CLOSED////////The Coffee Pot is still on and over 3 years. Here we gather as friends with trains.

[tschmidt]

Morning all,

 

The weather is turning for the bad here in WNY this morning.  Yesterday was great with highs about 75.  I went for a hike of about 5 miles on one of the trails around the area.  It was a beautiful day for it.   On my way to work this morning the temp dropped 5 degrees in about 5 minutes and it's getting very windy and rainy.  The forecast is for 3 to 5 inches of snow tonight.  That just isn't right. 

 

 Hey Mitch and Laz - I see where you guys are having kids this week.  Do you have kids in school next week?  If you do that is why you get done so much earlier than we do here.  Plus we don't start till after Labor Day.   I am taking some vacation time after today but it doesn'tlook like the weather is going to cooperate.

 

Have a good day all.

TomS 

[Dr. John]

Good morning,

Stormy last night with more, good rain. Much cooler this AM and getting colder as we approach the weekend.

C50truck - my favorite corn is Silver Queen. Haven't planted any in years, though.

Buckeye - hope you have a good day without pain. You're on my prayer list.

Went over and cut my dad's yard yesterday. He still likes to do some yard work, even at age 82, but cutting the grass is a bit much for him. I need to do like Chief and service my mower. Blade needs sharpening and battery is weak.

Have a good day, everyone. 

[Anonymous]

Mornin all...

Been lots o fun this mornin!  Got to work and my work PC bought the farm... major hard drive crash... no data loss because the g'ment is too cheap to put real harddrives in for main drives, so my company upgrades the PCs with secondary drives and doubles the RAM.  Been here 2.25 hours and have done absolutely nothing.

So... I'm working on a paperback novel sized laptop with keys 1/2 the size of my fingers...

Brent

[cnw1995]

Good morning from a rather cool Chicago where it feels like 20 with the strong winds and I've  broken out all my winter gear again and closed up the storm windows this morning. Ah Spring!

Roy, I am happy about the boyfriend being gone. My only problem when that happens with my daughter is wondering if the next one will be worse. Thank goodness for the trunk monkey.

I love sweet corn of all types and colors. Every summer, I notice I have to travel further and further west to find a farm selling it.

TomS, our spring break was last week. Everyone's back in school out here.

Brent, sorry about the h-drive. That's why I tell our team to save stuff to our network drive. No-one listens and I have to try to recover things. I like the challenge. Too bad you're not closer as I have 11 PCs sitting right here I just swapped out that I'm puzzling what to do with. Our hardware disposal methods are getting onerous - but in a good way. I think I will take hammers to their hard drives.

I have got to go fishing with Laz or the Chief someday. I never catch anything with my bamboo pole, bobber and rubber worm.

[Anonymous]

Doug,
You can drop them in the mail to me if they are modern PCs (under 2 years old).... LOL!

Brent

[ChiefEagles]

Morning.  I see help is due for several of our memebers.

!.   Dr. John, go to a battery place [like Batteries Plus] and get this.  I get mine from Cabela's as I get 40% discount.

Get a Battery Tender:

Plastic block plugs into a regular outlet.  It comes with clips and rings.  Bolt the rings to your battery posts and plug in.  Cord has polarized plug to disconnect the cord at the battery and "dust cover for protection".  $29 to $39.  Make sure you get the 12V version as they have a 6V too.  Plug this in after using mower [or anything else with a battery] and leave plugged in until you use it again [can be plugged in for months].  Will protect battery from discharging and sulfating while not in use.  Works on lawnmowers, snowblowers , motorcycles, farm tractors, generators and cars.  BTW: we [Pro Mariner] do not make it.

2.  Do not use surge protector with TMCC.  WRONG  Several of us have used a top quality surge protectors with TMCC with out any problem.  Better protect those electronics.  Sometimes those "EXPERTS" at OGR are not as expert as they want you to believe.

3.  Chuck, Dennis, Lisa and I extend the same services to you as we did Buckeye.  We can remove that tooth right a way.

Slept late.  Hard late afternoon gudiing Pam's boss's kids at the pond.  Notice they are from SD through DC.

Jason's first fish ever.

The guide reeling in one.

They ended up with a bucket full of crappie and blue gills.

Now for some real coffee. 

