Elliotts Trackside Diner III

[OzarkBelt]

BTW, is that giant digital camera a 3-D advertisement billboard? LOL, It's not often that a structure like that would block a road!!

Yeah, the Jolly Green Giant left his camera behind yesterday.

Guess he likes to railfan when he's not posing for advertisements!! Did he get any good pics? LOL! I guess the wreck scared him away.

[OzarkBelt]

Whoops!

looks like this meal(s) are on me!!

enjoy!

[JPowell]

Gas hit $3.14 here today, I expect to see $3.50 by Summer and it could go as high as $3.75 by August.

I paid $3.26 last week for the cheap stuff @ BJ's Wholesale Club Membership price. Yesterday when I drove by the same one, it was up to $3.31 for the cheap stuff.

[JPowell]

BREAK -----BREAK-----BREAK - We are following Breaking News in Syracuse - The CNY Transportation Corp Security Dept, in conjunction with the CSX Railroad Police Office, have just found a stray OJ shipment here in the Syracuse NY area. It's shipping instructions state that it's for the CS. Will the owner please contact us immediately for delivery.

Thanks!

Dialing now!

Already moved to the CS Siding!

[SilverSpike]

Morning folks!

Looks like rain in our future again, Falls Lake is about 90% full now so another good pour or two will put us to 100%.

Currently attending a web conference on ColdFusion right now, but multi-tasking at the moment...

Thanks Duke, nice to see in the Diner and TOPS too huh!

Garry I read your ops session, sounds like you get to do a little of both running and ops, similar to what I like to get to.

PC breakfast menu looks good; I'll have the City Slicker.  And wish your son all the best from us here in the Diner, out thoughts and prayers are with you all!

RT good luck with the Asheville, NC at the VA, your only 5 hours drive from our house when you get to there.

Jim sorry to hear about the situations, hope things improve for you soon!

John Boy thanks for the gas filler-up tips!

Jeff needs a maintenance crew out there pronto!

Thanks Ozark for picking up the next tab!

John we paid $3.14 a gal for regular at BJ's Membership $$ on Monday night!

Lunch and Dinner Specials

(Courtesy of Casamento's Restaurant - New Orleans)

Appetizers

Gumbo

Oyster Stew

Oysters on the Half Shell

Crab Claws

Fried Calamari

Sandwiches

½ Oyster, Shrimp, Catfish or Trout Loaf

Full Oyster, Shrimp, Catfish or Trout Loaf

Dinners

Seafood Platter

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Soft Shell Crab Dinner

Desserts

Eli's of Chicago Cheesecake

6 layer Gourmet German Chocolate Cake

[JPowell]

I received my MRR Stimulus payment notice in the mail today.  It states individuals who normally do not have to file a tax return, the new law provides for payments to individuals who have a total of $3,000 or more in earned income, Social Security benefits, and/or certain veterans' payments, you may receive a payment of $300. http://www.irs.gov/

It also states MRR Stimulus payments will be sent out in may.  Wahoo!

I get my $600 direct deposited on May 9th! Woo Hoo!!!!

[JPowell]

Jeff, I hope your dad has a riding mower otherwise it will be a full time job! Really nice of him to help you out though. By the way I'm curious as to what kind of car you have with 275,000 miles on it. That is truly amazing. Does it have a 3.8 litre motor or is it a V8?

CN Charlie: It's a 94 Buick Century with a beefed up engine and tranny. The engine is a 3.1 V6 bored out to a 3.3 and overcranked with a 3.3 crank. Lots of torque. There's also an electrically driven turbo charger buried between the intake and the block. This thing puts off a real whistle going down the highway. Gas milage sucks. Average 12-14 MPG.

Here's a pic:

 

The Fire Dept does pay the gas bill, right Jeff?

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Jeff, I hope your dad has a riding mower otherwise it will be a full time job! Really nice of him to help you out though. By the way I'm curious as to what kind of car you have with 275,000 miles on it. That is truly amazing. Does it have a 3.8 litre motor or is it a V8?

