Good evening all,
Traveled in 3 states today. Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. Went to see a nice museum in northern Kentucky with lots of train related items. One part had an O-gauge layout with lots of Plasticville. Very nice. Had a G-Gauge layout as well that is on permanent display. Also went to Eden Park in Cincy to see the Garden layout at the conservatory. After a nice lunch, stopped at IKEA for the first time and got some ideas for display cases for when we add on. All in all, it was a good day. Saturday will be fine weather wise, but Sunday, Monday and Tuesday will be nasty. May use some personal days. I hope everyone has a good day.
Keep on training,
Mike C. from Indiana
Remember the Veterans. Past, present and future.
www.sd3r.org
Proud New Member Of The NRA
Hello all.....Thanks for the prayers.I finally got caught up.It was a balmy 5 degrees when I came in freom the barn a bit ago. Got the water thawed in the barn. Discovered a bad receptacle was preventing the heat tape from doing it's job so there was a major freeze up. Usually a bucket of warm water in the drinking cup solves the problem.I forgot to mention earlier that my best Christmas present came from Son and his Mrs. They are expecting grandbaby #4 for Mrs and I. Praying the loss of her Father isn't too much for the baby.It's wayyyyyy past my bedtime...Prayers for those in need
Banks, Proud member of the OTTS TCA 12-67310
Hello all
Hope everyone back east is dealing w/ the weather ok. We are cold up here on the mountain, but nothing like what you have got.
RIJack - that 1225 has a worm drive motor, so these don't turn like the old open frame motors.
DougM - the Marxist revolution is in full swing (just bid on an 898). I can't see getting into Flyer though. As neat as they are, I just don't need another scale.
Speaking of which, the AF 325(?) that I am working on for my director is up and running again. I got the e unit cycling properly and she's now rolling down the track. Ordered some replacement fingers for the e-unit though as they are in need of replacement.
DougDG - nice present!
SPRay - have you been over to see any of the work on the 4014?
Bob
Tucson, AZ (aka the Ol' Pueblo)
Home of the Mt. Graham & Arizona Eastern Boiler Shops
COLD!!!!!! but warming through Sunday. Even Tuesday AM they say. Then crash.
RockIsland52 Chief.....I see that warmer temps and rain are in my forecast a few days from now, thanks for sharing. Jack.
Chief.....I see that warmer temps and rain are in my forecast a few days from now, thanks for sharing.
Jack.
God bless TCA 05-58541 Benefactor Member of the NRA, Member of the American Legion, Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville , KC&D Qualified
Good Morning from Blueberryhill.........
Good Morning, Joe in Japan..........Hope all is OK.
It is 21 degrees. Going up to 37 today with no snow. It is cold.
Today is an easy day. I have a few chores and then I will relax. Maybe do some reading. Lunch and a nap.
The usual for breakfast.
Y'all have a great Saturday.
Chuck
COLD morning here. Warming. Then rain and then VERY COLD for NC. You Yanks are sure wanting to share your miserable temperatures.
Off to the farm to "close" the camper for a few. May go do some squirrel and varmint hunting until April [when turkey season comes in]. Those two will not need an overnight stay.
Stay warm.
Mornin' boys. Mornin' English. Crisp,clear 7 degrees here in the Mid-Atlantic region. FifeMax made it to the back door threshold, then had to be nudged outside. Where are the doom-sayers now...? Oh yeah, they were all on that boat that was iced in....
dougnotta - No 3 clanks. I will check the battery, and hope that's the culprit.
Hi GUYZ,
A balmy 5 degrees here!!! Going up to 29. Gonna get rain tomorrow,GO FIGURE????? Then really coold on Tuesday. Gonna take my Flintlock for a walk in the woods this afternoon. I still have next week to hunt for deer. But with very cold weather and storms coming we'll see. Hope to get a shot at one today. Ran trains last nite for an hour NO PILE UPs.
JACK, I have to do the same for my MINNIE dog. She is not to keen about the cold but loves the snow.
SPANK, Ol MILs like the commercials say" it doesn't get any better then this".
DOUG M, BEARS gotta get some defense. The last few games they totally stunk. Need better down linemen.
Stay frosty my friends,
laz57
dougdagrump My new Christmas present, now the hunt for some L&N Madisons to go with it.
Nice gift DOUG!!!! I saw these on the bay I'll keep my eyes open for ya.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MTH-RAIL-KING-L-N-2-CAR-60-MADISON-COMBO-DINER-SET-TESTED-30-6968-/261365415157?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item3cda97bcf5
Got down to minus 3 overnight, minus 25 with the wind chill factor. I feel sorry for the meteorologists, their bag of sensational weather news is empty.
