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

[Anonymous]

Morning all from a chilly and predicted soon to be icy northern NC.  Who knows?  As usual the weathermen keep changing their stories!!  Ha! 

Have a question - On my oval of RealTrax - O42 curves, I have two turnouts that always derail on the turnout.  They also often spark when running on the straight section. Direction doesn't seem to matter.  Could someone tell me what I should be looking for?

Thanks!

Lisa

[Blueberryhill RR]

Good Morning from Blueberryhill....

It's a cloudy 24 degrees. Going up to 34 today, with a chance of a few snow showers. Looks like winter is here.

Today is an easy day. Company has gone home. Had a good time. I'm glad that is finally over with, Christmas. I plan on running trains this afternoon and finishing up the benchwork in the 2nd room. Now, I have to set up the supports for the bridges. A little engineering is needed.

Jim Fortner...I have a 027 loop for the Trolley, running inside of the inner 0 guage loop and yard. Works good.

Well, the Dining Car just rolled in from " points west ". There should be a lot of breakfast left. Talk later.

Y'all have a great Sunday.

Chuck

[Sturgeon-Phish]

Morning all,

Snow just starting, so drive to work was not an issue.  We will see what the day brings.  Posted pics of some of the accesories on the layout.  Funny how seeing pictures of an item or angle shows things that you don't normally see, like figures that fell over and who put the cannon behind the semaphore????

For colds I reccomend salsa.  Works for me, clears the cold and your nose!

Later

 Jim

[Buckeye Riveter]

Chief, have you had any trouble buying MTH Realtrax Straight sections as of late?  The LHS says that he is not going to get them until late February.    Which means Phase II of my layout is incomplete.

Buckeye & Chief:

I was just at the Local Hobby Shop today and noticed they have a fair amount of MTH RealTrax. Seems they can't give the stuff away. I noticed various track sections and switches. If you are having trouble finding the stuff, I can get you a list of what they have in stock.

FRANK X 2, thanks for the info.  Obviously the LHS has a problem that other places don't.  I will start counting up how much track I already have and determine how much I need since it is available somewhere.  I have curved sections from the under the tree layout that I will be using.

Chief, save that track and maybe we can work out a deal.  I was thinking along the lines of about a dozen Chocolate-Peanut Butter Buckeyes for some track.  I think that would be a "sweet" deal.  In fact, with that sweet of deal, you should consider throwing in a big diesel or two.

[John Bakeer]

Nick, All I've got is cold turkey left over from Christmas, I think it should be OK in a curry?

[Nick12DMC]

Hi All,

Jim, Our area got off lightly from the winds, nothing more than a few airborn fence panels.

John B, I have to say that on a individual level you will find Lionel customer care normally very helpful. I'll give you a example, we have a fastrack crossing with lights and one of Charlie's friends stood on one of the light poles by accident. Lionel sent me a new part all the way to the UK free of charge. Now that is good customer care. However anything related to 50Hz problems and things seam to go to pot. It was suggested by a LCC UK member that it could be that Lionel fear to admit anything that could open up class actions and legal stuff. Now I would have thought a simple line in the catalogue below effected items e.g. "Not 50Hz compatiable" would be a start. The QC dept. needs to make sure they don't drop the ball as much though. China runs 50Hz power so there is no excuse for not testing at the factory.

I think you will find that the CEO of Lionel is more intrested in the overseas market and this is starting to feed down to other areas of the company. A ex pat who has met him said that he (CEO) would like Lionel to be in Hornby's postion. Lionel are producing the Hogwarts Harry Potter set (this gives them GWR Castle tooling)and if this sells well, other British outline models could follow. So maybe things will start to improve for us in the UK.

Glad to hear the colds on the way out. Try some Wild Turkey that will shift it

Nick

 

 

[Brutus]

John, glad your cold has about run it's course.  As for foreign/overseas shipping, I've bought several dvds and books from England (I've got a region free player) and they always came very quickly.  I ordered a dvd from Germany and after a month they had to send a replacement.  That arrived in only a week.  Wonder if the first one will ever make it?  Probably it got delivered to the wrong house over Christmas and they tried to watch it, wouldn't work on their player and so tossed it. 

