Mornin' guys and gals. Hope you're having a good day. Cloudy and 45 in the Potomac Highlands, and that's where it's gonna stay a day or three. Started going to PT for a lower back issue that's crept up. Therapist says I need to build up my torso... I thought that's what I've been doing since high school. Gotta dig up those old Jane Fonda vhs tapes. Want to be in tip-top shape for York at the end of the month.
April 1st!
Well I don't feel foolish this morning but I AM walking around the house going "ow-ow-ow," I helped set up the tables for the club's trainshow this weekend. Ow. Jeez, those things are heavy! Ow.
Happy April Fools Day!
Final Christmas presents were unwrapped and I got my Craftsman Tool box for my electrical stuff. In celebration, I got all my electrical stuff in the box and, from the leftover projects I had, made a barrell connector to transformer for my Fastrack/ Prior, the only way to connect the Fastrack to power would have been a wall wort.
Still testing my $60 275w ZW, my meters are NOT happy with it.... so, further testing will continue, lol. And they are Tectronic meters, they ain't cheap....
Weather is cooler at 54F and will continue through the weekend.
Saturday is my fire dept. dinner and Jenni will be attending with me. 30 active years - 48 total in the fire service. We'll stay as long as she feels comfortable and then return home.
Good news yesterday, the wedding is a go, just need the diocese to step up their investigation.....oy.
Some minor clean up on Sunday, then back to Jenni's on Monday - she has blood work at the hospital and PT at her house.
OK - back to work
I am the monster in your head...And I thought you'd learn by now, It seems you haven't yet.I am the venom in your skin --- Breaking Benjamin
anjdevil - Big Congas on 30. You deserve a fire engine red engine. So which will it be, the CSX 911 or NS 911? Just finishing opening Xmas gifts...the past couple months probably felt like Groundhog's Day at times.
Yeah, it was strange. Everything is just not "right".
I'll take the CSX - I have the NS GP-38, lol.
Off to dinner tonight, should be fun, 47 and cold this AM. Maybe 50F later
The future SIL is already off to Pensacola, FL, didn't even get a full day with the Princess and his family. Ahhhh, military life....
They will get married in FLA for military reasons, soon.
We might be able to go see them get hitched in a civil ceremony, depending on time.
We're cancelling our honeymoon due to lack of money, but might do Wildwood during convention for a week or maybe Carlisle Chrysler show.
Wedding is scaled back but will happen......
Hi there, RT, thanks for contacting Shak and Bake. I was going to later but it was nice talking to him when I did.
Rich sounds good that things are looking up for you two. Sure was a hard slap to deal with.
As for me I am still a dog tied to a tree. I did take a nice hot shower when I got up today. Sure glad we kept that tub shower chair from Sandra's hip replacement. Could not do it with out that. Since I got nothing else to do I have been looking up information on my ankle fracture and reading all the doctor notes from both hospitals. What I have is a Trimalleolar ankle fracture, in case you care to look that up.Go figure the worst kind you can get. Only 7% get this lucky. . Kind of brings it all into view now why I have to stay off this thing. I will find out if I can start to bear weight on the 15th. Till then I am just sitting tight. If so lots of PT on the way to walking. We are going to try to make a trip to the barber shop next week to find out what steps we will need to do so wifey can get me up to Rockford on the 15th. Kind of a dry run and I get a hair cut as well and I sure need one.
Needless to say not much else going on around The North Bluff.
Be good and be safe.
Joined 1-21-2011 TCA 13-68614
Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL.
Expect the unexpected... so they say.What I wasn't expecting, was yesterday evening, over dinner, a family member who works at the town dump informed me casually that some trains had showed up! A friend who works there had saved them for me- the caveat was that she couldn't hold onto them past this weekend... I had less than 48 hours to stake my claim or they were going to be gone.Lucky for me, the dump is a 20 minute walk, and the weather was gorgeous today- I wasted no time getting out there!It's a very rare ocurrence here that any trains show up... at least as far as I've observed. Then again I didn't always have someone keeping an eye out for me. While it wasn't a heap of postwar goodies, it was definitely worth hurrying out there to see for myself.What I wound up with was... almost the full consist of a Lionel 6-1602 Nickel Plate Special set (missing the tender), a Polar Express tender with sound, an RMT Beep decorated for the B&M (one of my favorite road names!), a small heap of fastrack, an MTH silver girder brige, and an MTH Z1000 transformer and control unit. Also included were two mostly but not quite complete plasticville structures, a partially repainted Lionel tinplate 93 water tower, a cardboard tunnel which I presume was made by Life-Like, but I'm not sure if it was marketed by Lionel, Gilbert, or themselves, or somebody else.There was also a bunch of HO cars, some track, and a loco. The cars are nothing special but the loco is a Rivarossi Berkshire, and along with the HO stuff was the original AHM/Rivarossi manual and an AHM train set instruction book and catalog. Both of them are dated to 1973 so I think that must be when the loco was made. It's in rather nice shape too, they did a good job on the details.I've rapidly grown very fond of the Beep so it's definitely a keeper, even if the poor thing's seen better days. It runs just like it's brand new, though I need to replace the traction tire.Clearly I've had a little too much fun today
-Ellie
"Unless bought from a known and trusted dealer who can vouch otherwise, assume every train for sale requires servicing before use"
Mornin' guys and gals. Cloudy, 46 with a wind advisory along the Patterson Creek cut-off. Only thing on the ol' docket today is to help me misses finish the Easter wreath she's working on.