While I feel bad for the folks on the shoreline whose homes got damaged or destroyed, I can't understand why they think they can defeat mother nature. Different storm, same result.
I also am perplexed by all of the news stories about lost dogs or dogs left out in the elements overnight, or for extended periods of time. Unless someone finds those pups, and quickly post escape, every one of them suffer an horrific death. Are these escapes an accident or just plain stupidity?
As our dog trainer/mentor always said, trust is a four letter word when it comes to dogs, and the owner blurts out "My dog never did XXXX before (fill in the blank)" when trying to explain how or what happened. As my Dad always said, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Some municipalities are warning citizens to not leave their dogs out in this weather or face confiscation, charges of animal abuse, and the consequences.
Yup.....the weather here in New England can be challenging at times. But sometimes I feel its citizens are dumber than a box of rocks when it comes to common sense.
DougDG......that was a sweet way for Santa to deliver coal to you. LAZ and DOUG M......I feel bad that the Bears continue to struggle, but I think the answer to their maladies has to start with defense and the line on both sides of the ball. BANKS.....I too have a frozen pipe, but it is the pvc pipe emptying the water out of the washing machine to the main exit sewer pipe; the pipe is on/in a Northern exposed wall that was not insulated correctly when the house was built, but it rectifies itself when the temperatures get above 15. RT......you have too many operating loops, and I don't believe you that the wife does not hear all of that racket unless she is wearing headphones or is deaf. I fear for your life!!!
Thanks SJ and Bob for the advice on the 1225 PE. I was worried something was amiss with the engine.
Later, gang.
Jack
IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.
RockIsland52 I need some help. For Christmas I received a 1225 Polar Express Berkshire 2-8-4 engine with the PE tender, the one that is pure conventional, with the operating headlight, smoke, and whistle. My daughter, son, and son-in-law got it from Northeast Trains as they have gotten other Lionel presents. Pretty sure it was from a set breakup, but from all appearances it was never run. No box, manual, etc., but there was an extra traction tire and smoke fluid, unopened. The shop guy ran the engine for them, making sure the e-unit, headlamp, whistle, and smoke worked. The engine starts up and pulls beautifully at very slow speed 5 cars and the tender @ just 7 volts (postwar 275 V ZW) . Even the whistle works well at 7 volts. Strangely, I cannot manually rotate the drive wheels at all with my fingers. Like they are locked. They likewise will not rotate if you push the engine on the track. This does not seem normal to me since the drive wheels on all of my postwar engines can be manually rotated. Is this normal? Are the drivers out of wack slightly? Jack
I need some help.
For Christmas I received a 1225 Polar Express Berkshire 2-8-4 engine with the PE tender, the one that is pure conventional, with the operating headlight, smoke, and whistle. My daughter, son, and son-in-law got it from Northeast Trains as they have gotten other Lionel presents. Pretty sure it was from a set breakup, but from all appearances it was never run. No box, manual, etc., but there was an extra traction tire and smoke fluid, unopened.
The shop guy ran the engine for them, making sure the e-unit, headlamp, whistle, and smoke worked. The engine starts up and pulls beautifully at very slow speed 5 cars and the tender @ just 7 volts (postwar 275 V ZW) . Even the whistle works well at 7 volts.
Strangely, I cannot manually rotate the drive wheels at all with my fingers. Like they are locked. They likewise will not rotate if you push the engine on the track. This does not seem normal to me since the drive wheels on all of my postwar engines can be manually rotated.
Is this normal? Are the drivers out of wack slightly?
Jack,
That's normal.
Jim
Talk about luck. My daughter called and said their furnace was not kicking on and their house temps were dropping. The pilot light remained lit, sothey swapped out batteries in the programmable thermostat. Still nothing. Emergency HVAC companies are inundated with emergencies due to the sub zero temps and the fact that too many folks do not get their heating plants checked periodically/each season. It looked like my wife and I were going to become inkeepers until they could get this squared away. Then Grampy (me) asked if they had called their friend. "Why?" "Because HVAC is what he does for a living." The result, the friend came by and replaced their Honeywell programmable thermostat, problem solved. I may not be a very handy guy but my brain still works and I remember important details. :-) Jack.