Apparently some chip went out in our Kodak camera.  It takes pics fine and stores them fine, but won't connect - device won't communicate error.  I can put the memory chip in the reader on our color printer (not the HP laserjet) and download.  We bought a 4 year extended on it so will be taking to BB once this storm is over and the roads are clear.  Snowing and (sounds like) hailing right now - at least very heavy snow/rain/sleet?  Supposed to get like 5 inches tonight.  Probably have to take off Monday to watch the kids - I'd say it's a fair bet they will cancel at least on Monday.  Have to get out tomorrow though - need a newspaper and also down to only 1 beer in the house   Got home from dinner/birthday party at a very bad chinese buffee.  Everything tasted like old fish.  Cable was working, phone was working, but no internet?  No signal to the modem.  Called and got a computer, which walked me through about a dozen steps.  Then it put me on hold for a human.  What great luck I'm having with computers.  Well, while on hold I went down in the basement and traced the cable.  There is a connector under the back bedroom and it was a little loose.  I opened, cleaned and reconnected.  Came up and nothing.  Unplugged and replugged and the internet came back just as Char ran in and told me that the tech person was on the line!  Good timing!  Why not move realtrax production to India?  They have all the computer and (apparently) cable tech people there! 

John (jefelectric) - if I didn't say before, very nice layout pics!  Wiring over that complex of switches looks like a real job, man!  Chuck, I'm slowly experimenting with different track.  I got fastrack with the Polar Express and super snap track with a K-Line set.  I liked the fastrack, but the radius was just too wide to do anything interesting on the old dining room table I'm currently allowed to use for a layout in the livingroom.  Right now I've got an O-27 layout.  I was thinking of putting an O gauge outer loop around it with maybe a spur that would cross over the O-27 into the "interior" of the layout a little.  Then I could run my little freight/logging operations on the inside and also have a passenger train running on the "mainline" rails....

[John Bakeer]

Jim, 0500GMT in a cool damp Stockport, at last, the wind has dropped. the clean up is in full swing. my little corner has got off lightly, apart from an unfortunate lady taken out by a collapsing wall in a nearby village, the coasts and hills have been worst affected.

The great British sneeze up is progressing well, the scotch and the cold have about one more day left. I only put cooking whisky in my tea, doesn't cure the code, just helps me to relax, last night I was as relaxed as a newt, the single malts are for serious drinking. My niece is coming down from Edinburgh in March and has promised several bottles of 'the water of life'.

Nick, I have now joined the UK LCC. Reading the correspondence in the 'Shortline' it appears that Lionel have problems with quality and reliability as well as poor communication skills. Looks like my excursion into CTT is going to be interesting to say the least.

For any Beatles fans amongst you the 'Mersey' starts off here in Stockport at the convolution of the Goyt and the Tame. Geography lesson over for today.

[ChiefEagles]

Buckeye, I've got several 30" straights and probably 10 10" straights left where I filled in with switches.  Also, Miss Edna has a bunch of 30's, 10's, 5.5's, 5's, 3'5's and curves too.  She got in 54 switches and 72 switches [I got most of the 72's].  Give her a call Tuesday PM.

Good night.

[Sturgeon-Phish]

Buckeye

Sounds like the show would of been great to attend.  But seeing all that "S" stuff may of put in in debt!  Maybe the show next year the timing will work out better. 

Got my new CTT and Chief looks pretty good, like they say a bad day fishing is better than a good day working!

I found the stringing info for the 644, it was on Port Lines Hobby site in the repair clinics.  Also ordered the missing parts, so future project.

Speaking of projects, got a couple of original roofs for a 752 Seaboard coaler.  This will probabley be a total strip and repaint, we'll see.

Weatherman talking snow overnight, make for nasty driving to work in the morning! 

I've got several pics of my layout accesories that I'll post tomorrow. 

Jim

[Frank53]

Chief, have you had any trouble buying MTH Realtrax Straight sections as of late?  The LHS says that he is not going to get them until late February.    Which means Phase II of my layout is incomplete.

Buckeye & Chief:

I was just at the Local Hobby Shop today and noticed they have a fair amount of MTH RealTrax. Seems they can't give the stuff away. I noticed various track sections and switches. If you are having trouble finding the stuff, I can get you a list of what they have in stock.

[Blueberryhill RR]

Chief....Seriously, considering all the business you have given MTH, I would call them and tell them exactly what you found. It would be interesting to hear what they had to say.

Chuck

[underworld]

Really a big difference between China and India??? My experience seems to be hit or miss with stuff from either country.

underworld

[laz 57]

HI GIZ,

   Ran trains for an hour and a half all ran good NO PILE UPS.

 Going to check out e bay now see if I can find a deal?

Later.

laz57

[Buckeye Riveter]

Chief, have you had any trouble buying MTH Realtrax Straight sections as of late?  The LHS says that he is not going to get them until late February.    Which means Phase II of my layout is incomplete.

[laz 57]

LAZ......."Fine " chicken grit, soft paint brush, and watered down Elmer's glue. Makes great ballast.

" with tubular track, especially ".

