellow vets - enjoy your weekend ... you earned it!

Chilly here today but no rain. Took a vacation day to spend time with the wife and finishing projects. Waiting for UPS package. So hopefully I can find some train time this weekend.

Thank you everyone on the comments for my layout and keep the suggestions coming! My layout would be no where near where it is without the influence of the POT and the fellow train hobbyist on here! You guys rock and make this hobby a blast ....

anjdevil2 - prayers for your sis on her surgery.

kev - Have fun with the little one today. Hope she is still doing good with the stiff arm.

[cnw1995]

Aloha and TGIF. Cold here today but sunny. Waiting for a man to give me a quote on trimming some monster trees. Congrats to 'Johnson' on his graduation! Good luck on trig, Jake.  RJ, love the layout - I like Brent's  ideas about a second level.

[Lehigh Valley 2089]

Good afternoon.

Ready to take last part of Trig final. Feeling good about it.

However, I've just had some pain come from lower right abdomen. It scared me a bit, but it went away not long ago, so I'm not letting it worry me. Just want to finish the final for now.

[fifedog]

KRM - The volume control for the LCCA Generals is a knob under the tender.  It sounds better running slow as there are 4 chuffs per rotation (prototypically).  What kinda throws me off is the "cab chat".  I prefer the slower running as well.  This month's CTT has an exploded diagram of the 1862/1872 versions, that I'm gonna snap out for future reference.  Glad that you got a good runner.  I like the snow plow "on".

RockIsland - saw that your granddaughter's "team" collected over $1500 for March of Dimes.

[KRM]

Lexi's nap time,  RJ we are having fun, inside and outside so far. I may need a nap more than her.  She does not even seem to notice the cast on her arm. So far anyway.

fifedog

KRM - The volume control for the LCCA Generals is a knob under the tender.  It is the same on this one too. It sounds better running slow as there are 4 chuffs per rotation (prototypically).  What kinda throws me off is the "cab chat". Yes the chat does not seem correct.  I prefer the slower running as well.  This month's CTT has an exploded diagram of the 1862/1872 versions, that I'm gonna snap out for future reference.  Glad that you got a good runner. Me too.   I like the snow plow "on". I need to make changes to the Layout before I can re-install the plow. It was a main attraction for me wanting it in the first place. A bit too wide.

 Lexi loves it already and wants to run it but I told her she has to keep Thomas running.  Way to fragile for a two year old to play with. 

 

[Lehigh Valley 2089]

Well, officially done with the finals. You can kinda guess how that makes me feel.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Put the window glass into the F7 shell and put in the headlight lens from the old shell (old shell had no window glass so I had to scrounge around in the junk box). I still don't have the lower headlight lens. I got the shell mounted on the chassis a little after noon. So let's see, that's an Athearn shell, shafts, worms. Proto trucks. PPW can motor (or could be Mashima). Athearn weight. Stewart frame. Digitrax decoder. There may be some other manufacturers parts in there but I'm not taking it apart to find out.

[Blueberryhill RR]

anjdevil2

FRIDAY!!  not like I've been working.....

Cold and rainy today.

Cleaned firehouse last night for Memorial Day on Monday.  Trucks and house ready to go.

Not much else going on...sister in the hospital for some planned surgery, so I'll be heading out there shortly.  The rest of the family are there now. 

Congas to Johnson and Jake on the graduating...enjoy it, mine was fun (lo, these 40 years ago....)

Jack - just back roads that skirt the Pine Barrens.....close enough to civilization to go shopping and close enough to get lost in the woods...HudsonJohn and AF-Ray know what I'm talking about...

AND TGIF to Chuck...found this on my Bike ride...almost went looking for ya!!!

  anjdevil2......WOW,  that is neat.  Where, exactly, is it located?

Thanks for posting the picture.

Chuck

[anjdevil2]

Chuck,

Look up on Google Maps or MapQuest

Blueberry Hill

Perrineville, NJ

It's across from a horse farm....

yeah I thought of you immediately when I saw it....

[sir james I]

The evening temp is 54

We went out for lunch today wearing light jackets. I usually cut grass on Friday so it looks nice for the weekend but I'm waiting till tomorrow, it's suppose to be a tad warmer. Some Butter pecan ice cream for supper and I saved the banilla for the thingy crew...S.J.

[Hudson#685]

Good Evening! 47 and not raining at the moment at Bayville, NJ.

Took Mom to her Primary Doctor this morning. She is doing good, but she has to get her sodium level up a little. My son says thank you for the congrats. He starts Tuesday for training for a Class 1 Police Officer in Toms River. It is just for the summer and back to school.

