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

[ChiefEagles]

Morning all.  Partly cloudy and has rained some.  Would you believe it.  They are going to have temps in the 80's thsi week [after I am gone!!!!].

John B and Nic, needed your help yesterday.  Man from UK wanted to buy one of our chargers.  He could handle the 220V to 110V but did not know how 50hz versus our 60 hz would do.  ?????   And we have ZERO factory support during the weekend when we are all out int he field.

Off to the store [opens at 10 AM].  Fly out at 3 PM so don't have long to stay.

Chat from home tonight.  God bless all.

[rtraincollector]

found Laz's bear heading to church this am

[rtraincollector]

we have snow flurries don't worry chief supose to warm up nice the rest of the week

[csxt30]

Good Morning Everyone !! Off to a late start for me today. We got another inch or so of snow here last night also. Now, to start the warming trend, I hope !!

RT : it looks like you got dangerously close to Laz's bear to get that picture !! Good job !!

Looks like The Daytona 500 will be the thing to watch today !!

Hope everyone has a nice day !!

Thanks, John 

[fifedog]

Mornin' boys!  Mawnin CHIEF!  Looks like I really stirred the pot o' grits yesterday...all in good fun, big man.

88 - Glad you finally found Catoctin Hobbies.  I told you, didn't I.  The cool part about getting there is you follow the old WESTERN MARYLAND all the way into Thurmont.  And then when you walk thru the front door you get hit with that Protosmoke aroma...love it!  Speaking of 88, I'll be watching the 500 and routhing for the SNICKERS car to win!  Although the 20 appears to be the team to beat. 

[CSXect]

I got offered a job a temperory Job (4 weeks or till task is done) working on computers donated to a carrer rehabilitaion organization for people with physical and or mental disabilities. From what the IT director explained to me I would be testing the pc's to make sure they boot up and then write over any info on hard drives to "clean" up any unwanted files and then gohst the hard drives they are all very similar computers so this should be a cake job. This is an oppertunity to add more to my resume and maybe save a little money to go towords some train purcheses. 

[laz 57]

found Laz's bear heading to church this am

 

WOW how'd you get him to wear a tie?  He only knows how to tie one on, usually on Saturday nites.

LOL,

laz57

[rtraincollector]

found Laz's bear heading to church this am

 

WOW how'd you get him to wear a tie?  He only knows how to tie one on, usually on Saturday nites.

Still hung over from saturday night so tied one on him quick as he was heading into church this am to amends his sat. binge LOL 

LOL,

laz57

[fifedog]

Laz57 - "Hey-ey-ey BOO-BOO!  This pic-a-nic basket's full of grits!"

[John Bakeer]

  Nick,

That sounds painful!

Going out to the sampling rooms soon, so will have a gander tomorrow, hopefully I shall be OK with your recommendations which I have printed out preparatory to getting stuck in. Thanks.

Did you see the Chiefs post re the English man he met, looks like your advice is needed again.  

[Anonymous]

Evening all.  Sore eyes.  Sun came out and things began to blosum in Florida [right below their shoulders ]  I tried not to look.  

Obviously these were members of the Blossomming Orlando Order of Bassboat Sunbathers.

Bruce Webster

[laz 57]

Laz57 - "Hey-ey-ey BOO-BOO!  This pic-a-nic basket's full of grits!"

YOGI DON"T EAT GRITS!  Neither does my bear.

laz57

[rtraincollector]

Laz57 - "Hey-ey-ey BOO-BOO!  This pic-a-nic basket's full of grits!"

YOGI DON"T EAT GRITS!  Neither does my bear.

laz57

No but he sure found the still last night

[laz 57]

Laz57 - "Hey-ey-ey BOO-BOO!  This pic-a-nic basket's full of grits!"

YOGI DON"T EAT GRITS!  Neither does my bear.

laz57

No but he sure found the still last night

The still filled with OLE MILL!

laz57

[Anonymous]

 Speaking of 88, I'll be watching the 500 and routhing for the SNICKERS car to win!  Although the 20 appears to be the team to beat. 

Go SMOKE!!!

Here is the present that my wife got me for our anniversary last year.

[Nick12DMC]

Hi all,

John B, The learning curve was painful 

Chief, Hmmm I have learned more about power frequency in the last year...and it all started in Florida! Which is where we spent Christmas 2005. My son Charlie got a Lionel set for Christmas and he had it running in the reception area at the Hilton Walt Disney World on Christmas day. (Those Hilton beds are great!)

