Sorry for your loss Fife... been hard to find the words. KRM, congrats on the pup!We had snow out here yesterday, it was enough to shovel this time. Got it all done in good time though! Played a very heated game of Ticket to Ride with my youngest brother... I lost, but it was a close game.I've been working on making a basic test track for a friend, going to give it to him when we see eachother at the train show this weekend. Only so much time left, so I have to hurry up and finish it. He does HO and N, but thought it might be useful to have something to test bigger stuff in case he ever needs to. Hoping to make some progress on it today!-Ellie
KRM Puppies can be a pain that is for sure.
No doubt! That's why our dogs for the past 20 years have been rescues, but that little one you've just gotten looks like a real sweetheart!
Best of luck to you!
Mornin' guys and gals. Mostly sunny and 33 along the Patterson Creek cut-off. Weather tomorrow will affect travel plans...
Thanks for your thoughts. And thanks for checking in, 88. Been thinking 'bout you.
fifedog Mornin' guys and gals. Cloudy and 25 along the Alleghany front-range, with some dicey weather later. Due at the museum at noon. My Uncle Richard passed Saturday overnight. The most kind and just man I ever knew. He guided his nephew into a career in law enforcement over 30 years ago, so I owe a lot to him. Heaven, take the W.
Mornin' guys and gals. Cloudy and 25 along the Alleghany front-range, with some dicey weather later. Due at the museum at noon.
My Uncle Richard passed Saturday overnight. The most kind and just man I ever knew. He guided his nephew into a career in law enforcement over 30 years ago, so I owe a lot to him. Heaven, take the W.
https://brentsandsusanspicutures.shutterfly.com/
Condolences for your uncle Fife.
Wife and I got a dog yesterday. A Malinois X is Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd. She was a barn dog that some Amish people had, 3 hour drive one way to get her but she is a nice looking dog but has a lot to learn. Puppies can be a pain that is for sure.
Joined 1-21-2011 TCA 13-68614
Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL.
Condolences for your uncle Richard, Fife.
Coincidentally, my uncle Rrichard passed a couple months ago. Like your uncle, he was one of the people who inspired me in my career choice.
fifedog Mornin' guys and gals. Cloudy and 25 along the Alleghany front-range, with some dicey weather later. Due at the museum at noon. y Uncle Richard passed Saturday overnight. The most kind and just man I ever knew. He guided his nephew into a career in law enforcement over 30 years ago, so I owe a lot to him. Heaven, take the W.
y Uncle Richard passed Saturday overnight. The most kind and just man I ever knew. He guided his nephew into a career in law enforcement over 30 years ago, so I owe a lot to him. Heaven, take the W.
So sorry to hear, you and your family are in our prayers
My sincere sympathies on the loss of your uncle Fife.
Got back from the Richmond Greenberg show a little while ago. Fun as usual and ran into a number of club members there. The odd thing was THEY spotted ME before I spotted THEM! Guess I'm getting popular. Or something like losing my stealth abilties.
A lot of interesting things but nothing that appealed to me that I don't already have. I did get lucky though, found an Atlas "Industrial Rail" trolley I'm going to repaint into a North Jersey Rapid Transit car, a pre-war tinplate boxcar in, let's say 90% condition, I got for $15, AND something for Lady Firestorm! An "Emergency!" kids fire helmet from 1975 in like-new shape! Wow , is she happy! As the daughter of a volunteer firefighter "Emergency" was a mandatory watch in her house! And we've been enjoying the FETV reruns.
For those who don't remember...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0MH4IkLUaM
Mornin' guys and gals. Cloudy and 37 in the Potomac Highlands. Will head up to RR museum later on. Not much else goin' on. Did start on a log cabin scene on the layout, and planted some trees. Did receive my YORK notice (probably not going), as well as a postcard announcing the next train show at the Washington County Ag Center, Feb.11 (probably will go...weather permitting...).
KRM - I used to have my prints and such scattered around in my old house. When we moved to the new Fifedom, Wifey said, "Here's your train room. Everything goes in there." Unfortunately, I lost a number of framed prints during a burst pipe issue our first year.
Hi, folks.
Nothing much going on here. I did start cleaning my fastrack on my table yesterday, but that's about it. Looking forward to possibly going to the Piedmont Division Model Train Show in Cartersville, GA again this year in March.
