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

[CSXect]

Evenin' All.

Don,

I went for the Nissan Crew Cab, not the hi-end model, just enuff stuff to make it pleasant to drive(you know, the creature comforts us old guys like).

I have a F-150 with crewcab would not trade it for anything My Dad has an 88 nissan extended cab and it is still running fine a bit rusty though

[sir james I]

Good Morning,

We have sun this morning but; rain by mon. Lucky me the wife has most of the christmas shopping done.ah. trains today for sure and I see a train show in Ann Arbor Kurt you didn't tell me. Other plans for the day. have to plan ahead. A safe sunday to all,   Sir James

[Brutus]

Morning Sir James, boys, English, FifeDog!  Well, today Chewy gets a bath and I still have about 3 loads of laundry left to do.  Today I WILL run my new train too

[ChiefEagles]

Morning.  Cold and rainy [but not enough to measure].  Fife, the reason it was so boring was NO NS!!!!!  I did see some N&W hoppers in the back ground.  Back from Early Church and Sunday School.  Wife is cooking and it smells goooooood.  Later

PS: Grayson, may never go back.  Retiring from traveling that far.  We'll see.  Do it will be mid Feb thru March as BPS has condenced the time for its events.

[dougdagrump]

Evenin' All.

Don,

I went for the Nissan Crew Cab, not the hi-end model, just enuff stuff to make it pleasant to drive(you know, the creature comforts us old guys like).

I have a F-150 with crewcab would not trade it for anything My Dad has an 88 nissan extended cab and it is still running fine a bit rusty though

Oops, forgot to say it is the Frontier not the full size, you would not have believed the condition of my 81 Datsun I traded in. The only thing holding it together was the rust, corossion and tree sap. My 81 was a compact p/u but this new one is considerably larger, will take a bit of getting used to. We haven't had anything remotely close to a full size vehicle in 35+ years.

Time to try to get some photos for "S.P.F."

Later

[Nick12DMC]

Evening all,

Charlie and I got a coat of paint on the gamesroom walls today. Starting to come together now, can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Posted some progress pics in photo fun.

Have a good Sunday

Nick

[wrmcclellan]

Morning all!

Lotsa rain last night. About an inch at our house. Low 40's today and cloudy with some more rain. It's all good. Spent the morning cleaning leaves out of the pool. The water is quite cold for just a couple of days of cold weather.

May do a movie today. Some of you recommended American Gangster as I recall.

Nick - good news on the gameroom progress!

Doug - I agree the ex-BF may be the root cause of that mailbox disappearance. We had our house sprayed with paintballs after one breakup.

[Buckeye Riveter]

Good afternoon from Roger's Corners, Ohio.  Just returned from another short mission in the South, but first:

Congratulations to Fife the Dog for his great article in the current CTT Magazine. 

The mission commenced on Tuesday night.  We had not even left the big city and a tow truck sideswiped the back right corner of my car.  Damage was confined to a big paint scrape.

We headed south in the darkness around the Queen City and into the hills of Kentucky, where the next day we of course hit the first arts and crafts store.  We arrived at Great Smoky National Park where we proceeded watch the temperature drop as we ascended the mountain.   Our next stop was the Smoky Mountain Trains Museum.  I had always wanted to see this museum and it was a great exhibit.

I saw my wished for train at the bottom of the case.

I'll post more photos on Sunday Photo Fun.

We then traveled to Asheville, NC where we toured the Biltmore House.  They had to build a rail road to the house to haul in the stone, brick and other building materials.  I guess when you own 100,000 acres you need a big house.  I suppose the Chief will be building a house like the Vanderbilts any day now since he is Mayor or Roseyville.

Our next stop was a small town that has become a legend in the minds of all Buckeye Fans; Boone, NC.   This is where we purchased the Appalachian State T-Shirts that will be handed out as Christmas presents this year.

As we started to see more and more officers of the law, I decided to make a mad dash back to God's Country and crossed back into W. Virginia near Bluefield, WV.  Chief would love this NS bastion of power.

We are now back safe and sound after a great trip into the South, and found out that NC has more snow than Ohio!!!

And thank you Laz for noticing my letter first.  Two forum members in one issue, is that a record?  I know Roy has been in the magazine, too, for his electrical wizardry with Lionel's NYC layout.

[kpolak]

'Good' Train show at Washtenaw County Fairgrounds in Saline, MI this Sunday.  I'll be there with eldest!

Kurt

Sir James:  I did...Friday...Are you ignoring me?    I didn't go.  Eldest didn't want to go.    She was the only reason I was going to go...and I had a lot of other things to do.  Next show in Saline is Feb 16-17.  Largest in Michigan.

Spent evening with College buddies!  Great evening.  I haven't seen some of them since school, 17 years ago.  Everyone had a lot of interesting things, including children, going on.

Been working on Christmas layout...no time to post.  Rough wiring in, top ready for inclines...Made some height adjustments.  Superstreets approved for large inner loop oval to run the Birney!  Ordered from local Rider's...Should be in by Dec. 1.  I hope.

Bride shopping for PW cars for my Christmas present!  She sat with me going thru a site, and the Doyle book...asking 'What about this one???'