Rich: Prayers for your sister. I hope everything goes right. How come when Perrineville is mentioned, I think of pig farms? You are right about the back roads thru the Pine Barrens.

Jake: Congrats on the Finals.

Kev: Enjoy your time with Lexi.

Enjoy the Evening!

John

[blownout cylinder]

No snow here....but they are calling for frost in low lying areas here.....sigh

Speaking of which...we just got back from hospital tonight...friend of mine in because of an accident...internal injuries as well as 2 smashed knees...sigh....would like prayers....

[charliebrown]

blownout cylinder

Speaking of which...we just got back from hospital tonight...friend of mine in because of an accident...internal injuries as well as 2 smashed knees...sigh....would like prayers....

Prayers sent! 2 smashed knees - that is terrible.

Didn't get anything done on train or projects today. Ended up taking wife to lunch and shopping. I did get the lawn mowed though.

UPS package arrived. Can't wait to mess with layout. Maybe Saturday after working on projects.

Good night all

[RockIsland52]

blownout cylinder

Speaking of which...we just got back from hospital tonight...friend of mine in because of an accident...internal injuries as well as 2 smashed knees...sigh....would like prayers....

You've got them for your friend, BOC.   

The same goes for your sis, Rich.  I hope it is nothing serious. 

Jack

[cheapclassics]

Good evening all,

IIABSDISEI with temps in the 60s.  Check Youtube out or the INDYCAR website for video from today's Indy Lights race.  Four wide at the finish!  RI52, as I tell people at work, there are 3 things I can never get enough of:  Indycar racing, toy trains, and something that begins with s....oh, yeah, soccer!!!  Thoughts and prayers going out to all who need them.  Seems to be a rash of incidents hitting the Pot lately that require such assistance.  I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[Brutus]

Prayers, guys.

Hudson - no Tardis rides for a while, you okay?

Watching Jeff Dunham, he sure is funny!  Have to work some OT tomorrow, but then I have the rest of the 3 day weekend off.  Jack, I did okay in HS.  I did have one bad class - it was a physics/chem class and I just couldn't wrap my head around some of the chemistry.  One reason I am not a pharmacist today as I had a chance to go to college for that while I was working as a pharmacy tech.  My grandma offered to pay for it, but I was set on graduating sooner and getting a better job. Have a good one guys - TARDIS is ready so let's go!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Cloudy tonight, temp 75, 30% chance of rain. Nothing special going on tonight. My niece is finding that one of the headaches of being a homeowner is that of expenses. In her case when it rains it pours! It cost around ten grand to get the west end of the house rewired to modern standards. The original wiring was pre-1970 and not a wire nut or three prong outlet in sight. She's just learning what circuit breaker controls what part of the house. Today she found out her a/c compressor is fried and of course it has to be replaced. Better it happens now than in the middle of the summer.

Well in my little world the F unit Frankenstein trio is running again. The lead unit looks really good with it's shiny new shell. It got test run today to make sure nothing is binding or rubbing. It passed with flying colors. The third unit however was being dragged. A quick inspection revealed a cracked solder joint on the positive motor connection. A quick application of a hot soldering gun took care of that problem. I snapped a side-on photo of that locos drive. It's difficult trying to ID it in person much less in a photo. There's quite a few pieces there that weren't really meant to work together.

for all that need them.

Well, time to call it a night. See y'all tomorrow.

[submmbob]

Hello all

Well my work schedule changed yet again. Looks like I'll be spending the weekend on the mountain. Using the time to work w/ the new folks and catch up on some other stuff. Then back to NM the following week.

Director comes up Sunday so that should be fun.

Just came up from the shop and will prob find a pillow soon.

BOcyl - thoughts and prayers for your friend

Just read the thread on Floquil/Polly S. Funny as I just bought my first of these for a recent project. Hopefully some smaller vendor will fill in here. With the big guys it's all about volume.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 69° with 98% humidity. The high will be 88°.


I don't have any plans for today. I was busy until very late last night helping people on several different forums and didn't get to bed until around 2am. I usually don't stay online that long. I only got a few hours of sleep so I'll probably catching up on that today.

[Blueberryhill RR]

Good Morning from Blueberryhill RR....

It is a cold and foggy 33 degrees.  Going up to 68 today with sunshine.

Today is a busy day. I have a bunch of chores to do and an errand to run. I'll be busy until lunch.  Then, a nice nap.  Reading my new copy of CTT mag this afternoon,  Indians game today.

Dining car is here with Cheerios for breakfast.

Y'all have a great Saturday.