Chuck

Thanks CHUCK now all I gots to do is find this stuff.  Figure it has the letters of GRITS in it gonna be hard to find.

laz57

[ChiefEagles]

Evening gang.  Back from Redhat dinner [wife is the youngest on there and she is not 50 so she has to wear pink].  Got all the switches in and track down.  Was not too bad.  Still some Realtrax is hard to snap and some is good.  All teh new switches had the lanterns to red for the straight away.  Easy to change.  Then looked close at them.  Some are not good quality.  The part that touches the rail when going straight is very thin and jagged.  Like they use poor quality seconds.  Others a thick enough to be OK.  Poor workman ship.  My company is think about switching frm China to India.  Same cost but better quality and the employees are more intelligent.  I was in a meeting the other day was told this seems to be a trend in electronics.  Hey, I got good connectivity without added lockons.  That is good.  Going to add some anyway.  Got a set of switches back to back to allow changing from one track to the other.  The big MTH dummy wants to derail on it usnless you go real slow.  Does fine on the other back to back swtiches.  Who knows????  Its the back truck.  Bumps hard on that switch.  Some are not smooth either.  Big rise in the center rail [not flat].  I have filed some down.  I have also noticed that some of my tack has a thinner center rail than other sections.  ????  Now, the derailing feather works great.  They all open and close great too.  Do you think I should contact MTH and tell them of my observations? 

Western is on.  Later

[cheapclassics]

Good evening all,

It was a sunny and cool day with temps in the 30s.  My sister and daughter were down here today going thru my mom's stuff.  My wife and I were watching the granddaughter.  I was running the 10E and the granddaughter was helping me switch the cars.  She really enjoyed watching the trains run.  I worked on the lean to doors a little.  We got estimates for an overhead door and it is too pricey right now.  I think I figured out how to make the old doors work a while longer.  It won't be pretty, but it can work.  I did housework and went to the YMCA as well.  Also got gas for the truck, which was 1.95 a gallon.  Lucas and his girlfriend had a good time at the dance.  It is supposed to snow tomorrow and I will be running the vehicles up and down the alley to keep it clear.  I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

PS  Got my "regular" issue of CTT today.

[underworld]

Supposed to snow here tomorrow...the weather people have been wrong all season, I have to make sure that they are wrong again tomorrow! Can't have snow if I'm going to go to Columbus for the show.

 

underworld

[Blueberryhill RR]

LAZ......."Fine " chicken grit, soft paint brush, and watered down Elmer's glue. Makes great ballast.

" with tubular track, especially ".

Chuck

[Blueberryhill RR]

Derby over - didn't win but didn't lose - in the middle of the pack.  Best times we've had though, so I guess we are getting better at it.  Camera is acting up - doesn't want to download?  I put the memory card in a separate reader and it worked fine though.  Have to tinker with it later.  Saw pics this morning of England - I sure hope John Baker and Nic and Daan are okay!

Chuck - are you sticking with the O gauge O-31 turnouts?

Yes, Jim. I just got 2 more pair of 022's. They work great for me. With my fabulous tubular 031 track.

Chuck

[dwiemer]

Dennis, Maybe Lionel will have what you are looking for in the new K-line catalog.  It is supposed to be out next week.

John, thanks for keeping me in mind.  I got the email from Lionel about the new catalog and they say that they will be sending me a copy.  I do hope that they include this item and several other K-Line offerings.  Even though Maury Klien got a little lost on the business end of things, he did put out some nice items and at reasonable prices.

Thanks,
dennis

[dwiemer]

Thanks GIZ for the info on the ballast.

FRANK53 nice looking ballast work.  If I do use ballast do you cover your ties?  Or just go around them?

Thanks again,

laz57

Laz, if you pour the ballast over the ties, then take a paint brush and brush along the tracks. the ballast will  find its way between the ties, and along the sides.  I have not needed to do this (gone all Fastrack), but the new TM video shows this being done.

Dennis

[rtraincollector]

Was in local hobby shop today when this gentleman about 60 brought in a lionel train set he bought at a flea market or somewhere like that it had a price of $145.00 on it and he said he got it for $100.00 his wife was with him and nagging so all we could say was you did alright (didn't want to see wwIII break lose in the store) We gave him an estimate of $35.00 to replace 3 postwar wheel set that were missing (the trucks were there but no wheels) and replace a truck on a tender. and to glue a 6470 as someone else already did a job gluing it you can even see where some of the plastic is slightly melted. anyway the set is 8 curve a 90 crossover 4 straight, transformer little 45 watt, 1060 engine , tender, 6045 tank car, 6470 exploding box car (poor shape) a caboose in fair shape one corner broke but there, and a airex boxcar. We told him he did okay (whew) anyway I'm also giving him 2 36" O27 track. I've already fixed everything other than the glue job. I'll tell the LHS guy to just knock $20.00 off my bill and let him charge what he wants lee probally tell him $25.00 . Oh yeah he wanted another curve and a straight as the one curve and straight were bent. What I really wanted to do was ask him who was the guy that ripped you off but decided not to I would just get myself into trouble.

