Elliots Trackside Diner IV, Under New Management!

[Cederstrand]

Yikes! Wife came home early from work because her Dad was brought to the hospital after having a seizure. At first it looked like a small stroke, but turned out to be caused by an infection (combined with stress). Needless to say, my wife is pretty upset. All for now. -Rob 

[Cederstrand]

refill. I know it's late...and I don't care.

***Der, I've seen those car groupings on the bay. If I wasn't going steam era, I would have picked some up also. They look real nice. And thanks for the compliments on the painting. I'm actually leaning towards a walk-around layout with no backdrop.

***Paul, sorry about your friend Tony. His suffering is almost at an end, which (I believe) is a blessing.  

***Jeffrey, nice work on the E6.

Rob

[rtraincollector]

Bob K. I missed your post but I feel real sorrow for you I can't imagine going thru what your going thru. I have lost both my parrents but this has to be worst as your expecting the other to be there and there not. So sorry wish I knew how to help ( I like trying to do things like that) but this one is out of my ability. Wish you the strength to go on and find the good things in life to keep you going.

 

Bill&Donna R.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Today's project was to rebuild and re-motor a Proto 2000 E6-A that had been stripped and made into a dummy loco. I do believe I accomplished my goal.

See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrZ1E_DxNl4

 

[Paul W. Beverung]

Evening Gang:

BobK my thoughts are with you on this day. I have been thinking about you and Michael.

Has anyone heard from Michael?

I got word today that my friend Tony has slipped into a coma. He's isn't expected to last but a couple of more days.

I went over to the track today and cleaned up a bunch of weeds that had died along the right of way. These weeds grow to 5 feet and when they die off they fall over and block the track. I used my tractor with the grapple on the bucket to rake them up and haul them to the burn pile. We burned the trash pile and it was quite a fire for a bit. The others were working on the new transfere table for the diesel area and the parking bays. The meet is in just 4 weeks so the track owner is in a panic.

I wounder where Ed is. He maybe NOB. I know that he's coming up for the meet the end of April.

Der I am not going to think about how the depot will look since thinking gives me a headach.

I am going to head out and check my E-mail and then hit the sack.

Good Night All

 

[der5997]

Good evening to one and all.  Too much snow yesterday and last night...as much or more in one dump as we've had here all winter, and it's meant to be Spring....Grrrrrr.  For another Grrr, the price of gas here, assuming 3.78 litres/US Gallon, is $4.47 per Gallon. So a round trip into the Harbour from here is now over $2.15 Cnd. Gives one pause.

I've been having trouble finding a tallish station to act as my main line passenger terminal.  I'm leaning towards bashing this Model Power  kit into one.  I figure I could hide the lower storey behind some stone facing with new windows and doors, throw a canopy across the front, and the upper floor would be pretty much as is.  What do you think.

Many pages to catch up, so here goes....

Sue: Sorry to have missed your celebration...hope it was all you wanted it to be ...and that river bed is just plain wonderful.

[you asked if I'd harvested any bushes for layout trees...yes, over 400 of my favourite False Spirea have been slowly drying out in the basement over the winter.   In the mean time I've accumulated a number of alligator clips and tweezers type hair grips to act as "clothes pins" (smaller than JR's corner holders!) fro when I have to hang them up so the dilute white glue I shall have dipped them in can dry and fix them straight.  That means one clip on trunk on the line, and one as a weight on the other end to stretch them straight.

Ryan:  Thanks for the head's up on the Adobe Photoshop Express site. Sad to say it's only for you guys at the moment.  Looks really useful as a knot hole in Photoshop's fence!

Scott: Good to see you're doing well, and enjoying the job. Isn't it great to know you are trusted to do a great job?  Are the safety goggles in case the coffee spills at a misaligned switch? (oops)BTW, how many Mega pixels in that camera phone?  I was surprised (because I don't pay that much attention to those details) to see an ad. In a flyer this weekend for a 8. something Meg camera phone.  My Kodak C330 point and shoot is only 4.1!