Missed that detail, thanks Smokey!Finished up rehabilitating a "mini Marx" HO Rock Island F3. 'A' unit running... dummy 'B' unit will come later. I've been taking video of my work, hoping to edit it all together into a demonstration of how to tune one of these up.I discovered at the end, that the unit I just serviced runs better than the one I'd already been through. I wanted to run them together but now I'm concerned about straining the faster loco. With all these Marx HO F3s around, I'm feeling a little bothered by my lack of O gauge E7s to match. Yet another thing to keep an eye out for!-Ellie
El Fixes Things The secret behind why the HO milk car is so reliable with depositing the cans is probably due to a special arm that actually clamps the milk can while the milkman pushes it out the door- it lets go as soon as the pushing force stops, and the milkman returns inside to get the next one. I'll have to make another video to show more about how it works.I bet lionel figured that if those bitty little milk cans went flying off somebody's layout, they'd never turn up Smokey, interesting about the car heights. I wonder if Lionel was worried about overhead clearence? Sure must be hard for the crew in the caboose to get a good view up the train from that coupla if it doesn't go above the roof of a boxcar!-Ellie
The secret behind why the HO milk car is so reliable with depositing the cans is probably due to a special arm that actually clamps the milk can while the milkman pushes it out the door- it lets go as soon as the pushing force stops, and the milkman returns inside to get the next one. I'll have to make another video to show more about how it works.I bet lionel figured that if those bitty little milk cans went flying off somebody's layout, they'd never turn up Smokey, interesting about the car heights. I wonder if Lionel was worried about overhead clearence? Sure must be hard for the crew in the caboose to get a good view up the train from that coupla if it doesn't go above the roof of a boxcar!-Ellie
The actual 200 serries caboose is high enough, it only a problem when you mix 2oo serries with 500 serries and your caboose is a 500 serries. When I can I'll get a more fair pic of the same type car but one 200 serries the other 500 serries
evening all.
The day started out rainy but sunny now.
Lionel has a learning curve when it ccomes to tin plate, both O and standard gauge, for most part O is O27 size in O except 810-820 or 2810 - 2820 that's more O gauge size, In standard gauge 200 series freight cars are larger than 500 series freight cars. Hard to tell inpicture but the main roof of the caboose should be same height as roof on the boxcar, but the caboose is 500 series and about 5/8" lower than the roof of the 200 series boxcar roof.
Here is the boxcar that is actually behind the caboose
Hi there, Thought I would say Hi.
Fife looking good. We have some nice train pictures and plaques in the living room and around the house.
Ellie, that little car is working better than my bigger one. Sometimes the guy pitches the can right off the platform.
Things are very slow on The North Bluff but the snow has missed us so far. My older brother is coming over tomorrow to run trains,,, it will be his first time since I started the layout in 2009. He must have bumped his head. Better late than never.
Saturday SIL and I will be traveling to south central Il. to look a some malinois X pups. I think it is too early but who am I to say? We will see how that goes. Sounds like 3 hours each way. Amish people with barn puppies, now 4 months old??? Mom dog is the Malinios and dad is the German Shepard. Priced very fair but getting old and they want to move them. Had to work with an in-between to set it all up because they don't have phones and the like.
Bout all here.
Mornin' guys and gals. Cool, grey and rainy day along the Patterson Creek cut-off. Train room is a-calling...
Here are some pics of the new items above the layout. Charlie Amos print Keystone Viaduct, which I picked up cheap at a local flea market, and used some Christmas denero to have framed. Signed and numbered 9/500.
And in the opposite corner of the room, here is the Chessie collector's plate Fifepup gave me.
Ellie - Nice job on the milk can video. All the inherent tinplate charm in a bite-sized package.
Yesterday I revisited the itty-bitty 0366 milk car. I came up with a way to make the doors shut themselves reliably, using some slightly modified O gauge knuckle springs. Some improvements to make, but it looks a lot better with doors on, and it's too much fun to watch it unload those impossibly tiny milk cans!A mixture of O, S, and HO projects continue to wait in the wings, both ones I have yet to start, and ones I have yet to complete... but my priority has to remain on finishing getting the workbench clean! As I try to remind myself... if I find anything at Springfield (odds are favorable, who can say what though) I'm going to want a nice, clean workbench to repair my goodies on.-Ellie
Morning all.
I have been obtaining some Standard Gauge freight cars in rough condition.
I took this one apart and placed it in a small tub of ZEP citus degresser and cleaner full stregnth. This is what I got 24 hrs later.
Next some 600 - 800 light sanding, then primer followed by cream color paint.
El Fixes ThingsInternet searches for O scale CV decals quickly revealed that the best I can do is modeling one of the "alternate" schemes- nobody seems to be making O scale decals for Green & Yellow CV geeps. Or steam locomotives, for that matter. Microscale seems to offer plenty of CV locomotive decals, but only in N and HO. Custom run decals are a fair bit pricier than mass produced... but I don't think I can get what I'm looking for another way. Frustrating!
