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

[cheapclassics]

Good morning all,

It is cool and cloudy with possibly some more rain on the way in SE Indiana with temps in the 50s and 60s.  Down town Indy has been invaded by a bunch of blue and gold jackets (FFA Convention).  As I mentioned to my carpooler, I think a lot of these kids are in that group because that happens to be the "in" club at school because I grew up with "farm" kids and these definitely do not look like "farm" kids.  Still, it is nice to have a large group of reasonably behaved youngsters spend lots of money in our capital city.  Of course, I noticed a lot of them were wearing jackets from southern cities so this could be one of Chief's nefarious attempts to invade Hoosier land :-)  

Saw in another thread where Lionel and MTH may have resolved their differences.  Maybe we can get back to making trains and not suing them. 

I spent most of last night reading the latest issue of Trains.  It had a really good article on Alaskan railroading.

Had a little extra on the dining car this morning from "Points East".  I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[laz 57]

HI GIZ,

  Rained all nite off and on.  Great we need it.

GOLF tonite against BROTHER?

All B safe.

laz57

[Jumijo]

 

 

 

 

[Blueberryhill RR]

Good Morning from Blueberryhill....

It is a cool 52 degrees. Going up to only 66 today, with a chance of some rain later.

Up early today. Very busy. Have a lot of work to do around the house. Wife is away on business for a few days. No time for trains today. I will need a nice nap later.

Dining Car is here and self-service. Time for breakfast.

Y'all have a great Thursday.

Chuck

[mitchelr]

Morning Folks,

 

A fresh pot is on.  Raining here now and rained most of yesterday.  Suppposed to keep raining through Friday any way.  We sure need it.

Still have not installed the sound board.  I read the instructions again and it seems fairly straight forward.  Not too scary except the part about using a screw driver to pry the shell away from the frame.  Maybe tonight.

Good progress on the school.  Drywall is nearly complete.  Priming and painting downstairs.  Will start painting upstairs soon. walk in Refrigerator and Freezer are going to be installed next week.  Elevator is substantially complete. Exterior doors are being installed.  Supposed to be closed in by this Friday.  Exterior wall panels (metal barn style siding) to start sometime soon after delivery on November 9. We'll see.  Metal wall panel siding is only 3 months overdue.

Take care,

Mitch 

[Nick12DMC]

You beat me to it, Doug. Good luck hiding it from him (and yourself). I plan to do the same thing.

I' ve got to do this with the Hogwarts set.....until Mr C. can deliver it.

Doug-British outline layout, reading up on the GWR and SR.... This could get expensive.

Have a good one

Nick

[cnw1995]

You beat me to it, Doug. Good luck hiding it from him (and yourself). I plan to do the same thing.

[dougdagrump]

Things must be improving a big brown truck came by today and so did the mail. Happy about brown but the mail could have waited a while, bills. Yuck !

Now, back to brown, he brought some new stuff for the Grandson and I to play with come Christmas. A Thomas & Friends set, James and the Sodor Expansion set. It is going to be trying to keep them hidden that long.

Sir J, Sounds like good news for the wife.

Got rid of some hostility on the other place so won't repeat here, feels good to vent at times.

Later All !

[cnw1995]

I grew up in Connecticut, Chief, does that count?

Sir J, good news indeed.

Jim F, great comment on the bride's blog. Made her day. Have to get my Thomas the Tank first! I want to play with creating a British-outline layout -- Sodor Island Railways sounds like a good new theme.

[ChiefEagles]

Sr. J, good luck with the wife.  I had 6 by-passes in '04 and never had any heart problems.  Found by accident. 

Raining so hard it sounds like a cow peeing on a flat rock.   Think we might be in the 3 inches "neighborhood".  Pond had come up a foot anf still rising at dark.  Suppose to rain tomorrow and into Friday.  Praise the Lord.  He knew it was time to filler up. 

Now to try to read some of my CTT.  Have not opened a page of it.  Got passport photos tonight and sending package of Friday.  Pro Mariner paying for all for both of us, flight to Miami and cruise to Key West and then some island off of Mexico and back.  Leave Feb 13.  Gone a week.

Mocrowave popcorn time.  BTW: booked flights to and from East Hartford CT Nov 8 and back Nov 11 [Cabela's Grand Opening].  Any you bums live near that?

