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MAY Coffee Pot. 11 YEARS OLD. For those to visit and chat. Open to all. Besides coffee; there is sweet ice tea, soft drinks, water, oatmeal and GRITS. Locked

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  • From: Crystal Lake, IL
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Posted by cnw1995 on Tuesday, May 20, 2014 8:06 PM

Better commute home tonight. Chief, that sounds like a fun show to see. Ray, it sure would've been neat to ride a nice long distance train. Although some of the former C&NW coaches I ride occasionally are almost 50 years old, the only train like that I've been on is the Illinois Railway Museum's Nebraska Zephyr...

Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.

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Posted by 8ntruck on Tuesday, May 20, 2014 8:11 PM
We made a trip to Michigan last week. A mix of vacation and work. Checked up on mom, and met up with some folks that we have not seen in 25 or 30 years. The new minivan got 29.7mpg eastbound (with a tail wind) and 27.8mpg westbound. That is two or three mpg better than the old minivan. Work was still here when I got back so I could continue keeping the SS fund solvent for all of you retired types. All for now.
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Posted by cheapclassics on Tuesday, May 20, 2014 8:25 PM

Good evening all,

Busy day at work.  Bathroom not done, won't be until Friday now.  Long story.   I think the reason there is less crossover between NASCAR and open wheel is that the cars are so different.  Even when Indy went to mostly rear engine racers, they still had dirt cars that were sort of similar to NASCAR (Heavy front engine rear wheel drive machines.).   The absolute worse decision ever made in racing history (my opinion) was dropping dirt cars from the Champ car series.   That greatly reduced opportunities for American drivers to move up the open wheel ladder.  Open wheel became the province of the road course people, which meant overseas people.   One of the reasons Tony Stewart was good in NASCAR after doing well in open wheel was the sprint and midget racing he did and he was in Indy car during that brief section of time when drivers had that chance to do so.  Most of the recent open wheel "crossovers" (including said sparkle pony) had no midget or sprint car experience.  I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

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Posted by Blueberryhill RR on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 6:29 AM

Good Morning from Blueberryhill.....

Good Morning,  Joe.........

It is a cloudy 62 degrees. Going up to 76 today with rain.

Today is an easy day. I have a few chores to do and then I can relax and do some reading. Not much else new here.

Dining car is here with Cheerios for breakfast.

Y'all have a great Wednesday

Chuck

Chuck # 3 I found my thrill on Blueberryhill !!
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Posted by laz 57 on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 7:22 AM

Hudson#685
Good Morning! 67 and Sunny! The big news is that my son has his pre interview, fingerprinting and start of his background check for the Police Department at 2pm. SPMan, Ray: Same Raffle record as mine! Hope your son's back heals quickly. Doug DG: Glad the fires are almost contained. Rain would be great! Mike C: Good luck with the bathroom. Don: Glad the graduation went well. You must be counting the minutes with the cage. Doug M: That was some ride! Enjoy the Day! John

HUDSONJOHN,

  Hope the PD don't look up the picture from YORK and see HUDSONJOHNSON hanging out with that motley crewWink.  Could be a deal breaker.

laz57

  There's a race of men that don't fit in, A race that can't stay still; Robert Service. TCA 03-55991
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Posted by rtraincollector on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 7:25 AM

Morning all. Been a week of weeks already Wife got up Tuesday morning to feed the outside cats and noticed a piece of chrome broke off the front of the truck. Got me up I see where the front grill been broke I call police they come make a report. I turn the truck around and notice its not running well at all and break need replacing soon light comes on well I glue the piece back on with gorilla glue and then notice a piece of wire and also the end of the one of the spark plug wires on the ground they also cut into one of the wire harnesses so not feeling safe to drive it had them come and get it. Will have it back Friday  Big Smile They rented me a 2014 Dodge Ram Pick-up I do not like lol they didn't learn there lesson back in the 50's - 60's with push button for transmission they know have a turn knob to put it in gear. ( I know its electronics but electronics break down) 

Any way not much planned for today. My store at the flea market is full lol I even have some back stock seeing I don't have room to put it out. Need to work on some of it also that's not out so can get it out in time also. Need to get some parts in HO as need couplers, 1 set of trucks so far for cheap car and wheel sets. I have a bunch coming in which will be good parts supply I think so we will see. 

Well dinning car has come and gone so time to get down into the den to clean up some of the mess down there. 

Hope all are doing well 

Have a good day

Life's hard, even harder if your stupid  John Wayne

http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/

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Posted by fifedog on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 7:52 AM

rt - lemme know if there is a demand for N at your booth.  I'm sure we could work something out...