Ellie - Nice score! The Z1000 alone was worth the walk. Beep looks good, too.
KRM - Hope the heeling (or is it healing) goes fast for you.
fifedogEllie - Nice score! The Z1000 alone was worth the walk. Beep looks good, too.
Fife, I have to admit, I prefer my postwar, but that MTH controller is really pleasant to run a train with. As for the Beep, the paint isn't nearly as good as it looks in the video, the motion helps hide the imperfections in the paint. I still love it, despite the cosmetic damage.I have to add a few corrections to make- the biggest being that I was mistaken, it's not a Z1000- it's "only" a Z750. It can still deliver more juice than I'd ever be able to take advantage of with a single throttle, so I'm good The other omission is that there was another two O gauge cars I totally forgot to mention! A (sadly doorless) K-Line B&O boxcar I'm blanking on the number of, and a 6-9733 Airco LCCA boxcar with tank. Just for fun I took the shell off the 6-9733 to get a better look at the tank inside. I noticed it is only fully lettered on one side- is that normal for these tanks?
Great score, I'm partial to B&M also.
I have postwar sets, 1615, 2572, 9554, & 13028 I had 12800 but let it go when I was reducing my inventory.
Nice score on your "dump run" Ellie, and remember the old saying:
"For free you take, for pay shop around!" Free is good!
Hey, I've got six Beeps (it just happened) and those little engines are pretty darn good. Put two or more together and they'll pull just about anything.
Smokey, color me jealous! I've been hunting for a postwar B&M GP9 for a few years now but so far I haven't found one in my price range. I may settle for an MPC era version at some point, but I'd love to own a 2346 or 2354- or maybe someday both Last summer I saw a boxed 12800 for sale at an antique store while on vacation, but I recall it was priced accordingly. No dice for me!I have a 217 A-B with some flaws, but which were well within my range. I keep thinking it would be kinda neat to have a 226 to run in tandem with it, A-B-B-A style. I have a glossy and a flat 6017-100, the latter is in less good shape and I've been wanting to use it as my subject for a conversion into an illuminated, trimmed out piece. The glossy car is in really nice shape, I bought it at a show in november. It was a bit of a steal, I think I only paid $15 for it.flintlock, you really can't beat a price of "free", eh?I definitely don't think I'd be against owning another beep, but I'd probably only buy one in a road name I'm fond of. I like the New Haven a lot, and I'd be tempted by a Conrail or an MEC unit. If they did one for the Central Vermont Railway's "wet noodle" scheme I think I'd have to buy it (they used to run through my town until the company was sold and became New England Central).-Ellie
Mornin' guys and gals. Overcast and 47 in the Potomac Highlands. Grandsons will be here in two days, which mean Ms Kelly will want to go to the supermarket and purchase food and drink items that the little darlings will wind up NOT consuming.
Had a little campfire yesterday, cleaning up the site and burning some yard debris. Put my Carhart on this morning, and it still had that great smoky aroma.
I need to get in the train room and apply some color washes to the new rock faces.
I had always turned my nose up at those RMT Beeps and Beefs, but I really liked the Bangs. Wish someone would produce them again.
Good afternoon
Saturday after work, Ms. Jenni and I attended my installation dinner, I was installed as Vice President and Senior Trustee. Then got my 30 years of service award. A bronze ceremonial axe. I am very happy to finally get it.
Sunday was housework and then off to PHL to pick up my Princess from her flight to Great Lakes Training center, IL. My future SIL was off to Pensacola by 0300 the next day. She was sad, but understood.
Yesterday we were at Jenni's I did some yard work while Jenni waited for her PT. Got all the Muscle Mopars running in prep for Spring/Summer Cruising. Also got her Z scale running, that will most likely be transferred to Mom's house this week.
Need to go shopping at some point, I have a County Meeting tomorrow night, Jenni has a hair appointment Thursday.
Prayers for all in need - just a quick fly by - need to get back to work....
Congrats on your 30 years anjdevil! Fife- I did the same, my feelings on the beep have changed a little now that I own one, and also from doing some research and learning that the dies originated with Kusan! They called it the General Purpose (GP) Switcher. I'd love to have an original Kusan version to show off alongside my RMT (though at a glance it seems like all of RMT's changes to the design were for the better)I have an RMT Budd car decorated for the New Haven, it looks really nice and it runs quite well. I really love all the options you have for controlling the directional lighting, so you can have prototypical multi car trains with headlights and tail lights only at the ends of the consist, all the more reason to buy more than one I suppose -Ellie
Good Morning, Winter refuses to loosen its grips. We have another storm moving through. It started yesterday evening and will go at least until Thursday morning with a possibility it will hold on into Friday. Predictions are for 3-6 more inches. Schools are closed here in Duluth. The temperature is not supposed to dip below 34 so the snow is heavy and wet. The good news is that it won't last long, but it will cause some flooding. When Spring arrives it will be more than welcome.