[sir james I]

EVENING ALL

Brutus- save that o/t money for trains.If you go on a diet will I still get my ice cream?

GOOD NEWS for a change, spent most of the day at the hospital for wifes catherization and the Dr. said one small place 20% blocked. He said they don't need to treat it as to small to do any harm. We will see what her primary Dr. says in about a week.

That was our day so no trains ran here today, but happy just the same.    Sir James

[dbaker48]

Just got a traveller update from wife.  They are staying in Joplin, Mo., TONIGHT

Made all of 180 miles today.  I think I will start planning Thanksgiving Dinner.

[Brutus]

88 - I don't remember that Nintendo thing?  Sorry, early onset oldtimers disease.

Jim A and Doug, you guys are making me want a Thomas trainset!

Worked an hour of OT tonight.  I don't think the kids have even noticed I've been coming home a little late.  Chewy has though, she just goes nuts when I walk in the house!  Good Dog!

[A&Y Ry]

Heh, heh--good one Don.

But we can use "used" left coast water. Much beautiful grass growing in the water supply lakes and riverbeds here where water used to flow. So far the rain has merely activated the dried mud flats---not raised the water level.

[dbaker48]

Chief - Just a suggestion......

Pass the word on to the NC Air Natn'l Guard, we have people in place to inspect those aircraft on there return, to ensure they are not taking any of OUR water with them !!! 

[A&Y Ry]

No hard rain here in the mountains Chief. But four days of steady drizzle and showers has recorded a couple of inches. Reduced worrisome local fire danger and enabled N.C. Guard 's Air Tankers to engage in firefighting in California early this week.

Hope that rough deal for SOCAL folks about to ease somewhat.

[ChiefEagles]

Ordered two power upgrades for the Sharks yesterday... once I have that done I'll have A-B-A all powered!

Brent, If I remember correctly those Sharks were Williams.  I will curious to find out how the power upgrade goes.  Keep us posted.

Same here.  Been wanting to order some Electric RR commanders and sounds and install in conventionals.  Figure I will do that when I get time.

Got about 2 inches of rain so far.  Rained for 30 minutes so hard it strangled frogs.   Want to go see if it got to the pond to help bring it up.  Lightning around and more storms on the way.   Funny, happy to see such storms.  Did run trains this AM before luncheon meeting.  Later

[cnw1995]

Wow, that looks sharp, Jim.

Sometimes it is great to work in a big city. I just got back from a delightful walk down to Powel's Bookstore - see http://www.powellschicago.com/ - about six blocks south of my office. They are chock-full of pristine books - with a whole wall on Railways. I browsed many and bought two: Raising the Echoes: The Illustrated Story of a Great Western Railway steam locomotive depot, and Odd Corners of the Southern (Railway) from the Days of Steam for just $13

[Jumijo]

 

Buy Thomas, Doug! Do it. You know you want to!!!

 

Toot! Toot! 

[Sturgeon-Phish]

Afternoon all

Finished cleaning up the train room after working on the layout.  I got all the new to me flyer stuff washed up too.  Took the loco apart cleaned and lubed, adjusted e unit, saturated the smoke wick and scrubed the shells put her back together and runs like new!  Very satisfying.  Smokes like crazy.  Runs great on test track only pulling about 1 1/2 amp with four boxcar load, well within spec.  It did not appear to have much run time and I don't think it had ever been apart.  Made date January 1956.

Well I've played all morning so guess I should study some.

Pray for a break in the west coast weather.

May God bless

Jim 

[Anonymous]

Ordered two power upgrades for the Sharks yesterday... once I have that done I'll have A-B-A all powered!

Brent, If I remember correctly those Sharks were Williams.  I will curious to find out how the power upgrade goes.  Keep us posted.

They sure are!  And I'll even take pics of the project...

[Buckeye Riveter]

Ordered two power upgrades for the Sharks yesterday... once I have that done I'll have A-B-A all powered!

Brent, If I remember correctly those Sharks were Williams.  I will curious to find out how the power upgrade goes.  Keep us posted.

[Buckeye Riveter]

Buckeye, will you be going to the TTOS show on Dec 9? 

Hope to be there!!!