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Posted by cnw1995 on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 8:32 AM

Aloha. Foggy this morning but looks like it will turn out to be a nice day. MikeC, that is interesting about open-wheel. i don't know much about the Indy series apart from their long-ago infighting. I guess my interest in NASCAR is kindled by their making the drivers such personalities now that the cars are ridiculously similar. 

My inbound scoot was annulled this morning for 'equipment failure' - another F40 bites the dust and way out at the end of the line. They're old engines but have been practically bullet-proof over the years - maybe they are finally dying. Metra wants to continue to refurbish them to save money. Wasn't delayed too badly because the UP simply moved the timetable back to accomodate our schedule.  

Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.

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Posted by fifedog on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 9:05 AM

cnw1995 - There were far better personalities in NASCAR before the cars got similar.  Stewart gets taken to task for having too much personality...because he is a throw-back.  There was an element of cool in the 60's and 70's because you would see drivers from both series crossing over regularly.  As a kid, I lived for racing on Wide World of Sports.

I think UP should make things right by running 1995 through the wash and coupling it to the head-end (or tail-end) of your train. YesCool

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Posted by SPMan on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 11:24 AM

cnw1995
Ray, it sure would've been neat to ride a nice long distance train

Doug,  that train I mentioned in my article and the photo in the latest Lines South Magazine was actually only a branch line local but it was a little over 100 miles where I rode it.  That was a long trip for me in those days.  I don't think I ever went more than 100 miles from home until I was 18.  I think you were referring to heavy weight cars on your commute.  SP used some of the Harriman heavy weights in the Bay Area commute but they are a thing of the past now. Grand Canyon Railway aquired some of those cars which were not air conditoned.  I rode them on my first trip over that line back in the 90's I think.

Ray

SPMan

              

 

              

 

              

 

              

 

              

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Posted by cheapclassics on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 7:31 PM

Good evening all,

Another bad day at work.  Nothing terribly wrong, nothing terribly right.  Floor fixed in back bathroom project.  Wife is happy with floor.  Hopefully plumbing will be done Friday.  Not holding breath.  I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

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Posted by Hudson#685 on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 11:50 PM

Good evening! Spending the night at Mom's. Took her to the Ford dealer to pick up the plates for her new Focus. This morning's fishing trip was a bust. My buddy's boat broke down just out of his lagoon and in the channel leading to the Bay. His outdrive that he just had serviced took a dump. we were towed in by Sea Tow and it is back to the guy that serviced it.

RT: Hope that the sales do good this weekend.

SPMan, Ray: We need a good rail line Down the Jersey Shore, From NYC to Atlantic to Cape May. The Rail ends halfway down the State (The Jersey Coast Line) in Point Pleasent. We had a decent one that fell prey to politicians  and we keep getting promised first a monorail running the Garden State Parkway, the the Monmouth/Ocean Line. Never happened! The old rail line became housing , roads and bike/hiking trails! No comment on who profitted!

Laz: I told him not to use anybody here for a reference! lol

Enjoy the Evening!

John

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Posted by lion88roar on Thursday, May 22, 2014 8:53 AM

fifedog

cnw1995 - There were far better personalities in NASCAR before the cars got similar.  Stewart gets taken to task for having too much personality...because he is a throw-back.  There was an element of cool in the 60's and 70's because you would see drivers from both series crossing over regularly.  As a kid, I lived for racing on Wide World of Sports.

I think UP should make things right by running 1995 through the wash and coupling it to the head-end (or tail-end) of your train. YesCool



I wish they would go back to STOCK CAR racing... what they have now with everyone basically running the same car is a joke. Back in the 70s/80s the teams would take a stock car and modify it for racing. That was fun to watch because you could tell who was who by the car and colors. What NASCAR is today is rather bland. I've been watching some road races (I think they car GT/GTX or something like that), saw one last weekend were you had Audis, Porsches, Camaros, Mustangs, VWs, and some other manufacturers all running at the same time, it was pretty awesome.

TheQ's cousin does some kind of racing where he takes his Subaru and goes out to some local places and runs through courses setup with cones. He has a lot of fun with it. I've thought of doing that when the 325 is paid for and I get the Grand Cherokee... just something to play with.

Not much going on these days. Have a company coming out next Tuesday to install the new Heatpump and air handler. Going with a 13SEER Bryant system. Not too bad at $4,650.00 installed with 10 year warranty on parts and 2 year warranty on labor. This is the guy that was out this past Tuesday. He told me another reason we aren't getting full use out of our unit is because it isn't sitting level and the oil in the compressor isn't being evenly distributed in the unit. He said he was surprised it has lasted this long since we've been in the house 7 years and the unit was like this when we moved in, and it was installed in 1996.