Rob:

***Der, sounds like you got a great deal.

...These are the chaps...  That's the eBay image, so won't likely enlarge, but I think these will add a modern look to my station parking lots etc. Speaking of lots, there's 50 of these in the package, so I believe, so your

My thinking was to keep 1 and sell 2, and make a few in the process.

strategy may be something I should look at.  BTW, that painting of the rabbit leads me to think that your backdrops are going to be spectacular! 

Curoius: Wonder what the % grade is on those up-and-over figure 8 sets? Anyone know?

...My guess would be about 5%                

 

PC: That is such good news you've been posting recently! There is a Judge who judges justly, as you are well aware!

I kinda hope he doesn't grow a lot more.  He's 5'5" now.  My wife is 5'9" and I'm 5'11", but my dad is 6'2" and my brother is 6'3", so who knows.

...who does he take after mostly?  You or your wife?

The Police joke is winging its way all over!

Goofymike: ...you've found the right spot (IMHO).  There are a number of West Coast mrrs who drop in here on a frequent to occasional basis, BTW.  I'm on "the other coast" from you in Nova Scotia, and had a grandfather who was an engineer on the line in Australia that goes across the null-arbor plain along what was called when I was at school in England, "The Great Australian Bight".

Lee: Kudos to your "kids" for their achievements and goals; to you also for the Admiral's List!

BobB:

I start my new job tomorrow (March 24)  and I'm a bit nervous about it all.

...So, how did  it go?

BigBlueC:

Looks like the forum is out of control right now, glad im not part of this mess.

...which is why, partly, I stay in here.

NittanyLion: Can't recall seeing you in before, so ....

Mark:  Glad you are enjoying the BigBoy, and thanks for the look at your layout!

Once I did this, there was a gap in the tracks. Big enough to derail rolling stock, small enough so that fitter pieces wouldn't work.

...had to do the fitter piece thing about the same day you posted that.  For some reason that probably had to do with the lateness of thehour, and the rotten cold I had then, I missed seeing a gap of about ¼ " had come into a joint while I was re-arranging the track I'm playing with in the re-design of my programming/test track.  As you see, I'm using up all sorts of cruddly odds and ends of left over track for this! In fact seeing it magnified like this, it looks pretty awful! ..but it is possible in N. I've got to solder that yet (and straighten it out some by the lookof it!

Garry: That mill is fantastic!

BridgeTom:

Plus the required Renaissance a-capella piece, of course.  Gotta keep them Adjudicator's happy. 

...sounds like figure skating 25 years ago!

JR: Hudson Wire is looking good, the clothes pins come in handy, don't they!  The brick weathering worked out just swell, I'd say.

Ozark, thanks for the up-date pics!  The elevator is coming nicely too.

Flashwave:  Thanks for the reminder about he brake cylinders jamming the trucks on tight curves.  It isn't the case in one of my pesky situations, but I had forgotten that tip.

BlueFlamer: Where in Etobicke?  40 or so years ago we were on Whaley Drive, down by Brown's Line.

TiptonBill. Here's a 1941 Tie Date Nail to go with your Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen Pin 1941.

RT:

I got it when I bough some train stuff a few years back I had to send it to bachmann to be repaired

...that was back in the old Coffee Shop days wasn't it?

As Dick says, Good Luck with the new job.

Lee: Can't find the pic now, but back in the just mentioned Coffee Shop there was a winter shot of the town sign for that, all dripping icicles!

BobK: Our thoughts and prayers are with you today.

My sister-in -law and April's friends are going to empty my closet of her clothes,

..that is quite the best solution.  It's not a thing one should have to do alone.  Also, not something to be done very soon after a funeral, and you are wise in both choices.  Thanks for the note about Michael.

Fergie:

Miss Molly, MESS Mascot our 70lb. Border Collie/Labrador Retriever Mutt

...Good Golly Miss Molly, wasn't that long ago that you were just a pup.  Now you're Long Tall and Sally-like!