CN Charlie: It's a 94 Buick Century with a beefed up engine and tranny. The engine is a 3.1 V6 bored out to a 3.3 and overcranked with a 3.3 crank. Lots of torque. There's also an electrically driven turbo charger buried between the intake and the block. This thing puts off a real whistle going down the highway. Gas milage sucks. Average 12-14 MPG.

The Fire Dept does pay the gas bill, right Jeff?

Nope, the cars in my name and so is the gas bill.

[pcarrell]

Should i be concerned about all these wrecks your line has been experiencing?

He's like the Amtrak of Louisiana!

[pcarrell]

Gas hit $3.14 here today, I expect to see $3.50 by Summer and it could go as high as $3.75 by August.

I paid $3.26 last week for the cheap stuff @ BJ's Wholesale Club Membership price. Yesterday when I drove by the same one, it was up to $3.31 for the cheap stuff.

$3.39 a gallon for the cheap stuff on Monday here in central Indiana.  They're talking about $4.00 a gallon by May (gas always goes up around race time in Indiana.....but the pricing hikes aren't artificial.....NOPE! )

[JPowell]

Jeff, I hope your dad has a riding mower otherwise it will be a full time job! Really nice of him to help you out though. By the way I'm curious as to what kind of car you have with 275,000 miles on it. That is truly amazing. Does it have a 3.8 litre motor or is it a V8?

CN Charlie: It's a 94 Buick Century with a beefed up engine and tranny. The engine is a 3.1 V6 bored out to a 3.3 and overcranked with a 3.3 crank. Lots of torque. There's also an electrically driven turbo charger buried between the intake and the block. This thing puts off a real whistle going down the highway. Gas milage sucks. Average 12-14 MPG.

The Fire Dept does pay the gas bill, right Jeff?

Nope, the cars in my name and so is the gas bill.

What the ! Do they give you anything at all in place of paying the bill?

[JPowell]

Hey would you look at that.... I just hit my 1,000th post!

[JPowell]

Ok all -

Dick / Ed - Just in on Sportscenter - The Red Sox players are discussing a boycott of the upcoming Japan trip because management is NOT getting paid $40 grand like the players are!

On to train items -

 One quick question before I go for the day.... I have some articles that I've cut out of mags back in my 'novice' days and am wondering how I should store them. Choices are....

1 - leave them as is (in document protectors in binders

2 - scan them into the computer and store them in folders there

3 - (could possibly create RW CD/DVD's and store them there (really need to figure this out!!))

4 - both options 1 and 2.

5 - (only if I can do # 3 w/ my computer) both options 2 and 3.

Thanks! Take care and enjoy the day!

[SilverSpike]

Ok all -

  Qiuck question before i go for the day.... I have some articles that I've cut out of mags back in my 'novice' days and am wondering how I should store them. Choices are....

1 - leave them as is

2 - scan them into the computer and store them there

3 - (could possibly create RW CD/DVD/s and store them there (really need to figure this out!!))

4 - both options 1 and 2.

5 - (only if I can do # 3 w/ my computer) both options 2 and 3.

Thanks

and

#5 sounds like a plan!

[Hoople]

Morning all.

Been busy, I'm part of the Tech Crew for our school play. I'm the one and only special effects guy.

Anyways, today mom is going to check her bank records to see if wholesale has charged us for the big boy or not... If not, we cancel and we go and buy another from FDT.

I still can't wait, if I ordered from FDT it would've been here... I'll probably get the highest shipping speed I can get under $15.

That's it for now.
Mark

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good morining....

It sure is wet outside. Ground is saturated. Lake level is high.

Looks like the the wreckmaster on Jeff's layout is a busy person. have invetigators determine the cause of the latest derailment, Jeff?

I was on so brief last night I read no posts. Sorry to hear about Jim CG' "bad day" . 

See you later.......... 

[JPowell]

So Ryan you think that I should scan them into the computer, save them, and also make RW CD/DVD's?

What got me thinking of CD/DVD's is that they take up less room for storage compared to binders.

[JimRCGMO]

Good Morning, Diners - Zoe, a glass of Ed's OJ,

 

cup of coffee and couple or three waffles, please.

 

Thanks - appreciate it, Ozark Belt! 