[laz 57]

Morning all,

The weather is turning for the bad here in WNY this morning.  Yesterday was great with highs about 75.  I went for a hike of about 5 miles on one of the trails around the area.  It was a beautiful day for it.   On my way to work this morning the temp dropped 5 degrees in about 5 minutes and it's getting very windy and rainy.  The forecast is for 3 to 5 inches of snow tonight.  That just isn't right. 

 Hey Mitch and Laz - I see where you guys are having kids this week.  Do you have kids in school next week?  If you do that is why you get done so much earlier than we do here.  Plus we don't start till after Labor Day.   I am taking some vacation time after today but it doesn'tlook like the weather is going to cooperate.

Have a good day all.

TomS 

 

KIDOs have off Thursday and Friday and we are  back at school on Monday, snow make up day.

laz57

[dbaker48]

 Hey Mitch and Laz - I see where you guys are having kids this week.  Do you have kids in school next week?  If you do that is why you get done so much earlier than we do here.  Plus we don't start till after Labor Day.   I am taking some vacation time after today but it doesn'tlook like the weather is going to cooperate.

Have a good day all.

TomS 

 

KIDOs have off Thursday and Friday and we are  back at school on Monday, snow make up day.

laz57

I guess it must be due to the time change, our kids don't start their spring break until this Fridary and are off all next week. 

[Dr. John]

Morning.  I see help is due for several of our memebers.

!.   Dr. John, go to a battery place [like Batteries Plus] and get this.  I get mine from Cabela's as I get 40% discount.

Get a Battery Tender:

Plastic block plugs into a regular outlet.  It comes with clips and rings.  Bolt the rings to your battery posts and plug in.  Cord has polarized plug to disconnect the cord at the battery and "dust cover for protection".  $29 to $39.  Make sure you get the 12V version as they have a 6V too.  Plug this in after using mower [or anything else with a battery] and leave plugged in until you use it again [can be plugged in for months].  Will protect battery from discharging and sulfating while not in use.  Works on lawnmowers, snowblowers , motorcycles, farm tractors, generators and cars.  BTW: we [Pro Mariner] do not make it.

Chief, thanks for the tip! I'll have to find one of those.

[wrmcclellan]

Morning all!

Nice and cool here this am - was 55 when I got up. Might hit 65 today? Partly cloudy and we had a nice bit of rain last night as the front blew through. Apparently some areas south of here got pounded with large hail and very heavy rains.

fife - we stay ever vigilant! To quote Toby and Willie - "Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses"

We have this great program called NetNanny that allows us to control our kids access to the internet and what times they can access the internet. Works great - except when your daughter needs to print something at the last minute before she leaves for school - sneakernet to the rescue!

Buckeye - good luck, may your day be smooth and non-ER related! What would they do if you showed uo in the ER - hit it with a hammer to break it loose

Dr. John - The Chief represents some good stuff - it even has a Grits mode!

 

[laz 57]

 

 

fife - we stay ever vigilant! To quote Toby and Willie - "Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses"

 

 

ROY GREAT SONG.  Now its in my head all afternoon.

laz57

[Buckeye Riveter]

Chief, I have often wondered if those people that tell you not to use a good surge protector for the our toy trains, would tell someone to not use a surge protector for their new HI-DEF Big Screen TV or your computer.    Must be a electronic conspiracy promoted by BEST BUY and Circuit City.

Nothing of significance has passed after the first 24 hours....It is like sitting on a time bomb.

[Frank53]

Considering this is page 212 and 53 x 4 = 212,

I am compelled to post on this page.

[dougdagrump]

Mornin' All.

Finishing up the "Easter Train" for friday at the museum, I believe most everyone will enjoy it. Of course that assumption does not include the ACLU.

Got a request for you guys making the pilgrimage to York, if you see any "O" gauge late 1800's passengers that would fit in my MTH Overton cars get their name & number please. With all of these that MTH is selling I can't believe they haven't come out with passengers for them.

Buckeye, Are you saving the stones for ballast ? I know it's being but I couldn't resist.

[Anonymous]

Mornin' All.

Finishing up the "Easter Train" for friday at the museum, I believe most everyone will enjoy it. Of course that assumption does not include the ACLU.

Got a request for you guys making the pilgrimage to York, if you see any "O" gauge late 1800's passengers that would fit in my MTH Overton cars get their name & number please. With all of these that MTH is selling I can't believe they haven't come out with passengers for them.