[Jumijo]

 

Back from my walk. It's cold and rainy out there. But with a coat on, it wasn't bad.  I'm looking forward to an evening inside instead of watching the kids maim each other outside on the swing set. Maybe we'll spend some time down in the "clubhouse" playing  air hockey and running some trains. Perhaps we'll run our twin 2056s. That would be fun and make a great photo for Sunday. The 736 hasn't been run in a while though...

Highrail Jon's talk of incorporating building flats onto his next layout has me thinking of adding some to ours. Our layout is lacking industries of any kind, so it might be a good idea.

[1688torpedo]

Hello All!    Don B & Doug!   I sure do hope you guys fare alright out in California. I know that Don said Fire is Natures way of clearing out old brush & wood. However, I had heard on a News report that some of the Fires are Arson related out that way & if so, I hope they catch whoever did it & send them to prison for a long time. Glad we do not have Fires like that out here in the East!  Colin- I hope all goes well for you with your Throat & your Knee. Prayers & good thoughts for all who need them. Take Care.

[cnw1995]

I meant to ask Yorkies on this thread about your purchases? What did you buy? What have you run yet? How do you like 'em?

[rtraincollector]

88 I think the problem here is someone bought tons of these real cheap and coupldn't sell them in a timely manner I remember buying one about 3 years ago for about $10.00 off ebay as there were about 50 listed in a weeks time back then . I bet he paid about that for them and was just trying to recoup his money . If I remeber right there were wrist watches wich were battery and pocket watches which were battery also I took the pocket style still have it and it works fine .

I see your point but if remeber right they originally had about a $20 or $25 price tag on tv about 5 years ago I seem to remeber an add and it was like $24.95 and you could get a second one for about 1/2 price more. lol They are on the cheap side but then most items that have copyright are as to get purmission to use a name like lionel isn't cheap and its not lionel putting them out its some joe blow with the money to do it. they just pay a royality fee for using the name and emblems.

[cnw1995]

'Morning from a sunny and cold Chicago where I spent my inbound commute happily pondering new track arrangements for Thomas the Tank Engine and his pals. I wonder where I can find set-break-ups since I wouldn't need the transformer nor Fastrack, nor some of the weirder cars in the expansions. Any advice?

Chief, hurray for rain!

Jim (Stur-Fish), congratulations on the AF finds. Great price. I always loved Gabe and the Seaboard Coal Loader.

Colin, glad your knee is improving. Fife, I'm glad you're OK!

I had no idea about the strength of those winds in California. I don't understand why people build in those canyons. Or why the brush isn't removed. But then maybe the soil would slide around if it rained.

Jim A, I think I got that same catalog - I noted a CTT code on it. I liked the Lionel area rug...

[Jumijo]

 

My Lionel pajamas and bed sheets are very high quality silk. My only complaint is, when I jump into bed, I slide off the other side! 

[Anonymous]

Almost forgot to mention - I got some railroad merchadise catalog in the mail yesterday. Inside was a lot of Lionel licensed products. Everything from clocks to lamps to rugs to couch covers. Coffee mugs, beer steins, crossing signal banks, you name it. Looks like Lionel is really trying to re-establish their household name.

When I was picking up Susan's Coo-Coo Clock there was a lady there getting batteries replaced in a watch.  The batteries had corroded and caused the watch to stop working... it was a Lionel train watch...

Now if they are just going to put their name on everything under the Sun and those products turn out to be junk I think Lionel will end up hurting their name rather than helping it.  No problem with them getting back out there, but they have to have their name on QUALITY products, not crap... see Nintendo game they slapped their name on... Brutus, what was it your son said about it?

I think you overlooked somethin here or I miss understanding my view is the owner of the watch was too dumb to replace/remove the battery that was probally in that watch for 5 years. Then want to cry its a cheap item

I was thinking the same thing, RT. 

I'm not sure of the watch's age.  The lady said she had purchased it off EBay, it was 'brand-new' and was in the original packaging when she received it.

I have seen some Lionel items that I question the quality of... for example the 100 anniversary clock from a few years back... they also had a bedside radio that look rather chinsey...

IMHO if Lionel wanted to do the 100 anniversary items better they certainly could have... The wall clock certainly could have had some wood or metal, not to mention the train that was on the clock they never made...