Good Morning from Tipton IN !
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
JR, Sorry to hear about the fire. Glad that everyone is ok.
Sue
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
That's looking pretty good Jeff.JR, someone up above was really watching over you guys today! Better be thinking Him!
Dick, I'm so sorry for your loss. Just think though.....those nightmares are gone forever now.Anyone catch the race today? It just ended here. They delay the airing of it around the Indianapolis area so people will go. Anyways, GREAT race!
Good evening gents, just a short note, it has been a sad weekend for me, my uncle passed away. He was in the Battle of the Bulge, and anti tank squad going up against the new Tiger tanks. He came out alive, but he had such terrible nightmares, that he entered a Vets hospital after the war and never came back home....58 years later he died on Memorial Day weekend.
J.R. Very sorry to hear of the fire at your home, but very happy to see that your family is safe.
I hope everyone has a safe and grateful Memorial Day...
***JR...YIKES. So glad your son is OK. Wonderful neighbor you have there. And what a thoughtful group of firefighters, too. Could have been so much worse.
My cold is in full swing and I gotta lay down. Night all. -Rob
Just catching up on the last few posts between bites of my strawberries & ice cream.
JR, so glad that that fireman neighbor of yours came by so quickly, and that no one was injured or seriously hurt. That was outstanding of the firefighters to cover stuff up with the tarps. You have great neighbors, it sounds like. Take care of things and you can drop by after you get the more important stuff (like insurance and such) taken care of. Ditto Garry's remarks. (Just noticed - we don't have the [#ditto] gif anymore - when did they do that?
Jerry, not to worry on your weathering; looks fine to me - if you were in HO scale, I'd be asking you to just send me those 'rejects'. Great job on the boxcar.
Garry, I like your job on that caboose, too! Looks a bit too clean, but I guess it's just out of the paint shop, right?
We've had some thunderstorms and across the river from us (Union County) has another 30-45 minutes of a tornado watch for their area. Most all the counties around here are under a severe thunderstorm watch tonight, but other than the one county, no other tornado watches.
Jeff, I like your progress on the park/playground. Especially like that concrete/rock wall!
As for people going places near here, a lot of people are sticking close to home. More locals at Lake Wappapello (by Poplar Bluff) than out-of-the-area, and the parks in Illinois are down on campers (they'd added to their fees and it was $30/day for a campsite).
Well, I'll be getting ready to head for home now. Everyone take care and don't overstuff on the BBQ and eats (like I did yesterday)!
Blessings and a good night,
Jim in Cape Girardeau
Weekend all.
Sorry to read of fire. But no injuries is a plus. Jeff was making dragons out of hot sause, always funny. t
Been to Cali State museum, I was expecting a tad more from the descriptions. And the track nearby was closed when we were there. But I love's me the Cab Forward. I wish they weren't so expensive in HO. And the displays upstairs had some awesome Brass HO engines and cars. And by awesome, I mean bizzare and wierd. Almost BL-2 territory type weird.
Park looks good jeff. but is the shelter a tad low?
Der John: I keep meaning to fire off an e-mail at ya, but I'm not on my regular computer, so I'll ask here.Have you had any more opportunity to worlk with the Railink decals? I know you've been busy, I ask because I'm on Summer Vacation, and as yet not employed. So I have time to whack and fudge. No rush.
Can ya'l believe it, I'm a Junior.
Nothing offical yet, but I wanna volunteer with the Fair Train this year. INdy's hosting the Superbowl 2012. ITM wants to do a Fairtrain style shuttle for it, but to Union Station. All they need is a bridge over 10th street, clearence from CSX, Amtrak/Greyhound for the station, and a fairly large budget. But the stadium and hotels are near Union Station, within a block. And there's room from Fishers, which would be cheaper than in town, but further away. Ironic, I've been asking the same question off and on for the last year. You didn't hear this from me.
Now, we need to get a rail shuttle from the Speedway. I say this cause I would've been home before the rush leaving, but I hit the barriers. Indy Metro Police have traffic flow from the track down to an art. If you[r not coming from the track, your screwed.
Benchwork, we're making progress. Slow, but it's coming. Got 2, maybe three platforms ready for legs, roughly 60% through for Plywood Central RR. (I gotta put that on a Shay) Gotta eat. Between woodwork and the Cola 600, we lost track of time.
-Morgan
Evening, Janie - I'll pass on that pizza Jeff left. Even cold from yesterday, I think it'd have a little too much 'heat' in it. I'll just have some ice cream and strawberries, please,
and a cup of coffee,
Thanks.