Little did I know how involved I was going to get in this hobby when we returned to the UK and the set did not work! I guess because it did not work I got more involved Note: Lionel this is probably not a reliable marketing method...I must be strange. Or a glutton for punishment.

I have heard that some chargers (I take it we are talking battery chargers) do not like the incorrect frequency to be used. I hear some don't like the cheaper moddified sine inverters square wave ether. However if the item contains a transformer AC to DC like a Sony PSP charger for example seam to work fine. I would check with your tech guys on Monday.

The main problem areas with the diffrent power frequency seam to be things that use AC power directly (like 3 rail trains) or contain timers (clocks, washing machines etc.) They use the frequency as a timing signal. US 60Hz power alternates 60 times a second and UK power alternates 50 times a second. Hence the name Alternating Current (AC). Hence use the item on the wrong frequency screws up the timing. So a Charger with some sort of timing circuit for limiting the length of charge could have problems.

See all the "intresting" stuff you learn with toy trains is anyone still awake.....anyone,anyone.

Have a good Sunday folks

Nick  

 

[Brutus]

Just checking in - everything is melting!  So glad I spent all the time clearing the driveway.  Front gutters are full of ice and malfunctioning - water dripping everywhere on the front porch and walkway.  There is a small leak at the end of the gutter, which I shall have to caulk in warmer weather.  Well, I've got to get ready for the 2nd father-daughter dance, this is the girlscout one and includes dinner - sandwiches, mostly.  TTFN!

[GregM]

Evening all.  Sore eyes.  Sun came out and things began to blosum in Florida [right below their shoulders ]  I tried not to look.  

Obviously these were members of the Blossomming Orlando Order of Bassboat Sunbathers.

Bruce Webster

 

One of my favorite movie lines is from one of the Smokey and The Bandit movies.  Buford T. Justice mutters "I remember when a pair of B...s was a couple dumb guys." 

Crazy weather here today.  Bright sunshine and then just a few minutes later dark and snowing like crazy.   Sun was shininging brightly went we went out to shovel the drive and sidewalk earlier today.  Wasn't outside more than five minutes and was in a snow squall.  The a few minute later, bright sunshine again.  Sun stayed out for a while that time, got driveway and sidewalk cleared.  Sun melted the remaining snow on driveway.  Probably snow covered again.  Watching the Daytona race while checking the forums.

 

[CSXect]

Have you ever been to that lake that crosses the Kentucky and Tennese border? It is supose to be a good place to fish for Bass.

Are you refering to Lake Cumberland (South Central, Kentucky) or the big lake in Western, KY?  Because if you're talking about Lake Cumberland, well, that's not going to be a hot fishing spot for many years to come because they are lowering the water levels big time due to fears that the Wolf Creek Dam might actually breech, they believe that its already leaking and if it fails, well there are several towns that are immediately down-stream; needless to say things are a bit anxious around there.

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/16720125.htm

I am not sure of the name but it was on a trip leaflet it either said Kentucky's Tennese lake or was it Tennese's kentucky lake. I have heard of Cumberland though. Both my sisters and my Brother in-law went to Bible colledge in Johnson City at Johnson Bible colledge and Milligan.

[CSXect]

Chief all that BBQ baked beans and banana puding sounds like the reasturant we have in Columbus Ohio Called City BBQ. Just to the west of columbus is Grovecity(some call it Grovetucky)  and a place called Hoggies the have a dish called loaded nachos basicly nachos with your choice of BBQ Pork or chicken for the meat very good.

Have you ever been to that lake that crosses the Kentucky and Tennese border? It is supose to be a good place to fish for Bass. Don't do much fishing anymore but would like to go to Canada and do some fishing up north sometime. 

He's been to Hoggies and I'm banned for life.

Fishing?  http://www.geocities.com/algomafishcorps/

I have rode the Algoma Central and would like to make a return trip there again and maybe ride it all the way to Hearst at the end of the line. I took the Agawa caynon tour.

[dwiemer]

Hey Chief, I have Trains RUNNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Just one loop, but it is a start.  This is the middle loop that has the least amount of wiring issues.  The upper loop has relays, and the lower one will be TMCC.  It is nice to actually see trains running, but I have to tell ya, had problems with 3 different locomotives.  All need work that has been neglected while building layout.

