Good afternoon allSimply stunning weather out here in Western MA. This morning was a regular visit with the doctor, after that I got down to work again doing more studying for volunteer work at the trolley museum. It's been a little tiresome getting through the rulebook in a single sitting so I've been breaking it up. So far, feeling well prepared for my exams and the new operating season- I think the crew is going to be in great shape this year, self included!I've spent a lot of time out doors the past several days- picking up fallen branches, mowing the lawn, and mowing for our neighbors too! It's a much busier spring than I've had in the past, but maybe that's a good thing, I'm getting lots of exercise from being outside so much.My Lionel 0598 GP7 continues to run well after I finished repairing it, but I still have my concerns about how hot the motor gets. I did some reading on motor re-magnetizing, and I'm thinking about building my own magnetizer to re-magnetize the original field magnet and motor to see if that works better than the replacement magnets I used in it. It's possible that the ones I have aren't as strong as the original, worth a shot, no?It seems that Lionel actually offered an HO motor magnetizer for service stations... ST-393. Anybody have one? Figured it was worth a shot... That's all to discuss for now, if I get up to anything else interesting I'll be sure to report in.Take care all.
-Ellie
"Unless bought from a known and trusted dealer who can vouch otherwise, assume every train for sale requires servicing before use"
Hi gang,
Wow went from winter to the dead of summer in a day. Today is day two of the 90s and two more to come. WTH?
Yeah,,,,no more PT after todays. I figured so. Like the guy said, I do more just keeping up with this place then he could ever have me do there. He said just keep on keeping on and do the stretching and ride it out. Months yet to get whole but doing way better. Maybe I wil be about there by my birthday in Aug???
Back to the AC and recliner for now.
Joined 1-21-2011 TCA 13-68614
Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL.
What do you all think. Should I update my profile pic?
https://link.shutterfly.com/MzValMPcXpb
Kinda look like Ward Kimball's illegitimate granddaughter.
Same me, different spelling!
Honestly Becky, I like your Asian theme profile pic a LOT better!
I liked your old anime' self-portrait too!
fifedog 88 - The Q's facial expression had to be priceless! Great story.
88 - The Q's facial expression had to be priceless! Great story.
https://brentsandsusanspicutures.shutterfly.com/
Mornin' guys and gals. Sunny and 56 along the Patterson Creek cut-off. Need to mow the lawn today, before rain tomorrow.
I spent the last several days visiting/working at my Aunt's home, in Ashland, VA. She has a large fishpond that her late husband maintained, and it hadn't been touched in two years. Can you say Jungle? Took Monday and Tuesday to manage the vegetation, and get at least one of the pumps back in order. We did dine at Caboose Cafe on Tuesday, and yes we visited Tiny Tim's as well.
Flint - Sonja handed me your newsletter. BTW, I tried to PM you, but was unable to. Oh well, next time perhaps.
88 - That post left me very, very hungry. But never enough to return to B'more.
Pennytrains - Same thing. Too much hair, not enough eye-patch...
fifedogFlint - Sonja handed me your newsletter. BTW, I tried to PM you, but was unable to. Oh well, next time perhaps.
Yeah, the blasted PM section of the various Forums hasn't worked for months! "Events" hasn't worked either for a year! Annoying, to say the least!
I'm gonna break down and see if I can insert my e-mail in my profile, assuming THAT doesn't mess things up too.
Anyway, enjoy the newsletter! Sonja does one hell of a job on it!
OK Fife, my e-mail's in my Profile section now, so shoot me one the next time you'll be in the area. We can meet at Tiny Tim's where I'll probably spend more money I shouldn't.
Becky, I wouldn't change a thing......if for no reason other than that it seems the whole profile system is still broken! I checked, and you still can't put in a new profile pic... to make matters worse, I can't update my E-Mail address either. Strange. I feel like it's been over a year by now that the profile pic thing's been broken, I really hope they finally fix it 'cauz I miss having one of my own!-Ellie
LeverettrailfanBecky, I wouldn't change a thing... ...if for no reason other than that it seems the whole profile system is still broken! I checked, and you still can't put in a new profile pic... to make matters worse, I can't update my E-Mail address
Strange, I input my e-mail with no trouble. Maybe because it's the first time I've done it?
And yes, I'd forgotten, a LOT of people have tried changing their avatar and lost the one they had and gotten stuck with the "Orange on a bar of Irish Spring" avatar, so by all means Becky leave it as is!
That's probably it- I already have an E-Mail in, I just want to change it since I no longer have the old one. But it gives me a 503 'Service Temporarily Unavailable' error when I click on the "Update E-Mail Address" link. I have a feeling that it's been that way for a long time. I'm inclined to wonder if there's anybody at all who oversees making sure this stuff works Well, at least the forum is still functional!-Ellie
Leverettrailfan I'm inclined to wonder if there's anybody at all who oversees making sure this stuff works Well, at least the forum is still functional!-Ellie
I'm inclined to wonder if there's anybody at all who oversees making sure this stuff works Well, at least the forum is still functional!-Ellie
That was chiefs feelings before he passed, and there are others also wondering the same thing. This forum product they have is poor at the best, but at least we do have a forum here. I have lost many posts as I hit submit your reply. Part of the reason I do not post that often.
For our trescadecaphobians, only 5 hours left, hang in there.
Evenin' FellasYesterday brought some very special memories pouring back to me. I took Matthew on his first cub scout camp out. Took me back to my first camping trip with my Dad. We had a lot of fun untangling fishing line and hooks. Helping them unhook and release the fish the caught really brought some smiles to my face as well. Sitting around the camp fire talking with the parents... man to have my dad back.Fife - once I get the recipe figured out I'll bring you a batch. Apparently it is just as tasty reheated for dinner... Planted TheQ's Easter flowers today... now I'm so tired I can't sleep.