Earth Hour in about 15 minutes, and we're shutting everything down for that time.

TTFN

[sleeper33]

 Evening all

 just a tea for now please

 pc. glad your sons home and hopefully out of pain.

 Hoople so your bb has arrived. great for you have hrs of fun with it

 on my front managed to get all the old cork off my boards and have sanded them down in preparation for the new stuff to go down hopefully next week. then more tracklaying

well just going in the corner and drink my tea

Gav

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Grayfox is buying? I'll take the steak and potato dinner.

 

[grayfox1119]

Good afternoon to all, just dropped in for a minute, have to go out in 15 minutes to a 50th BD party for SIL.

LEE: I see tnat BobK has already answered your question to me regarding the train crash in MA. Canton and Stoughton, Ma

BobK And Mike, just as PC and others have stated, I cannot begin to feel the heartbreaking loss that both of you have experienced over the past year. The loss of a wife for you Bob, and Mike, the loss of a son. My thoughts and prayers to both of you today.

Got to go now, see you guys tomorrow,

[LSWrr]

Rob, yea.  I've always been impressed with people's helix system for upper and lower level layouts.  I bet those over and under sets are running a 6%.

I'm operating on a budget so 99% of my fleet is Mantua steam locomotives and they tend to wheel spin on 5% grades and they make bridges sag if not supported properly.

Lee

[Cederstrand]

A strongrefill, thanks!

***Lee, so I take it keeping grades at 2% or less is more for cosmetic/prototypical reasons than actual function? Even my oldest little 0-6-0 shoots right up that 6% grade. With a door size table, there seems little point trying to make a "realistic" grade, which doesn't bother me at this point, as long as it doesn't start looking rediculous. Curoius: Wonder what the % grade is on those up-and-over figure 8 sets? Anyone know?

Hey, not sure if it is applicable to model RRing equipment, but I just tried this stuff called DeoxIT on my computer sound system and all I can say is WOW...sounds like it did when first bought many years ago.

Off to do critter rounds before the next storm hits. Looks like a banger (red blob on satellite) heading our way. Yee Haw! Rob

[Hoople]

PC: I'll have to check, the front wheelset does seem to have a big flange.

Lee: We will need a mondo sized grade, I do have a %6 we could use, lol. I did nail down the turnout, but it's just the front truck.

Bogp40: She does run pretty well. One of the diecast parts (yet to locate which) shorts out on a section of rail, and her front truck jumps off on one switch, something that I'm working on.

Flashwave: The screw on the front truck seems to give it alot of freedom, I'll tighten the chains and see how she does...

Fergie: Depends on who made the challenger, but she does run real nice and the sound is the best out there.

Mark

 

[gear-jammer]

I thought that I would show up a little early for lunch.  Does anyone have any good suggestions?  Maybe something spicy.  I am starting to get a scratchy throat from all that partying.  If I didn't thank everyone personally for showing up for that great birthday party.  I want you all to know that your presence was special. 

 I guess Dick wins the pool.  Wasn't he the closest on the guess?

Tom,  The creekbed won't get water until Larry finishes his trestle.  Gravity could make a pretty good mess.

JR,  I love the colors on this building.  I hope when I start on structures that mine look this good.  I am used to teasing.  I was brought up that you tease the people you like, and the others, well...........

 

Bob,  No trains.  I did place an order with Walthers the week before,  several service structures for yard.  We have plans to finish a section near the mainline that will allow photos of something besides the shays. If we get the backdrop near the TT finished I can work on the RH.

Fergie,  Were the cats eating groundfoam salad?  Our cat would be more apt to bat the trees out of place.

Back to the trainroom to put another coat of dust on the horses.