Went out this morning (to pull the CD in the car's player and the others in center console), and when I turned the switch to accessory, the radio came on, so that's a good sign. I want to let the car dry out more before I risk turning the engine over, so hitched a ride to work today. I'll contact the insurance company today, too and see about whether they want to send someone to check it out. The ceiling has slacked off on any drips (but I left the trash bags over stuff in the living room, in case). Hopefully the ceiling will dry out quickly once the rain stops today. I heard that Cape got a total of 20 inches of rain yesterday.

(In a MisterRogers voice: "Children, can you say, 'rain forest'?")

So, so far it's a good day. Anybody want some rain? We have an overstock of it at the moment, and would love to ship it somewhere else.

RT, that sounds like great progress on that job - we're (still) pulling for ya! Let us know when you have the appointment for your physical, okay? 

For those tracking gas prices, we're at $2.98 a gallon here today. But I'm waiting to see about the car before I put more gas in it, and hopefully that price will hold until then (or go down, which would be nice).

Best get to it today - not sure how many clients will be showing up today, with the water/flood in this area. Guess I'll see. My 9:00 didn't show up, and my 11:00 already rescheduled (yesterday afternoon). Can catch up on the paperstuff today.

 

Blessings and drying out for your day,

Jim in Cape Girardeau 

[JPowell]

Jim -

  Sorry to hear about your misfortunes. Hopefully things will turn around quickly!

[rtraincollector]

They just called my appointment for physical is tuesday 25 March 2008 at 1 P.M. in asheville, N.C.

[JPowell]

Morning all.

Been busy, I'm part of the Tech Crew for our school play. I'm the one and only special effects guy.

Anyways, today mom is going to check her bank records to see if wholesale has charged us for the big boy or not... If not, we cancel and we go and buy another from FDT.

I still can't wait, if I ordered from FDT it would've been here... I'll probably get the highest shipping speed I can get under $15.

That's it for now.
Mark

Mark -

  I feel for ya! I have not ordered from Wholesale, but have gone to their store, and quite frankly, was not all that impressed. Although the area around the store is rich in RR history, so if you ever get out that way on a trip, check it out.

JP

[JPowell]

Rats - TOTP! Eat up fellas. Just don't break the bank. I don't need JimCG's misfortune.

JP

[Cox 47]

GOOD MORNING ALL...Still raining here with alot of flooding posta stop this afternoon..i'll have coffee and a sasauge sandwitch please...Thank you...Jim..sorry to hear about your car hope it drys out OK...Jeff ...Glad I don't have to gas up your car...We havn't drove much this winter I havn't put any gas in our van since last of October!...I just plug my chair in overnite ever few days!...I'll try to get back latter for some of Ryan's seafood platter...You all have a good one...Jerry

[SilverSpike]

So Ryan you think that I should scan them into the computer, save them, and also make RW CD/DVD's?

What got me thinking of CD/DVD's is that they take up less room for storage compared to binders.

Yes, if you have the time and resources that would be the way to go. The CD/DVD's would also give you a back up to the data on the PC. Plus you can make the data easier to carry around to other PC's at work, home, library, other folks layout PC's or your own layout PC if your going to software enable or run your layout from a PC.

[pcarrell]

Man, Ryan, all those PC's in your last post were giving me a complex until I read it.  Thought maybe I was in trouble or something!

Jim, that's a ton of rain!  Hope you get dried out OK!

And Jeff,you sure you don't have gremlins on your layout?  Seems to be a rash on mishaps lately.  Thats unusual for you.

Hey, did you guys realize that we just ripped through a whole page in just a single morning?  Actually, just part of a morning!

[Cederstrand]

Is it just me? If you remove the colors from the pic of Jeffrey's car, it kinda resembles a locomotive.  

Raining away here. Have a good day all. Rob

[der5997]

Good afternoon to one and all.  I'll have a JR Regular please (thanks JP!), and if there's a stub end of the inside stalk of that cabbage going; I'd like a small chunk to crunch on. (Anyone else have that particular perversion?)  The request for boiled beef and carrots was really a tip of the hat to the old Brit Music Hall song of the same name, the chorus of which goes:

Boiled Beef and carrots, boiled beef and carrots, that's the stuff for your "Derby Kell"; makes you fit and keeps you well.  Don't live like vegetarians on the stuff they give to parrots; from morn til' night fill out your kite on Boiled Beef and carrots!