Hope to get into the train room this weekend. May even start building the new under-the-tree train garden for Christmas... problem is I haven't heard what TheQ's plans are...

https://brentsandsusanspicutures.shutterfly.com/

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Posted by cnw1995 on Thursday, May 22, 2014 10:51 AM

Aloha everyone. It is sunny and cooler - just about 70. Commute last night was only 10 minutes late which Metra counts as being on time for some reason. I watched the Hawks lose last night, successfully grocery-shopped early this morning, and now am catching up with work. Around lunch time, I will muse about how to turn the youngest into George Washington for a school presentation without buying a costume.

I too remember watching the big races on TV when you could identify the individual cars, and Fife is right, the characters were sure 'bigger' or not so corporate. I wish they'd go back to using stock cars as a base...

Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.

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Posted by ChiefEagles on Thursday, May 22, 2014 3:32 PM

WOW!!!  Busy three days.  Up at 5 and off the meetings until bedtime.  Home now for a while.

Shake and Bake out of surgery and in cast up to knee.  Will call when Kaye gives the OK.  This is great compared to the past "cage" cast.

Off tomorrow for a bad mole removal.  Also two more places on my hand has to be cut.  One new and one old [deeper cut this time].  Mole thingy is real surgery.

Just found "hidden" tick that had started swelling.  Not good.  I get ticks but not one stuck this long.  Some may remember I have had some bad reactions to ticks [Lyme's].  Joints frozen up and could not walk or talk for days.

Hope all are OK.  

Check in later.

 God bless TCA 05-58541   Benefactor Member of the NRA,  Member of the American Legion,   Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville Laugh,   KC&D QualifiedCowboy       

              

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Posted by lion88roar on Thursday, May 22, 2014 7:51 PM

Glad to hear Don is now on the mend!

Chief - Angel prayers that your surgery goes well and you recover quickly. Get that tick taken care of, I have some friends who are dealing with lyme decease and it is not to be trifled with.

https://brentsandsusanspicutures.shutterfly.com/

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Posted by dbaker48 on Thursday, May 22, 2014 8:33 PM

Good Evening !

WOW !!  I'm FREE !!!  The cage is OFF!!  I cant believe the difference, I still using the walker but not as dependent !  I have a cast from my toes to my knee, also a cast shoe with actual treads on the bottom.  The Dr encouraged me to start putting weight on my leg.  Said if it starts to hurt back off, so I'm primarily using it as balance for now.  And is it ever great !  Full leg swing and just stablizing on the ground.  Haven't done that since January.  AND haven;t hit the walker with my foot.  What an improvement !!  Also, able to elevate my leg without having to ensure the heel area is not touching anything !  Most importantly NO PAIN, that is an unusual sensation to say the least.

They gave me all the pieces from the cage, going to have to integrate the parts into the train layout, somehow.  Believe me, looking at the pieces after they have been removed, they sure are mean looking!  The end points are as sharp as drill bits, and then the threads are split, about 4"  with sharp edges on them as well, then the next 8" are marked of in 10cm sections, and finally a hex head at the top.

Will have to figure out how to wrap the cast for showering, but that will be easy.  Also able to wear long pants !  Needless to say one happy camper here.  BTW, will probably have the cast on for two months, and then see where we are.  Most likely start PT at that time.

Hope everyone has a great week-end !

And Take Care and Stay Healthy !!!

Don

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Posted by cheapclassics on Thursday, May 22, 2014 8:36 PM

Good evening all,

Nice weather today.  Good day at work.  No soccer tonight so took wife to see Godzilla.  She is happy.  Lion88roar, I think what Q's cousin did with the cones used to be called gymkhanas and I think now they are called solos.   Been so long I am not sure what they are.   I did that for awhile after my racing days.  I do not see a time when stock cars would be raced again, mostly for safety reasons.   I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

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Posted by rtraincollector on Thursday, May 22, 2014 11:54 PM

Don Congrats but lets take it easySmile not sure what all the pieces look like but could you use them to make a bridge like item or to be a frame of a bridge. Just an idea. 

Morning all ( I think it is lol ) Hope all doing well 

Life's hard, even harder if your stupid  John Wayne

http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/

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Posted by Blueberryhill RR on Friday, May 23, 2014 6:50 AM

Good Morning from Blueberryhill............

Good Morning,  Joe......

It is a sunny 48 degrees. Going up to a sunny 70 today.

Today is a busy day. Wife is grocery shopping and I am doing chores. Put groceries away and have lunch. Then, a nice nap.

Congratulations,  Don.  Enjoy your freedom.