Late 1800's passengers for passenger cars?  Hmmm... but I am thinking there may not be too many of them left... I'm sure most have passed on by now, and if they haven't they probably couldn't tell you their name or number...

Brent

[rtraincollector]

  Unfortunately, the first victim of full time 18 volts has been discovered.  The K-Line caboose, mentioned earlier today stopped smoking.  Figuring it was simply out of fluid upon refilling it I noticed the plastic body near the chimney badly melted.  Not a pretty sight and of course the N5c no longer smokes.  Anybody have luck claiming warrantees on K-Line products these days?

Bruce Webster

From what I understand lionel may fix them but will charge you no warnities are valid anymore As mI have a brand new set in box (from 1993) so if it no works or theres aproblem I'm out of luck too.

[Dr. John]

Considering this is page 212 and 53 x 4 = 212,

I am compelled to post on this page.

Frank, with time and counseling, you CAN whip this obsessive compulsive disorder!

[dbaker48]

Considering this is page 212 and 53 x 4 = 212,

I am compelled to post on this page.

Frank, with time and counseling, you CAN whip this obsessive compulsive disorder!

I don't know Dr. John, he does beautiful scenery and shelf layouts.  But look at that track allignment under the bridge.  Do you think he sold that to Lionel?

[dougdagrump]

  Unfortunately, the first victim of full time 18 volts has been discovered.  The K-Line caboose, mentioned earlier today stopped smoking.  Figuring it was simply out of fluid upon refilling it I noticed the plastic body near the chimney badly melted.  Not a pretty sight and of course the N5c no longer smokes.  Anybody have luck claiming warrantees on K-Line products these days?

Bruce Webster

From what I understand lionel may fix them but will charge you no warnities are valid anymore As mI have a brand new set in box (from 1993) so if it no works or theres aproblem I'm out of luck too.

Bruce & Jim,

 Electric RR makes, for lack of a better term, an upgrade that was designed to solve this same problem in the earlier Lionel cabooses which were not designed to operate in a TMCC environment. With this installation it gives you TMCC control of the smoke unit as well as the lighting in the caboose.

[dbaker48]

 OK with the upcoming York trip, and Taxes in process ....  I've been doing some thinking and calculating.....

 

Bar Stool Economics
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100.  If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this: 

 The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.

 The fifth would pay $1.

 The sixth would pay $3.

 The seventh would pay $7.

 The eighth would pay $12.

 The ninth would pay $18.

 The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do. 

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until on day, the owner threw them a curve.  "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.

 

Drinks for the ten now cost just $80. 

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes, so the first four men were unaffected.  They would still drink for free. 

 

But, what about the other six men - the paying customers?  How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'  They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33.  But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.  So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

 

And so: The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).

       The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).

       The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).

       The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).

       The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).

       The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

 

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free.

But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. 

"I only got a dollar out of the $20,"declared the sixth man.  He pointed to the tenth man," but he got $10!"

"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man.

"I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!" "That's true!!" shouted the seventh man.  "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two?  The wealthy get all the breaks!"

"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison.  "We didn't get anything at all.  The system exploits the poor!"

 

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him.  But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important.  They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

 

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works.  The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction.  Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore.  In fact, they might start drinking someplace where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

For those who understand, no explanation is needed.  For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

[dwiemer]

Chief and everyone else, thanks for all the information posted.  I was not sure about the information from the OGR regarding the surge protector.....wondered about it when I read it, just didn't make sense.  I do think the ground issue is true and important.

Did a early case this morning and then had to come home and watch the kids while my better half went to a Dr's Appointment.  Upon my arrival, I found that UPS has been here with the connectors for my fastrack.  I hope to get plenty of wiring done on the layout over the next two weeks.  Then comes the scenery.

Was a bit warm here today, in the mid 80s but supposed to get cooler this weekend.  I usually would have spread the Pre-M for weeds and did the weed and feed with the tractor, but this year has been so crazy weather wise.  I ended up getting a service to spray the weeds and fertilizer with some additive that kills fire ants.  Gets expensive when you go over a few acres.  I usually enjoy yard work, but am getting tired of it lately.

Chief, Dr. John, I too have to do some work on the tractor.  do the regular service and I will just get some new blades for the mower. 