Kurt

[sir james I]

Kurt- I would not ignore you, always look for your threads. I don't know how I missed it. I took a nap this afternoon and the sun was gone when I woke up.What did you do over there? Put the sun back.

[dwiemer]

Roy, I will be in Texas on Friday.  Flying into the Army airport in Kileen.  Hope to do a bit of hunting and watch a good friend make Lt. Col.  I am not sure how far you are from there.  I also am not too sure about train stores in the area.  If it is not far from you, maybe we can catch up.

Buckeye, glad you enjoyed your trip into this wonderful area we call the South.  Pretty places and many good folk.  My bride and I enjoy the smokies.   We have yet to get to the Biltmore, but plan to.  While up in Boone, did you visit with Billy G.?

Was nice to see everyone had a good Thanksgiving.

God  Bless

dennis

[tmcc man]

Good evening everyone,

It was another relaxing day here. I woke up around 10 (which is late for me) and did pretty much nothing after. I went over to my grandparents house and helped with leaves. They have a lot, but luckily the township picks them up, so I only had to blow the leaves to the curb. I still have to get pictures of the Christmas lights.

 Have a good evening everyone.

[ChiefEagles]

Evening.  I see Buckeye is back to his old tricks of streaching the truth.  actually he is finally able to post after he got home.  We cut him aloose from the ant hil he was staked out on.  Will teach him to stay out of NC.  Had to come SOUTH to see real trains and train stores.  Off to watch TV.  Wife says it is raining.   Later

[fifedog]

Evenin' boys.  Back from YORK.  Picked up a couple of 1/43 NASCAR offerings, one of which was a Tim Richmond '86 MonteCarlo...talk about your white elephant.

Buckeye - I was all too happy to share the spotlight with you, sir.  Hence, I've dubbed JAN '08 the BALTIMORE & OHIO issue.

Chief - Believe it or not, when I was setting up that shot, you came to mind.

[Brutus]

TMCC Man - helping your grandparents ain't doing nothing in my book.  The only leaves in my yard (at the top of my hill, not down in the woods) are from my neighbor's tree.    My next house will be out in the country in the middle of about 10 acres and surrounded by a Starving Rottwieller Preserve and some of Dougsnotagrump's Claymore mines! 

Got all the clothes warshed (as we say here in MO) and I ran my new train for about 2 to 3 hours (lost track of time).  John F and Doug, you guys were right, this thing can smoke up a storm.  I only have conventional control, but my son figured out how to activate the freight yard sounds somehow - pretty cool!  We used the loop of Fastrack and the CW80 that came with the HWX, although I added 4 straights from the Polar Express.  Also put up a circle of O27, elevated, that was left over from my last layout, and ran the Best Friend of Charleston.  The side screw that was coming out stayed good and tight (loctite), but the screw on the opposite wheel started coming out?!  I loctited that one too, but then the wife got home with groceries so the train time had to come to an end. 

[Buckeye Riveter]

Buckeye - I was all too happy to share the spotlight with you, sir.  Hence, I've dubbed JAN '08 the BALTIMORE & OHIO issue.

Sounds good to me.  I just put a Lionel # 321 Truss Bridge on my layout.  How did you make the rocker bearings for the bridge?  I was just going to use my miter saw and cut trianglar shapes and paint them the same color of the bridge.

[tmcc man]

Brutus, not to be rude, or sound stupid, but what did you mean by ain't nothin?

[Brutus]

Well, you said you did pretty much nothing, but then said you helped rake leaves for your grandparents, right?  So, is that nothing?  Not in my book, you helped your grandparents.  I was complimenting you on taking care of them.  Sorry for the confusion.

[anjdevil2]

Hey yo everybody....and a welcome back Buckeye...Enjoyed your letter immensely

Well, got nothing much done...bought the tree & will pick up next week.  Got the layour boards done, set up the oval around the tree stand, then test ran an engine & tender...no pile ups!!

Just need to get the fastrack tresles and Buffalo snow...then tree time next Sunday...house decorating next Friday night or Saturday night.

I got a big surprise last Sunday....I waited to tell my friend Dave at the LHS I help out in.

My Dad & Mom got back from a short vacation, and Dad's birthday was the 18th.  Of course I sent a present & card.  He was very happy with his gift.  What FLOORED me was that he started asking about my trains and all.  He said, Wel, you're the only one who's ever wanted the trans, so...they're yours!!! I'm still in shock....there is so much stuff!!!!!!! I almost cried like a little girl....I'll be up there in January...then the fun begins!!!  I'm so happy that he didn't wait for the will....!!

C ya 2 morrow!!!

Rich 

[rtraincollector]

Fifedog ever stop in to the Glen rock station. its a small hobby shop but nice.

Buckeye you had to pass right by me. I live about 5 miles max to us40 & us 81 intersect.

Congrats on the trains know that feeling must of been great.

[cheapclassics]

Good evening all,

Just checking in.  Too busy the past few days to post much.  Will update tomorrow.  I hope everyone has a good day.