I've found I've had to compromise as far as O Scale decals are concerned, typically using freight car decals on steam tenders. These are some sources I've used.
https://protocraft.com/
https://www.lbrenterprisesllc.com/
https://www.tichytraingroup.com/
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?item=234301752445&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m3561.l2562&_ssn=ricklsmith53
I haven't tried the last one yet though.
Per Becky's suggestion I've gotten some white decal stock to make some of my own but haven't tried it yet. Names and heralds might not be a problem but elaborate things like striping are probably out of the question.
Oh yeah, Harrison's a fan of any Northeast short line or regional, they provide a bit of color for him in a monolithic CP and CSX world! He's been to Vermont several times. However, his first love's the D&H and I think always will be!
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for him Wayne! Didn't know he liked the CV.It's kinda funny, how the two big "vermont" roads both chose green for their diesels... but what other color would you pick for a railroad in the Green Mountain state! Pretty cool that former Rutland RS-1 405 is still running on her home rails to this day, under the Green Mountain/Vermont Rail System. Still in classic Rutland colors to boot!Internet searches for O scale CV decals quickly revealed that the best I can do is modeling one of the "alternate" schemes- nobody seems to be making O scale decals for Green & Yellow CV geeps. Or steam locomotives, for that matter. Microscale seems to offer plenty of CV locomotive decals, but only in N and HO. Custom run decals are a fair bit pricier than mass produced... but I don't think I can get what I'm looking for another way. Frustrating! Well, what can you do? Maybe some very careful masking work can get me most of the way there. The striping and logo seem physically possible to do, but masking off cab numbers is 100% beyond me!-Ellie
El Fixes ThingsLots of ideas to be had. Anyone else a fan of the CV?
When you go to the Amherst show keep an eye out for Harrison, I'm pretty sure he's a CV fan!
I kind of like the CV myself, those green engines kinda remind me of the old and greatly lamented Rutland.
El Fixes ThingsDecided to try to tackle the horrid task of cleaning up the work bench. It became clear very quickly why I had been putting it off. I have to do something about it though!
Could be worse. My workbench has a "Biohazard!" sign on it.
A messy workbench is a sign of a talented mind and hands.
And I'm a fan of all the CN roads!
Same me, different spelling!
Older brother went back for his next Semester at art school. Missing him lots. Younger brother still around, but due to head back in a couple days. Then it's just me and the youngest brother, until we see them again for spring break.Decided to try to tackle the horrid task of cleaning up the work bench. It became clear very quickly why I had been putting it off. I have to do something about it though!Recently learned my "mini-minuteman" 0059 actually did come in a set! I was unaware of it, because it was an uncataloged set, no. 15503. Starting to get ideas about slowly piecing the set together.I've also been getting stuck on the idea of tracking down a cheap Lionel GP9 and/or GP20 at the upcoming ARS show, to repaint for my beloved home road, the CV. Both would be perfect, as from the 60s through to its sale in 1995, the roster was almost entirely GP9s. And they had at least one chop nose I know of, which would be fun to reproduce using a Lionel "GP20", which as far as I know is simply a chop-nose version of the GP9.... which is technically a GP7 or so I've heard...Yeah, don't sweat the small stuff! Lots of ideas to be had. Anyone else a fan of the CV?(images from rrpictures.net)-Ellie
Mornin' guys and gals. Cloudy and 31 along the Patterson Creek cut-off. Too cold for hanging out on the chapter caboose, so I'll be doing my volunteer work inside the nice warm museum.
Also on tap, will be working above the layout, as Ms Kelly picked up my Charlie Amos print from Michael's frame desk. Also now have a collector's plate hanger, so I can get my Chessie gift up on the wall. Might be a topic for SPF...
Yesterday I moved my PRR GG1's and Passenger cars from top shelf and placed on the 4th shelf down ( there is 6 ) rearranged the rest of the trains, so I could get my Standard Gauge freight cars on the top shelf as they won't fit on the lower shelves. ( to tall )
I do have 3 more of the 814/814R vented refrigerator cars, but two are apart to be repainted and one is on another shelf with my passenger cars in another room.
No real plans for today, hope to get back on the train table and get the rest of the G scale track off and other stuff off so I can start planning how much I can cut out of the middle. Not sure if I told you all but the G scale is getting put up and I'm now going to do a Standard Gauge and O Gauge layout, I'll figure something else for the G later on down the road. Might do a around the room in the garage with a lift gate/doorway in front of actual garage door so I can get the T-Bird in and out as needed.
Hope all have a good weekend.
Rails & Sails; I approve.
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