I still have some work to do on a tender for myself . I bought from William's the whistle/bell sound board with speaker for a tender and I'm going to see how it sounds may put it in more postwar/modern that don't have whistle if I like. Well time to get back to work talk to you all later got trains to work on

[laz 57]

hanks BRUCE, I'll check it out, in model railroader.

laz57

[laz 57]

Good afternon guys,

I spent the morning at the TCA Museum. Went to a volunteer meeting. They are looking for more help so I am going to sign up for a couple of days a month. Chose several items and will let them assign me where needed.

Laz, If you can't find chicken grit, just ask a farmer where to get it.  You are getting the straight story on ballasting.  Back in the day, I had a completely ballasted HO layout.  Not going to do that again.  BTW did you see any of the watchman's shanty's that Dennis is hunting when you were at Barry's?  I was in on Thursday but don't recall seeing any.  He does still have quite a bit of K-line so he might have them.

Dennis, Maybe Lionel will have what you are looking for in the new K-line catalog.  It is supposed to be out next week.

 

 

 

JOHN, no didn't notice any.  The cars I got off BARRY were in the back room.  He bought out someones estate and had all these cars back there and just wanted to get rid of some.  Right place right time.

laz57

[laz 57]

Great day indeed!!!

Met Wes and his wife and baby for breakfast and then took in the train show at the fairgrounds.  It was a great show and for my S-Gauge friend from Southern Ohio,  I hate to tell you this, but there was more S-Gauge at the show that I have ever seen before in Columbus.  Vendors as far away as Connecticut were there with four to five tables of new and used S-Gauge. 

Wes, Beth and Jack all arrived at Roger's Corners and we ran all the trains.  I think Jack had a great time.  He cooed and giggled. 

BTW, Friday night was great too.  Our last place Blue Jackets Hockey team beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1.  It can't get any better than that.    Since we are only three hours from Detroit, their fans buy many of the tickets for the game, and then get to go back to the state up north a loser, just like in football.

Ballast.....Gee, Laz, I thought you would know that ground up bear poop makes a great ballast. 

See ya down the tracks,

Hes in CHICAGO so I have to use other means. LOL!

laz57

[Brutus]

Derby over - didn't win but didn't lose - in the middle of the pack.  Best times we've had though, so I guess we are getting better at it.  Camera is acting up - doesn't want to download?  I put the memory card in a separate reader and it worked fine though.  Have to tinker with it later.  Saw pics this morning of England - I sure hope John Baker and Nic and Daan are okay!

Chuck - are you sticking with the O gauge O-31 turnouts?

[Buckeye Riveter]

Great day indeed!!!

Met Wes, his wife, Beth and baby, Jack for breakfast and then took in the train show at the fairgrounds.  It was a great show and for my S-Gauge friend from Southern Ohio,  I hate to tell you this, but there was more S-Gauge at the show that I have ever seen before in Columbus.  Vendors as far away as Connecticut were there with four to five tables of new and used S-Gauge. 

Wes, Beth and Jack all arrived at Roger's Corners and we ran all the trains.  I think Jack had a great time.  He cooed and giggled. 

BTW, Friday night was great too.  Our last place Blue Jackets Hockey team beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1.  It can't get any better than that.    Since we are only three hours from Detroit, their fans buy many of the tickets for the game, and then get to go back to the state up north a loser, just like in football.

Ballast.....Gee, Laz, I thought you would know that ground up bear poop makes a great ballast. 

See ya down the tracks,

[jefelectric]

Good afternon guys,

I spent the morning at the TCA Museum. Went to a volunteer meeting. They are looking for more help so I am going to sign up for a couple of days a month. Chose several items and will let them assign me where needed.

Laz, If you can't find chicken grit, just ask a farmer where to get it.  You are getting the straight story on ballasting.  Back in the day, I had a completely ballasted HO layout.  Not going to do that again.  BTW did you see any of the watchman's shanty's that Dennis is hunting when you were at Barry's?  I was in on Thursday but don't recall seeing any.  He does still have quite a bit of K-line so he might have them.

Dennis, Maybe Lionel will have what you are looking for in the new K-line catalog.  It is supposed to be out next week.