Our daughter and her her family are here for a while, so we will be busy.
Have a great day.
Northwoods Flyer
The Northwoods Flyer Collection
of
American Flyer Trains
"The Toy For the Boy"
I have several RMT Beeps and a Beef or 2 - I'm pretty sure I have a PRR Beef, i MIGHT have the CNJ as well, but it's all still boxed. The beeps are all over the place, I have like 10 or so.
I do like them, I have a CNJ with sounds and I love it - It won't pull much, but still fun.
I'd say the pride of my Beep collection are two special run engines done in Public Service Electric and Gas schemes. My favorite uncle worked for PSE&G for 30+ years as an electrical lineman. We NEVER had a power failure in our area while he was on the job!
I got lucky finding those Beeps. I was at a New Jersey Hi-Railers open house ten years ago and saw them for sale at a VERY resonable price so I grabbed 'em both.
They look like this, I've got 1906 and 1915.
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/rmt-4081-pseg-public-service-1906-1965555537
Hi all, Wifey took me and I got my hairs cut today, boy did I need that!!
Ellie, Love my Beep and Bang, Also like you and RT/Smokey everything blue and white B&M And not to forget the Lionel 218 ABBA set.
I'm also Southern RR Kevin. And a few others.
Mornin' guys and gals. 'Tis a quiet 54 and raining along the Patterson Creek cut-off. Not even listening to the TV in the background. That will all change this afternoon, when the grandsons arrive. But for now, just sipping on my black coffee, enjoying the sound of silence.
Did get in the train room and applied some color washes to the new scenery. Ran some trains, no pile-ups, but some pony truck derailing issues.
Northwoods - My lovely wife requests that you keep the 3-6 inches of snow to yourself, thank you kindly.
fifedog Northwoods - My lovely wife requests that you keep the 3-6 inches of snow to yourself, thank you kindly.
Northwoods, Dave's videos are some of my favorites. I really enjoy the "train night" videos since they usually showcase at least a couple different trains each. Happy to see I'm not the only B&M fan, the 'bluebird' livery is very pretty. A tiny short line about 45 minutes from me has recently finished repainting their GP9 and NW5 to match their two GP38s in B&M bluebird colors. Logos and lettering aside, GP9 1749 is a match for the high hood Geeps Lionel based their 2346 and 2354 off of. (not my video)A sibling brought something home from school again, and I've been in the throes of a nasty cold- didn't sleep much at all last night, hopefully tonight goes better. The motors I ordered to experiment with repowering my 0635 pacific finally came, I'm not sure if I actually have suitable gears to complete the drive but upon looking things over I think I already know which motor I'm going to end up using.Certainly a project to look forwards to once I'm well again.-Ellie
Good Afternoon
Get well soon, Ellie
Rain has ended and we got 3" worth. Sun is out and 60F.
Will be reorganizing more closet space for clothes and trains, I have a bunch of Marx that need to be containerized. Need to find a place for a lot of HO I found. Some closes have mystery items - so it should be interesting.
Hope to get to the Train Doctor in Tinton Falls, still need to get my Dad's 1666 and my NASCAR GP38 in for service.
That's all from here - for now
Mornin' guys and gals. Mostly cloudy and 42 along the Patterson Creek cut-off. Had fun with the grandsons yesterday. Introduced them to wiffleball, with the older boy making solid contact on a repeated basis, and the curly top having a strong, and surprisingly accurate, right arm. They enjoyed visiting their cousin, and playing with his stuff.
After pizza, came home to assemble the Lionel Little Lines set that I picked up used from a train show. Thick plastic track is tough to get together, but makes a cute figure 8. Unfortunately, the loco wouldn't run, due to bad battery posts. Will have to secure a replacement before the boys return. Did run trains for the curlytop with no pileups.
fifedogUnfortunately, the loco wouldn't run, due to bad battery posts.
Ellie - Thanks for the tip. Shall try to pick up one.
Ellie, I've heard of those fiberglass pencils. Where can I find one?
I bought one off of Amazon since I couldn't find anything locally. I should note that you can also buy refills of the cleaning 'stick', so when you eventually manage to wear one out you can put a new one in. I haven't used mine enough to come close to that yet. Generally when using it I only extend the stick out just enough to use on whatever I'm cleaning, long term I think this goes easier on the fiberglass bristles but I don't have any research to back it up.So far, my favorite use I've found for it is probably cleaning up motor commutators and contacts, since it seems to be just as good, if not better than using a track eraser. It might just be a "feel" thing- like the difference between using a big block eraser and the eraser on the back of a pencil.-Ellie
I've always just used sandpaper, an Emory board or a metal file to remove gunk from battery terminals.
Same me, different spelling!
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