Sue

[LSWrr]

Rob, 3% grade would be 3" rise over a 300" run.  2% = 2" rise and a 200" run.  The Steam prototypes had issues with anything over 1% and a horrible time with 2% (depending on the locomotive).  Hence the need for helpers.  I'm horrible at math, but I think you made a 6.4% grade.   Now if you are working in feet it would be a 1' rise over a 100' run.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

We also need to keep Michael (8500HPGASTUBINE) in our prayers. It is coming up on a year that he lost his son.

Very true. I think about that often. Something like that can really tear a person up.

Jeff, I have thought about Michael and Kim often. I remenber his pain in a post and wanted to throw out his trains and have nothing to do with them. I am glad that he appears to have enjoyed the hobby. Remember all the pics of his beautiful UP brass? that stuff is awesome. I on the other hand found it difficult to continue being so involved , especially in the club and my scenery. You know, if your heart's not in it ,it's tough to do......

I know where you're coming from. To me, it's like the old saying, if the horse bucks you off don't stay off, get back on and continue. Look at me with my huge handicap and disabilities. I don't let them stop me. Sure it hurts to continue, but I enjoy the hobby so much. Right now I'm repowering a P2K E6 that a friend sent to me. I have to take it slowly because I have no feeling in my hands and they cramp up often. When I became disabled I nearly gave up the hobby because I could do hardly anything. There have been many times that I've looked at the stunningly realistic modeling I used to be able to do and what I'm limited to now and thought 'Why do I continue? I can never match that again.'. I finally came to peace with that and decided that I would simply do the best I can and be happy with that. With time, a lot of patience and a lot of pain I taught myself to be able to regain some control of my arms and legs. Now I can walk unaided again, though not far, a few hundred yards at best. I got enough control back in my hands that I can perform basic tasks but I lack the manual dexterity to do detail work and fine painting. It's also difficult to use an airbrush but I do from time to time.

[Cederstrand]

in a Soggy SOUTHERN mug, please & thank you!

***JR, that building looks great. Well done!

***BobK, my thoughts are with you today. Cannot imagine how you are feeling. BTW, those audio clips are very dramatic. Yikes!

***Fergie, how does that 2-10-0 run for you and is it comparable in quality to their 2-8-0? I have the latter (in N) and have wondered about the 2-10-0 (maybe down the road one day). One of the tougher things I have done is let go of a couple things my mother passed on to me from her Dad. But I know she would understand my need to do so. Loss is TOUGH, no question about it.

Rained hard this morning, filling the holding tank to about 5", just enough to water the cows tomorrow. Need LOTS more rain. At least the pastures were watered.

Packed up all my trains from the art studio and moved them into the dungeon, where the table lives. Decided it was time to clean and better organize the studio and this way Millie Kitty can't get to them. I let my Bachmann Northern go on the-bay for less than I paid for it. Kinda need the more than I needed that particular loco. Not going to sell any of my prized trains, but will likely need to thin out the herd a bit further. 

Hey guys, so what is this 2% grade rule all about anyway. Out of curiosity, I raised a section of track about 3" in a 3' stretch and the few locos I tried had no hesitation running right up it, which is certainly more than a 2% grade. Or, is it more to do with realism than actual grade? Granted, I didn't have any cars behind them, but I'll wager they still would have managed the steep grade. Just wondering.

Rob

 

[Fergmiester]

Crystal, Tyger and I had a SERIOUS MISUNDERSTANDING this morning. Cats are not permitted on L.S.&W right of way!  I'm making trees from dried plant material (basil I think) and the cats decided it would make a nice salad.

hehe...

Miss Molly, MESS Mascot our 70lb. Border Collie/Labrador Retriever Mutt took a shine to the herb pot on the deck last summer. dirt everywhere and she decided it would make a wonderful perch for her so to view her kingdom. Finally had to move it out of harms reach. Animals love herbs

Sorry I haven't been around much but it "Year's end" and it's been a busy busy time

Not much happening on the MESS trying to do some kind of work but by the time I get home I'm exhausted. I did buy one of the new micro Tsunami decoders for my Bachmann 2-10-0. I just have to find the energy to install it!