I see Jeff's still playing with fire - just in a new format this time... Careful there, Jeff, or you'll be calling your fellow firefighters to put out the smoldering walls if you belch.
twhite wrote:Now for the bad news--the reach from the edge of the table to the Buttes is too FAR, even with a step-ladder. Which means that I have to go over to Lowe's or Home Depot and get one of those 'sleeper-ladder' thingies that have the padded extension so that you can sort of lay on it to work in extended spaces. I think they run about $250 or so. Man, this is getting to be an EXPENSIVE mountain!! But actually, I can use it all over the layout, especially when it comes to continuing my backdrop in the future (yah, plan AHEAD, right?). So it will pay for itself in the long run.
Now for the bad news--the reach from the edge of the table to the Buttes is too FAR, even with a step-ladder. Which means that I have to go over to Lowe's or Home Depot and get one of those 'sleeper-ladder' thingies that have the padded extension so that you can sort of lay on it to work in extended spaces. I think they run about $250 or so. Man, this is getting to be an EXPENSIVE mountain!! But actually, I can use it all over the layout, especially when it comes to continuing my backdrop in the future (yah, plan AHEAD, right?). So it will pay for itself in the long run.
Tom, one other choice might be to check your local equipment rental places. They might be able to rent you one, and save the big cash outlay if you'll only need it once every six months or year, or... Worth checking it out. Congrats on the personalized plaque, by the way. Glad to hear you're getting a little relief from your area's heat, too.
Inch, that joke's a good one! I was wondering if you were swamped yet with the kids and grandkids stopping by. Didja get your garden all put in yet? I heard some of our people in this area are running behind on doing theirs (as are many farmers down this way).
Jerry, good that you and Sallie got out when you did - at the moment we're getting rain, some thunder, and I saw that Randolph County in Illinois had a tornado warning around suppertime. Nothing in my immediate neck of the woods now, but some lightning in the distance, and I'm okay with that.
Rob, those are rather strange contraptions. Must've been built by some engineers with a tad extra time on their hands, I'd guess. That elephant was something! Oh, sent you (finally!?) an email, which hopefully will clear up some of the questions you sent me.
The singles get-together yesterday afternoon/evening was very good, but way too much food. We had about 15 to 20 people there (of which maybe 5 or 6 were gals, so they didn't eat very much), and the guy doing the BBQ'ing was cooking cheeseburgers, Polish sausages, and Cajun sausages. I didn't try the Cajun sausages, but one guy said they were fairly hot - and got hotter after they went down. Of course, they didn't have Da Bomb, so I'm sure it would pale by comparison...). After most everyone had finished eating, we still had a plate and a half of cheeseburgers, probably 8 of the Cajun sausages, and six Polish sausages. Of course, we also had chips (cheddar & cheese), sodas, pasta salad, Oreos, apple pie, ice cream (fudge ripple kind), and a delightful caramel fudge brownie baked by one of the ladies. (She works as the head cook in one of our local elementary schools - those lucky kids!) We had plenty of games - crocket, volleyball, and Tim (the host) inside had both a pool table and a pingpong table (downstairs). Then after dinner and games, we watched a movie ("Second Chance", with Michael W. Smith) - well, the dozen or 15 people who were still there watched it. (Some left to go see the new Chronicles of Narnia movie that's out.) I was totally blimped out, and probably put on 8 pounds for the day, I think. Decided I needed to eat very light (like almost fasting) today to even it out a little. Might need to fast tomorrow, also.
Der, that's a neat painting of 'Bertha' - you must be a connisewer of fine art or such. So, are you and Kris planning a trip SOTB (the Northern one, that is)?
CN Charlie, sorry to hear things aren't sounding any better on your dog. Hope you get a chance soon to have the boat in the water and Jamie can have some fun. Your dinner sounds like it beat mine last night on quality (but I think I had you beat on sheer quantity).
I'm beginning to wonder about Ed - has anybody heard from him and Fran, or know when they were supposed to bet back home? (And no, that's not just cause I'm worried about the OJ supply)
'Nuther couple of weeks, and I'll be starting leading the financial section for our Sunday singles small group. Yep, they must have figured that I've already made about all the mistakes you can make, so that I'm now an expert on all those things to avoid doing. LOL
Prayers for those in need of healing and comfort. Janie, I think I'll have another cup of coffee over at the window booth, please. Thank you, ma'am.
Blessings and prayers,
JR: It's great to hear that your son is OK. That's the biggest thing that counts. I'm impressed with the work the fire dept did to save the contents of the home.