submmbob SPRay - have you been over to see any of the work on the 4014? Bob, I have not been over to Pomona lately. However I watched the entire move from the museum on the South end of the parking lot to the North end over a period of days. Right now I believe it is just sitting in a postion where it can be reached from the Metrolink line. The last I heard, they were going to move it out of the fairground on 1-26-14. I will post on here when I hear about a move. I understand that the present U.P. steam crew are all new people since the days of Steve Lee who is retired now but they seem to be very professional about everything they do and fan friendly as much as possible without interferring with their work. Good luck to you guys in the cold part of the country. Most people around here still have their Christmas lights up but we will take ours down after this weekend and stash the artificial tree too. Been trying to diagnose some voltage drops in the layout. I have one near a switch but have soldered jumper wires around it. Still has low voltage. I suspect that I have a bad piece of track that was soldered too which is in a tunnel. I will probably have to open up the tunnel and lay some new track. Fife, re your proto 1 F units, Doug is right. Most of the problems can be fixed with a new battery if the electronics are OK. In my case they were bad so I ripped them out and put in the reverse unit only. later, Ray
Bob, I have not been over to Pomona lately. However I watched the entire move from the museum on the South end of the parking lot to the North end over a period of days. Right now I believe it is just sitting in a postion where it can be reached from the Metrolink line. The last I heard, they were going to move it out of the fairground on 1-26-14. I will post on here when I hear about a move. I understand that the present U.P. steam crew are all new people since the days of Steve Lee who is retired now but they seem to be very professional about everything they do and fan friendly as much as possible without interferring with their work.
Good luck to you guys in the cold part of the country.
Most people around here still have their Christmas lights up but we will take ours down after this weekend and stash the artificial tree too.
Been trying to diagnose some voltage drops in the layout. I have one near a switch but have soldered jumper wires around it. Still has low voltage. I suspect that I have a bad piece of track that was soldered too which is in a tunnel. I will probably have to open up the tunnel and lay some new track.
Fife, re your proto 1 F units, Doug is right. Most of the problems can be fixed with a new battery if the electronics are OK. In my case they were bad so I ripped them out and put in the reverse unit only.
later,
Ray
SPMan
Afternoon All.
Still kinda draggin' from yesterday. All of yesterday's equipment is in the train room, but not unpacked or serviced yet.
Laz, I saw that listing last week, I think he's a little overpriced for used even though they are relatively scarce. When you go to the MTH locater there is nothing showing for almost all of the L&N Madisons at dealers. Not surprising when you see that they made very few to begin with. Maybe I'll be asking a "Yorkie" to check out the Spring meet if I don't find some before then. That engine was a big time score, mint in the box for $300. Original MSRP was $899.
Time to get off my tush and get some work done, although I have gotten some sausage and pasta sauce started for dinner.
DougM.........guess what day it is! It is Lou Malnati's pizza day. We will be throwing three of them in the oven for our weekly "Grammy and Grampy" Saturday night meal. I will have to rustle up some salad to go with them. And the beer is chillin'.
Heck jack you could put the beer outside the back door and it would chill great real fast Glad you all doing okay up there.
Jack you can never have to many loops to run trains
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
Started out sunny this morning, but has gotten cloudy this afternoon. Weather guessers say maybe 3 to 6 inches of snow soon, then the "polar vortex" arrives and the temperatures drop for a few days. Sounds like the planes states will be getting some really cold weather. I'm even hearing that the great lakes have a chance of freezing over this year! The walks are shoveled, we've been to the grocery store to re-stock, and I put new wipers on my wife's minivan, so we are all set.
We got home from our holiday tour Thursday evening. Got the car unloaded and vegged in my favorite wingback. Finally got to bed, then woke up at 3am to go a round or two with the stomach flue. Didn't do much yesterday as a result. Feeling pretty good today, though.
We got a phone call yesterday informing us that one of our old friends had passed last Sunday - conjestive heart failure. We tipped a lot of beers and shares lots of adventures with him. He was also one of the better electrical engineers that I've known too.
On the train front, we picked up the Bachman garden size circuis train yesterday that my wife had ordered. We'll use that in one of the museum displays. Later, we'll probably have to do some sort of garden layout. During our travels, we stopped at a train shop in Indianapolis, and one in St Louis. Picked up some misclaneous scenery pieces, a baggage car for my MPC era Blue Comet, and a couple of boxcars.
Brutus - we waved when we went through St Louis on Thursday.
About all for now. Y'all be careful when you go out in the single digit and negative temperatures.
Hi Guys! Just stopped in to wish everyone a Happy New Year and a belated Happy Birthday to Laz!
Bayville, NJ
Life is what happens to youWhile you're busy making other plans - John Lennon
Went to a retirement party for my former boss at the factory. We worked together almost 20 years. Watched an English FA cup game today as well. Will be staying home Monday as weather promises to be awful. Not sure when all the stuff will hit. One forecast shows our area getting mostly rain before the temps drop. Who knows for sure. As long as I have power, I will have trains running. I hope everyone has a good day.