Hoople if your BB runs as well as my Challenger you won't be disapointed!

Bob: I am still going through Dad's stuff and it's a painful process. At the same time I still have happy memories and thoughts of times gone by. Other times I feel very empty. I'm looking forward to the spring time as it will mean new life yet I will miss his presence as we both went to the garden centres to pick up flower trays for our gardens. Just won't be the same.

Well anyway I must run.

Later All

Fergie

[bogp40]

We also need to keep Michael (8500HPGASTUBINE) in our prayers. It is coming up on a year that he lost his son.

Very true. I think about that often. Something like that can really tear a person up.

Jeff, I have thought about Michael and Kim often. I remenber his pain in a post and wanted to throw out his trains and have nothing to do with them. I am glad that he appears to have enjoyed the hobby. Remember all the pics of his beautiful UP brass? that stuff is awesome. I on the other hand found it difficult to continue being so involved , especially in the club and my scenery. You know, if your heart's not in it ,it's tough to do......

[New Haven I-5]

Bob K., my heart breaks with yours.  I won't pretend that I can even fathom what you're going through, but just know that we're here for you.  I have already been praying for you and your children about this most difficult of days.  I think Gerry said it all very well.

We also need to keep Michael (8500HPGASTUBINE) in our prayers. It is coming up on a year that he lost his son.

Yes. We really need to. There has been many family problems on these forums. Some of which have included members of former members.

 

     Now, about Model Railroading, last night I found out I can quill on my DSD-101LC Heavy Sound Decoder on the N&W #1218 whistle!

[Cox 47]

Good Morning all.....Its sunny and cool here this morning...I'll have a Stack of pancakes like Jeff's, sasauge and a glass of Ed's OJ please ....Thank You and put that on Lee's tab!...I finnished my scatch built street lites but I think they are too small for me to get a very good photo of...I put a veiw block in one of the DPM buildings and put some stuff on the roof to make it alittle more "lived in" Sallie and I slept in this morning so were getting a slow start...

Michael and Bob...Your both in my thoughts and prayers today...

JR....Weathering looks good ....hope your feeling better....

PC Jr.......You are very welcome!...Glad to hear you are doing better...

well its almost noon and I gotta get going...You all have a good one...Jerry

[jeffrey-wimberly]

We also need to keep Michael (8500HPGASTUBINE) in our prayers. It is coming up on a year that he lost his son.

Very true. I think about that often. Something like that can really tear a person up.

[bogp40]

Bob K., my heart breaks with yours.  I won't pretend that I can even fathom what you're going through, but just know that we're here for you.  I have already been praying for you and your children about this most difficult of days.  I think Gerry said it all very well.

We also need to keep Michael (8500HPGASTUBINE) in our prayers. It is coming up on a year that he lost his son.

[pcarrell]

Bob K., my heart breaks with yours.  I won't pretend that I can even fathom what you're going through, but just know that we're here for you.  I have already been praying for you and your children about this most difficult of days.  I think Gerry said it all very well.

[bogp40]

Good morning,

A nice bright start to this Saturday in Boston. Lee, I guess I'll have a stack of those pancakes.

I see that many are under the weather with all the colds and flu going around. Hope that you're feeling better today.

Sue: A  belated Happy Birthday to you. So did you get any birthday "trains"?

This is a series of radio clips from the train mishap in Canton, MA. http://www.patriotledger.com/homepage/x1059921490

Ryan: I always check out the Tool Man when at the Springfield, MA show. Some great finds, especially all the surplus stainless medical tools.

Philip: Too bad your settlement coudn't be retroactive to first eligibility.

J.R.: Nice looking building, that city scene is looking good. Is this building part of it also? Like the brick color. Hope you're feeling better, hard to do any quality w**k being so run down.

Hoople: So finally, what a wait, I sure hope that Big Boy runs perfect for you. I remember years ago hunting down a Stewart (Kato drive) F3 PhII B unit to complete my B&O ABBA. It became a mission that took me almost 2 years to get one of those long discontinued units.