Chuck

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning

Sunny with a high of 55F here...we did end up with frost here...got down to 28F this morning....

Going back up to the hospital to spend some time with Gordon....he goes to the OR later today....oi.

Anyhow....have a decent, if somewhat cool, day....

[charliebrown]

It's a chilly 42 degrees here. I guess they are saying upper 60's for a high.

Hope to be more productive today as far as house work and projects go. Because if they don't get done I have no train time!

Brutus

Watching Jeff Dunham, he sure is funny!

We seen him in concert last year. It was nothing like the dvd's or tv shows. He gets pretty nasty but still hilarious!

Hope everyone has an awesome Saturday!

[sir james I]

The temp is a sunny 47, 65 for the Hi today.

Weaver offers paint in RR colors if you can find the color you need. Their selection is limited. We had another night that dropped into the 30s. The tomato plants are still not in as I'm afraid of more frost. Looks like I won't get a real BLT till late July. Grass cutting today after it warms a bit more..S.J.

[Hudson#685]

Good Morning! Woke up to 48, it is 50 now. Very windy and we had a light on and off drizzle. Sun is out now.

Today it is cut the grass and weed!

BOC: Prayers for Gordon.

Brutus: Sorry I have been missing the Tardis. It has been a timing thing. Doray comes home from the Ice Cream Shop around 10 and I have just been missing it. I just showed her this and she told me that I better be on it tonight! lol

Have a Great Day!

John

[Lehigh Valley 2089]

Good morning.

Not a whole lot going on today. Will work on 109 a little more, and may just get the second coat of paint on the P-38. It has been sitting around for a while and need to get it done soon. Plan on starting the P-51D Mustang afterwards.

[RockIsland52]

fifedog

RockIsland - saw that your granddaughter's "team" collected over $1500 for March of Dimes.

You've got that right, FIFE !!!! 

Thanks in no small part to you guys on the POT, my nine year old granddaughter Victoria and her “team” raised over $1,500 for the March of Dimes during their annual March For Babies.  Before the "March" commenced on the Esplanade in downtown Boston, Victoria was asked to join her fellow team Captains up on the stage at the Hatch Shell to be recognized for their efforts in front of thousands of cheering marchers, volunteers, and supporters.

I have to admit I was filled with a broad range of emotions when I saw her up there on the stage, from deep sadness at our family's loss to great pride in my little granddaughter.  

As many of you may recall from my recent posts and some dating back further, our family lost our infant grandson at the age of just six days.  The family was devastated as one might expect, especially our little granddaughter.  Victoria had prayed long and hard to God for a little brother.  Then, when it appeared that her prayers had been answered, he was gone.  

Confused, she could not understand why God would take him from us. Nonetheless, each year around the time of her brother's birthday, Victoria would ask that the family do something special in her baby brother’s memory.  This year she came up with the idea for the family to participate in the March For Babies. 

Here on the POT I mentioned Victoria's quest.  My intention was not to help her raise money but to brag on my granddaughter for her spirit.  I had hoped she would gain a sense of empowerment and self-confidence with this endeavor. 

You guys then came out of the woodwork and asked how you could support her.  Each evening over the subsequent weeks Victoria would call Pam and I on the phone to excitedly ask us who were these people that were helping her out, people she didn't know, folks who were complete strangers to her. 

What you guys did with your kind gesture and encouraging comments to her was to teach my granddaughter powerful and lasting lessons about life. 

She initially felt uncertain, small, and powerless in her endeavor and you gave her strength.  She felt sad about the loss of her brother and you gave her hope.  She feared the bad things in her world, particularly in view of recent events here in Boston, and you surrounded her with goodness,comfort, and resolve. 

How can I adequately thank you all enough?  I can't.  Fife put it best.....   

Jack

[KRM]

Hi,

 Only got a sec while i wait for the woman to get dressed so we can get some food.

 Prayers BOC for Gordon and Rich for your sister. 