I've been doing some work on the park today. The glue is still wet.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Evening Gang:
JR: I'm sorry to hear about the fire. Happy to hear that your son is OK and the house is repairable. Great job by your neighbor. Tell him I said thanks for being there for you. I'd hate to loose a good friend. The fire department really did a great job. I know that your layout is low priorty but they must have seen something there worth saving. Please keep us informed.
I got a little MRRing in for the hernis scale railroad. I went down to the depot and got the weed sprayer loaded with the round up stuff and put the battery on the charger. I figure that tomorrow I will make a round with it.
The eye is doing fine. I really have trouble reading with my glasses on. I do much better without them in all respects except reading. I may go back to using reading glasses. I'll have to have the other eye taken care of before I get another pair of glasses.
Well I guess I'll hit the hay.
Good Night All
JR:
Your neighbor and the fire department sound like Angels--and I'm so glad your son is okay. And I'm glad for you and yours that the fire was confined, even just to the back of the house and the roof. I'm sure you know how VALUABLE neighbors are in this day and age--so often we don't even think to have relationships with them, at least out here in SunnyCal--they're just the people next door. Thankfully, my neighborhood doesn't subscribe to that idiotic principle.
I remember some years ago when my neighbor's garage roof caught on fire and while his wife was phoning the fire dept, he and I were up on his roof with a garden hose--they arrived and said, "Okay, guys, you can get down, the Professionals are here." We were all covered in smoke and soot and we just stared at each other, and he yelled down, "This guy used to work for the FOREST SERVICE!" But I'll tell you, I was SO glad when they arrived.
My prayers are with you.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Good Evening All,
Well it's been an interesting week. Between wakes, work, and water I've had just about enough. Yesterday at noon I got a call from my wife that the house was on fire. Two of the boys were home at the time and one head the smoke detector go off. When he investigated he found his brothers room on fire and his brother incoherent from skole inhalation. Fortunately my neighbor a retired fireman had hoofed it over when he saw the smoke and was able to get my youngest (18 this week) out of the house with just some minor burns and the smoke inhalation. He was in shoock and without our neighbors intervention, I doubt very much the other brother would have been successful on his own. At any rate the fire department showed up right away but the fire had gotten into the attic where we had tons of stuff boxed and stored and we lost the back room, the attic and a good portion of the roof. The important thing is all my family and all the firemen and our critters are ok and the house is repairable. Lots of smoke damage on the second floor and lots of water damage on the first floor and in the basement but somehow confined pretty much to one side of the house. The mitigation crew was in today and I've spent all my time since the fire cleaning and securing the house. The fire department was incredible swarming in and around the house but the thing that I thought was unbelievable was that they took the time to put tarps over the stuff getting wet in the basement and on the first floor so we have loads of stuff that was saved. I must admit that if I was fighting a fire I doubt I'd worry much about the furniture - but these guys did! The crew from the glass shop across the street was there to board up before the fire department was finished and I just can't thank all the folks who put themselves out for us enough. The fire marshall is still investigating the cause of the fire so no word there yet but I have to be patient. We'll probably see the insurance adjustor Tuesday and take it from there. Until then the kids are staying with friends and neighbors and theCFO and I are at a local motel. Oh yeah and the layout was part of the stuff covered with tarps and is nearly intact but honestly, that's pretty low on my priority list just now. I'll keep y'all posted. J.R.
Hello everybody....
Here's a view of my branch line caboose that I've been working on. I plan to change the trucks to the old wood beam type commonly used on Burlington cabooses at some point. Also, Burlington replaced the truss rod underframes with steel underframes in the 1920's, and I should change my underframe accordingly. I'll run it like this for now.
Afternoon Gang: We just got back from Lowe's and HD. Dick you had better think about dumping you HD stock. They are lagging way behind Lowe's in quality of stock and selection here. Lowe's is giving a 10% discount to service persons, active, retired and Vets. I showed my VA card. I'm going to get a new rollaway tool box tomorrow if Mary Ann will go for part of it.
Jerry I think you need to get your eyes checked> That box car looks real good to me. I liked the scratches where the door racked against the side being opened.
Inch that was a good one and so true.
I need to get going again. I stopped to put in my eye drops.
See you all later.
Good afternoon..........
I'll take quick break from holiday weekend stuff to how everone is doing. Looks like not many are here, however. The people with boats are not impacted significantly by fuel prices based on what I'm observing on the lake.
We bought some BBQ ribs from a guy in town who sells ribs and BBQ pork sandwiches, too. The ribs are as good or better than any I've ever had anywhere. MMMMMMMMM. Good stuff.
Hello, Tom. Good luck getting a ladder thingee from local or MicroMark. I can imagine you will have an interesting perspective of the layout on one of those things.