RT......you are right, the beer chills quickly on the deck in single digit temperatures.
8N.......my family has hit the road for the holidays more than once to visit relatives in Illinois and I have been fortunate enough to miss the worst of the weather; and like you, I came home dragging and sick.
MikeC......I sincerely hope your upcoming weather is more moderate than what mine has been recently. I went through a gallon and a half of gas in the snowblower during the last storm
LAZ.....at least Minnie has a much thicker coat than my Dobermans, Maximus and Raven, whose defense against the cold is nil. When we put coats on them they just stand there and look at you without taking care of business.
V8 Dennis......so it sounds like your trip North for the holidays was fantastic, especially with the time you saved flying.
SP Ray....I may take you up on your offer and bunk with you if this weather continues. We are at about 80% of our annual average snowfall and we are not even through the first week of January. More snow forecast this coming week as well.
Good night all. Warmer [in the thirties ]. Actually warming more and then bottom drops out.
Jack, you are a great thinker about the "gang" rooming there during this weather. Yes, folks should be charged for leaving their pets out in weather like this.
GANG, where is Doug M.? No posts for days. Frozen to his commuter train, keyboard or layout???? Maybe he moved south to warmer temps [where??? south is it warmer?].
8N, wow. Know you are glad to get home to rest.
Banks, continued prayers. I know you look after your animals.
Wifey just got back from the Petersburg VA. area where her sister has moved to another house. She says it is near a big switching yard. Said folks were standing on a bridge at the yard with cameras and etc. just before dark. Can't understand why????? It turns out to be a CSX yard.
Sleep tight. Stay warm.
AF53 - Happy New Year back atcha. Did you and HudsonJohn party so hard you're just coming to...?
Good Morning, Joe .......
It is a cloudy 32 degrees. Going up to 39 today.
Today is an easy day. I didn't sleep too good last night and I will be taking a good nap today. This weather is not helping my bones.
Cheerios on the dining car for breakfast.
Y'all have a great Sunday.
Good mornin' y'all from Cape Ann Taxachusetts. WHAT DJ SAID.......looks like we are twins weatherwise, but it did get as low as 3 degrees last night. I missed most of the NFL Wild Card games yesterday as the wife and I were entertaining the daughter, son-in-law, and the grandchildren last night.....some very exciting games or so I could gather from the Sports news last night. Observation: don't get down on the floor to play games with the little ones when a table is available. After all of the snow removal my muscles were not accomplishing the up-and-down so well. Actually, getting down on the floor is easy but thhe reverse can be another story. FIFE.......AF RAY, HUDSON JOHN, and JOEY D are in a funk about the prospects for their old and decrepit Yankees for the upcoming seasom. Today we begin the process of de-Christmassing the house. My wife went wild this past December and it will probably take the better part of a day to accomplish the mission. Later, gang. JACK.
Warmer, cloudy and misty. Slept really good. Had to fix a Lazy Boy recliner this AM. Now I can reclinerize in comfort.
Spanky, you all enjoy.
Jack, the Yankees are going to get you dirty Sox this coming year [I hope]. We'll run you through the "washer". Stay warm.
Later.
14 tis morning here and gonna get freezing rain later. Went out yesterday with Flintlock. Got out at 245 and stayed in woods till 524PM. Cold at18 when leaving in truck. Saw 11 deer at 505PM about 70yrds out. Waiting til they got closer about 50-60 yards, it was 515PM. Brought gun up and pulled back hammer, put sight on big fat doe and couldn't see front sight, DAH! To dark! Watch deer walk away then left woods. Got to get some fluorescent paint and dab on front site. Coulda been done yesterday? Oh well got this week yet. Came home cleaned gun and helped WIFE make Shepperds Pie, real good. Ran trains for an hour, NO PILE UPs. Watched 99th Pa Farm Show for an hour went to bed.
DOUGDA GRUMP, let me know what the MTH number is and I'll look for you in April at YORK. Theres everything there maybe I'll find it?
AF53 and HUDSONJOHN, Hope YUZ GUYZ have a great New Year too. Tanks for the B day wishes.
JACK, I know what you mean, easier going down then getting back up. I have that problem too. I wish my knees worked better. My MINNIE has about the same thickness of fur as your Dobermans. Its the Chihuahua in her and when she is outside even with the neoprene coat on she is humped up and shaking.
WOW GREEN BAY Game looks tropical today?
Stya frosty my friends,
DOUG M......19 below zero tonight with -42 wind chill factor?!? There will be no problems for you staying frosty, as LAZ would say. JACK.
Happy new year to all.
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