 later. 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Had a visitor this morning who's going to cost me over a hundred bucks! More if I replace stuff that's missing. Supposedly a model railroader. He just showed up out of the blue. His knowledge indicates not much experience, newbie maybe. Calls himself Wayne. I showed him how the DCC system works and he was having a good time running the F unit trio. I went to the bedroom to put away some locos I had been working on and was out of the layout room for maybe five minutes. During this time he'd stopped the train and said he was looking at something I had made. I asked what it was, he told me it was one of the geeps and I told him how I built it. By this time I was putting away the last loco. Then he said he had to go and whoof, he was out the door, into his little car and gone. Pretty sure it was a rental, didn't see what model as I only got a glimpse of it. I came back up front and noticed right away things were not as they should be. One of my four GP9's is gone, the only one lettered for the MGRy. All the others are lettered for the L&A. A small handful of LED's with attached resistors, perhaps a dozen, all I had, are gone. Now the GP9, I don't really mind. I have enough parts to make another one. It mostly Walthers parts. The LED's can be replaced without too much of a problem. I just have to wait for them to become available on Ebay again. No, the thing that really burns my butt is that he turned two of the F units upside down and pumped the trucks full of Pro grade super glue! I had just gotten this trio running again yesterday. The trucks of the lead unit are Proto 2000 with Athearn gears and NWSL ns wheels. I may be able to salvage the wheels. The second unit is a heavy rebuilt metal Varney. That has Kato-built Stewart F3 trucks and a home-made drive. I've looked on Ebay. I found some Athearn F7 trucks that can be adapted to fit the lead unit. They won't fit the second unit without major surgery and I can't find any Kato/Stewart trucks for it. If I seem calm about this believe me, I'm not.  I'm so mad  I could chew steel and spit screws! Now as I said, the second unit uses Stewart trucks and they have to be adapted to fit.

Now as to this goons appearance. Six feet, maybe six feet two inches, perhaps two hundred fifty pounds, blond hair, age about thirty, heavy ridge on the bridge of his nose indicating it may have been broken. Brown eyes. Wrangler jeans, cheap running shoes, silver series I think, gray T-shirt. If anyone gets offered a Walthers type GP9 with Proto 1000 AAR trucks and a PPW can motor please let me know.

[RockIsland52]

Yesterday started out as just one of those days where no matter what I tried to get done I kept hitting obstacles and found myself spinning my wheels.  

The to do list was filled with a whole bunch of follow-up items that included scheduling exterior carpentry, exterior house painting/staining, a garage door opener that needed repair, follow-up on ordered furniture that is supposedly "in transit," a $58 overcharge on last weekend's hotel bill, difficulty arranging for a pronto appointment and courtesy car with my car dealership to rectify a charging system issue (intermittent dead car syndrome), a PC issue requiring my repair guy's scheduling to insure a one day turnaround, a missing mortgage payment that (automatic every month) had been wired to the mortgage company but not posted to my account, a long-overdue status update from my tax guy on an income tax issue, and the list goes on.

By early afternoon I had made a whole bunch of phone calls and was no further along. 

Messages left.  No calls back.  No progress on any front.  Excuses.  Delays.  Answering devices.  messages left.  Some "I'll get back to you."  Did you ever get the feeling that there is some deep, dark conspiracy thwarting your every move and endeavor?  That everyone is in cahoots against you?  That no one gives a hoot about what you need or what you want? 

Then the coup de gras.  The wifey pokes her head into my makeshift office, looks at my to-do list that has no completion checkmarks, and observes that I am not getting anything accomplished.  At that point I growled at her and, as respectfully as I could sound, asked her to please remove herself from my line of fire. 

Then I declared war on those co-conspirators, burned up the phone lines, and started to demand some results/answers......not "later today, tomorrow, or next week, but NOW, while I was on the freakin' phone!.  If I got some knucklehead's answering device (again), my message had a bit more bite to it.  Or I called back the main number and started asking to speak to a higher up decision-maker.  Or "Look, I've got two contractors ready to take your place right now.  Make a decision......or I will make it for you!" 

Sometimes "patient, polite, and professional" does not quite get it done.

When my son got home, my wife warned him to steer clear of me, explaining that I was on fire and on the warpath in my "office."  I had so much success with my afternoon's less-than-cordial full-court-press that by the end of the day I had made a serious dent in my to-do list.

As I type this post, my son is busy installing the window A/C units without being asked, before the 80 degree temps arrive this coming Thursday, a full three weeks earlier than normal.  I am not stupid or naive enough to think he is doing this to avoid my wrath.  I fear another conspiracy is at work, one far more dark, serious, sinister, devious, and subtle.  This type of conspiracy usually involves $$$, my $$$.

Stay tuned.

Jack 

[lion88roar]

Afternoon Fellas

Well it is going to be a long, and probably not so fun, weekend.

Both the kiddos are sick, but you wouldn't know it from how they are acting.

Jack - just glad to have been able to help in any way possible.

Rich - Prayer's for your sister

Ryan - Prayers for your friend

Jefferey - no words to express... really bugs me when people do that kind of crap

And stage of construction is done on the bridge




Next up - drilling 1/4 inch holes down the supports... then sanding some rough spots, then paint. Hope to have it ready for final pictures tomorrow for SPF.