Have a  great day,

Dennis

[dwiemer]

Don, how true it is.  Thanks to such stalworths in the diplomatic realm like Nancy P. going to Syria, I am afraid we will be having such economics hitting us at an all time high.  Perhaps Asad will keep her over there?

Dennis

[Frank53]

Thanks to such stalworths in the diplomatic realm like Nancy P. going to Syria, . . . Perhaps Asad will keep her over there?

Dennis

Had to count and make sure we are still on page 212 (4x53), since we are, let me say this about that:

I'm all for it!

[Anonymous]

Evening folks!

  The flurries are starting this evening.  I suppose hoping that winter had ended was too good to be true.  Not great weather for hauling and roadtesting the old cars that need to be readied for auction next week. 

  Dennis and Chief,   When I go back and rewire the curcuit for transformer and TMCC power I'll definitely cannibalize a new power bar with surge protector for insurance.  This will also get me a few extra outlets for additional transformers in the future.  As far as trusting a surge protector..well.....I don't.  During electrical storms I unplug all my electronics...TV, computer, telephone and the power to my trains.  One fried modem and having to reset my wide screen ( all connected to supposed surge protectors ) was enough of a lesson for me!

  As far as my TMCC signals problems, the temporary ground attached to the TMCC wall wort solved them.  The layout is pretty simple and all on one level, Dennis.  I'll certainly keep the ground wire tricks in mind when the next layout (multi-level ) gets under way.  I was concerned about signal issues inside my bridge over Lazyboy canyon but none arose.  The metal construction doesn't seem to effect signal strength that I can tell.  Been hooking up the TPC and it now seems to be working on one loop.  I've got power full time to the other loop so there's gotta be something messed up.  I'm sure I'll find it soon.

Bruce Webster

[jefelectric]

  Unfortunately, the first victim of full time 18 volts has been discovered.  The K-Line caboose, mentioned earlier today stopped smoking.  Figuring it was simply out of fluid upon refilling it I noticed the plastic body near the chimney badly melted.  Not a pretty sight and of course the N5c no longer smokes.  Anybody have luck claiming warrantees on K-Line products these days?

Bruce Webster

Bruce, Join the crowd, a lot of us learned this the hard way.  I ruined one, have several others that I have never run.  Someone posted a fix for this a while back, but I don't remember the details.  A half wave rectifier in series might solve the problem.  A resister of the proper size would work but then you have the heat from the resistor to deal with.  Roy, any suggestions?

[c50truck]

Good evening everyone. Weather is moderate, typical spring in the Inland Northwest.

Dr John, Silver Queen corn. Been awhile since I planted that variety. A late season corn here, pushing labor day till it's ready. Great flavor, but the all white corn never caught on to the buying public here in the Spokane Valley.

Doug, I'm surrounded by developements. There growing faster than the corn on a hot August night. Getting offers weekly, but I turn them down. Not sure what I'd do without a tractor and a crop to tend to. I like trains, but....

Don Baker. Loved the economics lesson. I understood, so what does that make me?

 

 

[dwiemer]

Evening.  Wife and kids are dying Easter Eggs, while I spend some time here and checking out the auctions.  Almost time for bed.  Enjoyed watching I Love Toy Trains on OO gauge.  I think it might be something I should look into, getting a nice set to either put on the wall or run on a small side layout. 

I am hoping to get most of my honey do list taken care of so I can hit the tracks and get R done!  It is taking me so long to get the layout done, people are going to think I am following in Chief's footsteps Just kidding Chief!

Dennis

[ChiefEagles]

Guys, just remember, don't cut corners on the surge protector.  I think the cheap ones do cause problems.  I know Buckeye and I have been running them for years with great success.  Bruce, I ran 240 through a 4 prong twist plug to a breaker box under the benchwork.  Everything feed from it through surge protector.  I flip the breaker and everything is shut down.  Transformers stay as they are.  Flip the breaker one and everything comes alive.  Ran special ground back downstairs through outside and tied to driven power ground for house.  Over kill but works. 

[Brutus]

Jim F - Where to in NC?  Lisa

Charlotte NC

[csxt30]

Jim F - Where to in NC?  Lisa

Charlotte NC

I saw on the news tonight that a little boy found a 5 legged Toad in North Carolina today !!

Thanks, John