This weekend was a wild one for me- the heat and humidity have been rather high, and my two siblings in college just finished their semesters and have returned home for the summer. And in the midst of all this, I went back to complete more training and get re-qualifications for the museum where I volunteer. Still inclined to think that this could be a really great year for us, there's been a lot of improvements taking place since the end of last year's operating season and there's still more to come. I hope the public is as impressed as I am with the amazing work volunteers have been up to.It's the time of year when the AC needs to get re-installed into one of the windows in my room, hopefully that gets done tonight because oh boy do I need it...Here's to hoping all of you have working AC units to combat the encroaching summer heat & humidity too!-Ellie
Mornin' guys and gals. Overcast and 63, with a line of thunder-boomers just to the west. Within the hour, there will be an old border collie trying to climb into my Staffords. Had to run trains for him last night, as another system passed by.
Had a nice weekend volunteering at Chapter CRR caboose 1072. Richard, of RJ's Trains (youtube) stopped by, and I had a nice chat with him and his girlfriend. It's mind boggling how many folks have no idea what function the caboose had in railroading. Then again, it's been four decades since the FRA allowed the industry to abandone their use. But one thing's for sure, everyone enjoys climbing up in the cupola to get the view from above.
Fife, as someone who volunteers at a museum with a caboose, I can verify the same is true- everybody wants to get up for a look out of the coupla. At least, just about every kid I ever met, both the small ones and a number of the adult sized ones. One of my favorite things to do is give our guests a mission- see if they can find the bathroom. It's always amusing to hear their thoughts after they've had a look.On special occasions one of the volunteers fires up his trackmobile and we give short caboose rides. They're very popular!We have some informational blurbs you can read about our equipment, but I like to tell guests about them too. Most people certainly don't know what a caboose was for, but they generally enjoy learning about it!-Ellie
fifedogMornin' guys and gals. Overcast and 63, with a line of thunder-boomers just to the west. Within the hour, there will be an old border collie trying to climb into my Staffords. Had to run trains for him last night, as another system passed by.
Interesting! I just mentioned that to Lady Firestorm and she suspects the trains running provide a cover noise that distracts your Border Collie. Hey, whatever works, right?
We've had Basset Hounds for 45 years, we're on Number 9 now, and of the group only one had melt-downs during thunderstorms, the rest just slept through them!
I don't know if Winston, our Number 9, likes trains yet. He's walked into the Chugger Barn and walked right out again. Nothing to eat in there so why stay? I won't know for certain if he's a toy train fan until Christmas when the train board under the tree goes out. Our Number 5 Basset Bruno was fascinated by the toy trains! He'd sit next to me on the floor while I was running them. It was kind of like a classic Lionel ad, "A boy, his dog, and his trains!"
LeverettrailfanHere's to hoping all of you have working AC units to combat the encroaching summer heat & humidity too!
We do. Whole-house as a matter of fact. Summers here in Virginia can be an absolute inferno!
Flintlock76We do. Whole-house as a matter of fact. Summers here in Virginia can be an absolute inferno!
LeverettrailfanHumidity can be horrendous, and it tends to knock me out just as much as the heat.
When they say "It's not the heat, it's the humidity!" that's absolutely true.
When I was at the Marine base in 29 Palms CA in May of 1976 the temperature at noon was 100 degrees, but being in the desert the humidity was practically zero. Walking out of an air-conditioned building felt a bit like opening the door of a furnace but after a minute or two the heat was tolerable, in fact barely noticeable.
On the other end, one Christmas I was at my brother's place in Divide CO. I stepped outside for a smoke and when I came back in he told me to take a look at his outside thermometer. It read fourteen degrees! But with zero humidity there as well I barely felt the cold, and all I had on was a flannel shirt, I hadn't bothered with a jacket.
Flint - FifeMax started his layout hides back at our former house. He drives us crazy with the carpet scratching.
Ellie - by comparison, the "water closet" in our caboose is nearly twice the size of one on Amtrak's roomettes.
South Carolina Railroad Museum does a caboose run once in a while, where they have like 10 cabooses behind an engine. ( or use to. been about 6 years since I have been there)
I could be wrong on this but I think the Whippany Railroad Museum in New Jersey does caboose trains on occasion. You'd have to check the website.
Boy I can tell you stories about raiding cabooses that would be parked by our house when I was a kid. Can close my eyes and still grab the flairs and pop caps that wrapped to the rails.
Dog went home today after a 5 day stay, and it was under protest to say the least. I had to trick her into her leash because she was having nothing to do with getting into the daughter's the car. Place will be quiet now.
What is a caboose for? That's where the rear brake man cooks dinner for the train crew!
Mornin' guys and gals. Sunny and cool along the Patterson Creek cut-off. Gonna take it easy today.
Yesterday was a long one, as Ms Kelly and I went back to Baltimore to attend the oldest Princess's college commencement. She now has a Bachelors in Legal Studies. Very proud of her, as not too many 30 year old, mother of two, full-time job holding, people could accomplish this. Had a nice sit down meal at a somewhat Ritzi restaurant, in Timonium, before driving home. Let's see, left at 0630, arrived home 2145 hrs, yep long day.
Congrats to the oldest Princess Fife
Congratulations to the Senior Princess as well Fife! That's quite an achievement!
Congratulations! That is a wonderful accomplishment. Going back to school at this time of life takes the support of the entire family,
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