Buckeye & LAZ........TGIF

Dining car is here with Cheerios for breakfast.

Y'all have a great Friday.

Chuck

Chuck # 3 I found my thrill on Blueberryhill !!
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Posted by cnw1995 on Friday, May 23, 2014 7:43 AM

Aloha. Sunny today but cooler/ Great news, Don! Hope you're OK, Chief. There's lots of ticks around here. The bride removes quite a few after recess at school.

Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.

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Posted by fifedog on Friday, May 23, 2014 7:45 AM

dbaker - So, Don...what you're sayin' is you're not going to consider a peg...?Sigh

Stay foamy anyway. Pirate

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Posted by Hudson#685 on Friday, May 23, 2014 10:00 AM
Good Morning! 62 and Raining! No Fishing today! Doray and I are going to Tractor Supply for some gardening supplies and then stop for lunch. Everything else is quiet. Brent / Doug: I agree with you guys on Stock Car Racing. Mike: You have a point on safety, but it is Stock Car Racing! Chief: Good luck with the mole removal and the tick. Don: Glad that you are rid of the cage and on the mend. Fife: Peg Leg Don!!! LOL Enjoy the Day! John
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Posted by SPMan on Friday, May 23, 2014 11:29 AM

Don B., Great news on getting the cage off.  Welcome back to the world.  Hope you continue to improve.

Chief, prayer for surgery and getting rid of that tick.

Got to run,

Ray

SPMan

              

 

              

 

              

 

              

 

              

KRM
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Posted by KRM on Friday, May 23, 2014 12:37 PM
Frank, better get the tick looked into. What is it with this site and nothing working when running Windows 8.1?? I have to agree on the NASCAR comments. They have lost the focus for me. I remember when I saw Dale E and Mark M. at the Grundy county speedway on a Friday night in a grudge race. Today's NASCAR drivers are too far above to do things like that anymore. My daughter worked at the Louis airport where the drivers fly into for the Joliet race. She got Kurt Bush to give me a autograph but said most were just snobs and the Dale Jr was the worst.

Joined 1-21-2011    TCA 13-68614

Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL. Whistling

 

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Posted by jonadel on Friday, May 23, 2014 3:27 PM

Don B. -- great news on the leg, it's sure been a long haul for you, way to hang in there.  Go to your local drug store, they have shower proof leggings for you.  I had one for five weeks and it worked great, it's like a huge boot that comes up to the thigh and easily keeps out the shower water.

We are really looking forward to staying home this weekend even though it's going to be a working weekend.  We have cedar siding on our home and about every 4-5 years we have to stain it to keep out the rain and stop the sun from making it fade.  It's an easy job but just takes time, the stain is like water and easy to work with.  This is actually year six so we feel good about it, we started yesterday and it already looks 100% better.

Looking forward to Monday and all the Memorial Day celebrations.  We have much to be thankful for.

Jon

So many roads, so little time. 

 

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Posted by ChiefEagles on Friday, May 23, 2014 3:37 PM

Home.  Bandaged right hand, several frozen spots on both hands [more had popped out] and a big bandage on right middle back.  Can't bend over as it pulls bad.  Have to squat to pick up things.  No pain yet.

Hope all are doing OK.

Later. 

PS:  yesterday

http://abc11.com/realestate/wake-county-home-to-most-of-north-carolinas-top-10-booming-towns/73902/

 God bless TCA 05-58541   Benefactor Member of the NRA,  Member of the American Legion,   Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville Laugh,   KC&D QualifiedCowboy       

              

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Posted by jonadel on Friday, May 23, 2014 6:25 PM

Nice article Frank, key words "don't screw it up" and I'm saying that with a smile on my face.  Believe me.

Jon

So many roads, so little time. 

 

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Posted by cheapclassics on Friday, May 23, 2014 8:10 PM

Good evening all,

Very quiet day at work.  Mowed the yard tonight.  All fixtures in back bathroom are functional.  I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

KRM
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Posted by KRM on Friday, May 23, 2014 8:20 PM
ChiefEagles

Home.  Bandaged right hand, several frozen spots on both hands [more had popped out] and a big bandage on right middle back.  Can't bend over as it pulls bad.  Have to squat to pick up things.  No pain yet.

Hope all are doing OK.

Later. 

PS:  yesterday

http://abc11.com/realestate/wake-county-home-to-most-of-north-carolinas-top-10-booming-towns/73902/

Frank / Chief, You bragging or complaining? I lived in a boom town once called Plainfield. Could not wait to get the heck out. Never will look back. Heal up. At your age be glad you can Squat. :-)

Joined 1-21-2011    TCA 13-68614

Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL. Whistling

 

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