Mike C. from Indiana

[sir james I]

Hello to All,

Well the clouds I mentioned earlier brought us snow showers but at 38 deg. it is now rain. I have no idea how today passed without me noticing where it went. Brutus there is one slice of p-can/p-kahn ice cream left, help yourself but if I'm sleeping tippy toe. Added my two cents to a couple of threads today that had some interest to me. I wonder if two cents is enough today maybe it should be a quarter now.Well just wanted to grab a decaf. be back before bedtime. Sir James

[wrmcclellan]

Didn't make it to a movie. The fun this afternoon started with a call from the local police dept where an officer had pulled my daughter over for running a stop sign. He was very nice and had a talk with her and had her call us with her cellphone. No ticket this time. Not really her fault. I am familiar with the intersection (4-way stop) and the sign is hard to see. We had a chat when she got home and she is on restricted driving for the next 3 days.

Started a major cleanup in the train room this afternoon. A lot of stuff can accumulate under an 8 x 12 layout over the course of several years. Found a new DeWalt circular saw under there that I won at a school auction when my daughter was in 5th grade. I had sort of forgotten about it (oops - I have an older saw and I do not use it that much).

So now I have to figure out what to do with all the stuff I dragged from under the layout. Some will go back. Some belongs to friends that run trains here (I need to talk them into taking it home - but some of it is neat stuff to run!).

Anyway - it is a lot cleaner under there!

Welcome back Buckeye! You need to read back a few pages to see what I posted on the real cause of your disappearance the last few days.

[tmcc man]

Thanks for clearing that up, Brutus.

ANJDevil congrats on the large gift.

[Brutus]

No banilla?  My wife picked up some Ben & Jerry's icecream actually, so come over here if you are tired of P-can pie?!  LOL

Colin, thanks for asking - I would hate to have tried to compliment you and instead have you walking around thinking I was being mean to you.  You're a good guy and I'm glad we're friends.

[cnw1995]

G'evening from a cold and uh dark Crystal Lake where I enjoyed all the worst moments of the Bears win - missing all the good stuff whilst cleaning up after supper and putting the youngest to bed. Where did this day go? At least I have tomorrow 'off' or rather a checking-email-but-not-going-in vacation day. Helped a buddy with his layout - we last touched it a year ago -- put up about half of an elevated track with homemade risers. I'm small enough to clamber atop the layout whilst we measured for the remaining pieces he has to make. It was fun! Hope to work on my layout tomorrow. G'night all. Back to the Pats game.

[sir james I]

yep banilla too. also soda/pop help yourself. I guess it just depends where we live.

[Buckeye Riveter]

Buckeye you had to pass right by me. I live about 5 miles max to us40 & us 81 intersect.

RT - I was west and then south of you.  We traveled south on I-75, then east on I-40 to US 441.  We then went up and over the mountains to Cherokee.  The next day, in the fog, we drove the Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville and ate Thanksgiving Dinner. 

BTW, I didn't know the Pilgrims had macaroni and cheese for Thanksgiving.    Not only do those people in the South eat grits, but they think mac and cheese is a delicacy and they serve it on Thanksgiving Day. 

Thinking back on what I learned about the South on this trip, I must assume that the Chief is preparing a train for us to ride to his swearing in ceremony in Roseyville.  That's how the Vanderbilts did things.  They put all their friends on a private train and brought them all down to NC for food and relaxation. 

[dbaker48]

Evening all - Lots of news going on  today.

Jon - One more appreciative person for what your group does!!!!!

Chief - Helping youngsters like you did, I'm sure you got as much if not more pleasure from that then he did.  Another of the many many instances of where "Model Railroaders" help the less fortunate.  Makes you wonder what the BIG layout in sky must be like with so many model railroaders there.

Roy - Do you ever think back, now when I was her age, and the things I did, how does that compare?  I know many times I have thought that and was quite thankful I wasn't raising me.  I guess that's why we are all so concerned and careful regarding our kids, is that we KNOW what can happen.  If only we could download some of that information.

 

On the home front got the outside decorations all up, AND they WORK !  Today had to work till 2 pm, but got home and not worth a darn the rest of the day.  Just relaxed!

Evening all,

Best wishes to all 

QUESTION FOR ALL MY LEARNED FORMITE FRIENDS -- 

In wiring up my layout to accomodate both TMCC and DCS, I've been thinking about the power drops and using the "star" technique.  I'm using a 12 awg wire from the transformer to a "star point".  Now the question..  Is a terminal block necessary?   Does anyone see a downside with using a heavy metal strapping, (Bracket) which has 2 or three holes in it.  Securing the bracket to the bottom of the layout with a wood screw.  Then having 2 countersink screws coming from the top side of the bracket as a terminal block.  Then connecting the "drop wires" to one of the two screw (standoffs) with ring terminals and toothed lock washers.  (Probably 6 pwr drops) Of course would have different straps for power and ground.

Other applications doing the same thing, accessory buss, lighting buss etc..

what do you think? 

 

[ChiefEagles]

Thanks Don.  Buckeye, did you like my summer home?  BILTMORE ESTATES.   Real pretty for Christmas.  All my servants have to work overtime to get it ready.