Dennis

[wrmcclellan]

60's today, sunny, and warming to high 60's and low 70's for the rest of the week. Hooray!

Watching the Daytona - ol' Mark Martin has made it up to 7th place and Tony Stewart just crashed! Ouch! Hey - Martin is now in 6th place! Let's hear it for the old guys!

 

 

[csxt30]

60's today, sunny, and warming to high 60's and low 70's for the rest of the week. Hooray!

Watching the Daytona - ol' Mark Martin has made it up to 7th place and Tony Stewart just crashed! Ouch! Hey - Martin is now in 6th place! Let's hear it for the old guys!

 

 

 

CHEVY WINS !!!

[Blueberryhill RR]

See the USA in a Chevrolet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

( Mark should have won )

[fifedog]

wrmcclellan - the old guy got robbed!

[dougdagrump]

Wow, what a finish !

Does the driver coming across the finish line on his roof get points for finishing?

I don't know that I have ever seen this asked but I have a question for those of you who would be affectionately referred to as electronic geeks. I have some of the pewter hobos playing musical instruments that I put in an auto parts boxcar. Are there any small remote control devices, preferrably record/play, that could be hidden in the boxcar as well. As a bluegrass fan I think it would be pretty cool to have it running around the museum layout to see some hobos in a boxcar playing a little bluegrass.

[cnw1995]

Good evening from a warming Crystal Lake where it is supposed to be in the 40s by the end of the week. I'm off to pick up the teens from their various church groups. Wish they all met in the same location. The middle boy gave a monologue as part of the services this morning. He was great. Our youngest is sick with some sort of bug - probably the same thing I had yesterda - so I missed the end of the race. I think I'm one of the only ones going to work tomorrow.

I've been sketching out some ways to make a freight motor out of one of the trolleys with some sort of sheath. Need more research.

[CSXect]

Wow, what a finish !

Does the driver coming across the finish line on his roof get points for finishing?

I don't know that I have ever seen this asked but I have a question for those of you who would be affectionately referred to as electronic geeks. I have some of the pewter hobos playing musical instruments that I put in an auto parts boxcar. Are there any small remote control devices, preferrably record/play, that could be hidden in the boxcar as well. As a bluegrass fan I think it would be pretty cool to have it running around the museum layout to see some hobos in a boxcar playing a little bluegrass.

Sound Blox or maybe it was sound blocks was an early form of adding sounds to layouts and trains. They had stock sound bytes and I beleive they would do custom sounds as well. A guy in the S gauge club I used to belong to had one in a stock car hooked up to a motion switch that would activate the sounds of cattle it was realy cool....may have to dig into some HO magizines to see who made them they may have been by QSI ??? the moduals if I remember are half as big as a pack of smokes. By the way Bluegrass and trains go together pretty well.

[laz 57]

I'm a FORD GUY, but what a GREAT finish to that race.  At least EARNHART didn't finish, wrecked another one.

laz57

[jefelectric]

Wow, what a finish !

Does the driver coming across the finish line on his roof get points for finishing?

I don't know that I have ever seen this asked but I have a question for those of you who would be affectionately referred to as electronic geeks. I have some of the pewter hobos playing musical instruments that I put in an auto parts boxcar. Are there any small remote control devices, preferrably record/play, that could be hidden in the boxcar as well. As a bluegrass fan I think it would be pretty cool to have it running around the museum layout to see some hobos in a boxcar playing a little bluegrass.

Sound Blox or maybe it was sound blocks was an early form of adding sounds to layouts and trains. They had stock sound bytes and I beleive they would do custom sounds as well. A guy in the S gauge club I used to belong to had one in a stock car hooked up to a motion switch that would activate the sounds of cattle it was realy cool....may have to dig into some HO magizines to see who made them they may have been by QSI ??? the moduals if I remember are half as big as a pack of smokes. By the way Bluegrass and trains go together pretty well.

Doug, Try this link.

http://www.ittsound.com/hqpage.htm

Try the Turkey and the Straw sound sample.  You could use track power with a power supply like the one used to power an onboard camera and get remote control via an Electric RR Mini Commander.  All of this could be done for less than $100 with a little work.

Go for it.