Well today is really going to be somewhat tough, real bitter/ sweet. I have my wife's family visiting from NJ, for the 1 year aniversary of loosing my sweetheart. My sister-in -law and April's friends are going to empty my closet of her clothes, a job I couldn't even consider doing ( I can barely even walk into the closet as it is). I can't believe it's been a year already! A heartfelt thanks to all of tou that have made this past year a bit more easy to take.

Do have a nice day,

Edit: Garry, Thank you ever so much for those kind words. The members here and at my club have really helped so much. Does go to show what great people we have in this hobby.

 

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good morning, diners........

I was just thinking today is March 29th and if I recall correctly from a recent post from Bobk that this is the day the Lord took his child (April, Mrs. Bobk) home to heaven.  It's been gratfifying to see the emotional support extended to Bobk on this forum in the past year. It speaks highly of the sincerely good people in this hobby. If you're here, Bobk, we the diners care about you and your kids.

Similarly it's good to see the kindness extended to PC and his family as both Mrs. PC and PC Jr. have undergone extensive surgeries.

Of course, there are several other instance where kindness has been extended to fellow model railroaders.

Thumbs up to all of the great people in this forum.....

 

[SilverSpike]

I'll just have a slice of whole wheat toast with some raspberry jam, some of that good ole coffee and some of Ed's OJ please.

Speaking of Ed....I wonder if Los Tres Sombreos Brigade took a hold of him...

I wanted to share some good information with my good buds here in the diner.....

A few months ago we went to the GATS train show in Winston-Salem, NC and I bought some nice tools at good prices from The Tool Man. I was digging through my bag this morning and found their business card. Here is their web site for those who are interested: http://www.hobbytools.com

Also, this week at work the Web Workgroup sent an email out to all web designers about Adobe now offering an online web version of Adobe Photoshop Express with up to 2 GB of storage space for FREE. Yes, all you have to do is set up an online account with a valid email address and you have access to a scaled down version of Photoshop and with all that free storage space too. Here is that web site: https://www.photoshop.com/express/index.html 

TTFN,

Ryan

[rtraincollector]

Oh boy free breakfast and lee is buying. I'll have the chefs breakfast special girls yes make the eggs over med, bacon , toast and yes I'll have the hash browns and I'll have the pancakes instead of waffles. Oh yeah a large OJ from eds.

Merning all . Excuse me why I get this down while its still hot.

Not much happening today waiting to see if a caller from last night shows up today for a look at our place as we put it up for sale expecting to move to columbia, sc.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Hey, I see Lee's buying again. I'll have the pancakes this morning, make that a double.

 

[LSWrr]

Good morning,

Bob K, thanks.  I did hear about it, but I heard it was in Canton (we have a Canton here).

Hoople, if we have 3 articulates in a consist we may need more cars or a serious grade, LOL. What code rail are you using? Did you nail or glue the turnout down?

 Crystal, Tyger and I had a SERIOUS MISUNDERSTANDING this morning. Cats are not permitted on L.S.&W right of way!  I'm making trees from dried plant material (basil I think) and the cats decided it would make a nice salad.

Lee

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning.

It's a very nice 63 degrees here this morning under a mostly cloudy sky. We're expecting a high of 79 later. It will be cloudy most of the time and there's a good chance for showers and a thunderstorm or two.

Today's Weather for:      
Sundown, LA  71446-6114      3/29/2008

Wind Chill:  63°F
Humidity:  94%
Dew Point:  61°F

So Far Today
High:  63°F
Low:  62°F
Rain:  0.00"
Rain Rate:  0.00"/h
Gust:  0mph NNE

Today  High: 78    Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s. Light and variable winds becoming south around 10 mph in the afternoon.    
 
Tonight  Low: 62    Mostly cloudy. A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the lower 60s. Light and variable winds.