Don't have a pic, but suet dumplings, onions, potatoes, and of course cabbage feature along with the beef. Forget sirloin, this is strictly "working class" and flank steak stuff.

Kris has a cold, which is what's behind the "crudly" reference in this email she sent me today.  I quote it in its entirety, for your amusement and education

Just while we're all feeling crudly, try this one with the forum. Love, Me.----- Original Message -----  

Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 10:12 PM

Subject: Fw: What's a billion?

 Now here's a reality check!

The next time you hear a politician use the word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about whether you want the 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.
 
A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain, let's take a look at New Orleans. It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.
Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu , is presently asking the Congress for $250 BILLION to rebuild New Orleans. Interesting number, what does it mean?

A. Well, if you are one of 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, child), you each get $516,528.

B. Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.

C. Or, if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012. 

Washington , D.C ., Ottawa, Canada.... HELLO!!! ... Are all your calculators broken??

Tax his land, Tax his wage, Tax his bed in which he lays. Tax his tractor, Tax his mule, Teach him taxes is the rule. Tax his cow, Tax his goat, Tax his pants, Tax his coat. Tax his ties, Tax his shirts, Tax his work, Tax his dirt. 

Tax his tobacco, Tax his drink, Tax him if he tries to think. Tax his booze, Tax his beers, If he cries, tax his tears. Tax his bills, Tax his gas, Tax his notes, Tax his cash. Tax him good and let him know
That after taxes, he has no dough.

If he hollers, Tax him more, Tax him until he's good and sore. Tax his coffin, Tax his grave, Tax the sod in which he lays. Put these words upon his tomb, 'Taxes drove me to my doom!' And when he's gone, We won't relax, We'll still be after the inheritance TAX!! 

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?  No taxes existed 100 years ago, We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids. What happened?  Can you spell 'politicians!' And I still have to 'press1' for English.  

I hope this goes around THE USA and Canada at least 100 times!  ---  How About The world. What the heck happened?????

CN Charlie:

I assume from previous posts you are up around Stellarton? I've actually been to Sheet Harbour a few times on business but that was 10 years or so ago when I made quite a few business trips to Nova Scotia.

...Yep, Stellarton is an hour (on a good day) north of SH, so hour and a quarter for us.

my wife and I enjoy, Corner Gas

..as do we, but this week there wasn't any, hang over from March Break, we assumed. Was that the same for you?

it is set and filmed in a little town just south of Johnboy.

...who knew?...apparently quite a few we hear, as their tourist traffic is said to have increased remarkably.  Maybe Johnboy can fill us in.  Can't say as I recall seeing your "All you can eat mussels" thing.  While we don't have appetites of Fergie and Lisa, we do like a feed ourselves. 5lbs, Fergie? That's with the shells, right?

JR:

love those dead track section issues don't you? I usually find it's dirty track and not bad joiners especially in N. I think the inner edge of the rail is a lot more important in iNvisible scale for proper running.

...I think I can rule out dirty track, as that's just been GLEAMED.  It wasn't the locos, as I tried two different ones. It wasn't joiners, as the track on the section between the power feeders and the only unsoldered joiners in the dead track was likewise dead.  I take your point about the inside edge of the rail, but this wasn't intermittent running, it was nothing at all one day, and quite alright the next!

CapeJim:  That's too much rain! Glad you were able to keep ahead of it in mopping up. Sorry about the car though. Let's hope it was a dove, not a raven!

Jerry:  That Hot Dog stand looks great. Two serving windows! Do they do Ice Cream as well?  I like the idea of getting signs from flyers.  One of the local garages did an add for their services, and the bottom strip was covered in logos like NAPA, etc. all nice and small.  I've got a couple of sheets tucked away for doing the sides of transport trailers.

Ryan:

Testors' tube modeling glue holds up a good long time eh!

...wish it wasn't so darn "stringy" though!

Terry:  What are your holders made from?

The tule I picked up for my fences is sort of metal coloured, but I didn't get enough, and now I can't find it anymore in the fabric shops!

Alex: Thanks for the photo, and also for the reminder of the NERail people.  That's a site I lost track of when Netscape melted my Bookmarks last Fall.

RT:  Had forgotten about your porch, glad you've been able to get it repaired OK. God that they've been able to accommodate you for the more convenient appointment.

Paul:

Would you believe there was 16,000lbs of sand on it?

..not your average pick-up then?

Garry:

My scenery project is progressing along. I've done a lot,

...and the pics are??????

Ozark: Can see why that pic's a fav. Nice work on the weathering too.

PC:

let me throw up the breakfast

...did you mean that?

OzarkBelt wrote:

Should i be concerned about all these wrecks your line has been experiencing?

He's like the Amtrak of Louisiana!

...or the CN of anywhere in Western Canada!

Jeff: Were you backing up that train? Happens somewhat at my turnouts, and the next train goes well. Wheel gauge on the lead car? Haven't got mine figured out.

JP: Remember CDs/DVDs have a shelf life too.  I'd go for options 1 and 3, so long as the page protectors are archival quality(won't lift the ink onto themselves., ask at scrapbooking supply houses.), and you have the dry cool dark storage that will not harm them.

Mark:

I'm the one and only special effects guy.

..so why would they need more!

PC:

we just ripped through a whole page in just a single morning? 

...trying my best to keep up the pace!

Better get some more wood in. At this stage of the season, we bring it in a basketful at a time into the living room, rather than stack it by the wheelbarrow-load in the back porch.  TTFN.

[pcarrell]

PC:

let me throw up the breakfast

...did you mean that?

I was speaking figuratively!

[grayfox1119]

Good afternoon, gee the Diner is full today, must be the rainy weather. Looks good for getting to the Train room today , finally, just had to help the wife hang the new shower rod etc. ( I'm taller )  It is rainy and a raw cold day here, only 35F. We have had 0.28" of rain since midnight, a drop in the bucket from you guys in the south and midwest are experiencing. We have 2 to 3 more inches predicted, but this will not cause any issues here because the snow has all melted a week ago.

JIM: Why are you still with that bank? Didn't you have a problem with the same bank just a sort time ago? Dump the bandits!!! Water, water everywhere down there I see, we just saw the devastation on the Weather Channel, some of the records broken have stood for 100 years !!!!! Be careful if water gets into the transmission, it is TOAST !!!

J.P. : The problem was not with management, it was the coaches. They were told that they would get the same $40K as the players, now the people who organized this whole Japan trip have been pulling back on one thing after another that they promised. The players said enough, took a vote, and are 100% in solidarity to support the coaches. They walked back off the field from today's game into the clubhouse...good for them, I agree with their move.

R.T.: Hope the physical goes well for you. Nashville is a nice place from all that I have seen and read, in fact, it is rated as one of the best places in the country to retire to.

PC: Prayers for the little guy, we hope everything goes as planned. And a word of praise to you my friend, in today's world where so many fathers are out of the picture for various reason that I won't deliberate upon, you are a pillar of strength to your family, and if we had more fathers like you, this country wouldn't have half the homeless, broken families.

DER John: More rain coming!!! Get the summer barrels out in case of drought in August.

RYAN: It sure looks like the drought is over in your area, and with the lakes and reservoirs nearly full, you should be OK heading into Summer unless you have a very dry Spring. Maybe this will stop the bickering between Tennessee and Georgia over the boundary of their states and rights to the big lake down there as well as the Tennessee river.

JEFF: The FRA is headed your way, they want to investigate all the derailments on your RR. They look like a mean bunch of guys too!!

JOHNBOY: Thank for the great article on Gasolene...I forwarded to a bunch of other people who found it very informative also.

DUKE: Sounds like you have the Summer well planned. I too would like to go to Steamtown this year. If we do go, I will certainly also go to Strausburg RR museum also. We rode the train down there way back in '78, but the kids were young, the day was very humid and hot, so we never had a chance to visit the Museum.

SUE: What's new out in Oregon? My son just got back from there last Saturday, he was at the Intel Campus for a few days, is that near you?

Train room here I come,

[pcarrell]

WOW Dick, thats pretty lofty praise!  I only hope I can live up to it!  I thank you for your gracious words though.