Have fun and stay healthy.....
Morning all--it's a balmy 65 right now here in SunnyCal--supposed to hit between 75 and 80 for this afternoon and stay about the same for the next four days. Partly cloudy. The Sierra got about 8 inches of snow dumped up around Donner Pass, with flurries expected to continue for the next couple of days. The news had a lot of pictures of tourists in shorts and T-shirts up at the Pass looking TOTALLY confused, LOL! And no, I wasn't one of them. Gas is about $4.30 a gallon around those parts, and I've got better things to do with my 'hardly-earned' money, even with an Audi that gets around 40 miles to the gallon (of course I won't tell you how FAST I have to drive on the freeway to get THAT!) .
Garry--Yup, that's the little thingy from Micromark. But I'm going to see if I can find something similar locally, rather than wait a couple of weeks to order one. I've seen something similar at Home Depot, so I'll see what it's made of. If not, I'll just order it from Micromark and do the waiting game. However, I really get GOOD service from Micromark when I order from them, so if I can't find it locally, I'll just be patient about the rubber rocks. Right now I'm in the process of darkening the sections of the Pass that won't be covered by them, but I can only reach in so far with the paint and weathering. Dang, I can't BELIEVE I failed to plan ahead this badly!
In the meantime, I'm replacing the WS 'fall' trees with the more realistic Scenic Express 'Instant' trees, various shades of fall flock and that "Super-Gluey" Aqua-net hairspray. Bought another can of it at Safeway yesterday, the clerk (who I know pretty well) just stared at my thinning pate and said, "Tom, don't tell me you really USE this stuff--" "Yah,but not for what you THINK," I grinned at her. I think she's still blinking.
Well, off to Home Depot and Lowe's, see if I can find this little contraption.
Stay safe, everyone.
Coffee To Go, please & thanks.
***Tom, Congrats on the plaque!
***C.N.Charlie, sorry to hear about your dog. It's tough seeing out old four legged friends near the end of their time with us.
***Der, that looks like some real nice track work and a fun layout to work on. As for oil, I understand why countries that do not produce their own will pay more. What irks me is we have resources but thanks to politicians, we are not allowed to pursue them. Meanwhile, China & India will be drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, within spitting distance of our own shores. That is NUTS! OK, off my soapbox.
Hey, saw a train this morning at the end of our driveway. OK, it was a small "wagon train". That is still a type of train.
Wife brought home a bug which this time I caught. My own fault for getting so run down. Oh well, chores still need doing.
Have a great day all.
Rob
Good Morning All...Sunny but a little cooler this morning...Just coffee for me Sallie got up this morning and fried up some fresh country sasage and made a pan of sweet rolls so I am good to go!...She, her Mom and 1 Sister are going to decorate graves at 11:30....I am planning on watching the race [maybe a nap sneeked in] from the old lazy Boy...Wonder what Jeff will figure out to put some of the Da'Boom in today? Maybe Labor day picnic Tater salad?......This is EL box I finnished yesterday..not real happy with weathering..First Grey car I had weathered since my HO days....
You all have a good day...and please keep our Veterans and those still in Servive in your thoughts and prayers today..every day for that mannor....Jerry
Morning all!
Well, it's race day here in Indianapolis, Indiana. The west side is full of fns trying to get to the track and the stands are filling up fast. And the forecast.....wel, it couldn't be much better!
For those interested, here's the official website for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
For up to the minute coverage and and to listen live on line, go here: http://www.indy500coverage.com/
Check you all later!
Good joke Inch.
Good morning.It's 75 and cloudy here this morning. That's expected to change to 92 degrees with thunderstorms later today.Didn't get much done on the layout yesterday as I was at a party much of the day and didn't get home until after ten last night. I'll probably spend most of today recovering from that.Today's Weather for: Sundown, LA 71446-6114 5/25/2008Heat Index: 82°FHumidity: 96%Dew Point: 75°FSo Far TodayHigh: 79°FLow: 75°FRain: 0.00"Rain Rate: 0.00"/hGust: 8mph S Today High: 95 Partly sunny. Patchy fog in the morning. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 90s. South winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent. Tonight Low: 72 Mostly cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows in the lower 70s. South winds around 10 mph in the evening becoming light and variable. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Mornin, an irish coffee and a short stack please Janie.
Jim, not much layout time, been busy trying to get the garden out, yard work and other projects. Schools out now, so I'll have even more kids thrown into the mix of things to do
Here's ya another joke
A thief stuck a pistol in a man's ribs and said, "Give me your money." The gentleman, shocked by the sudden attack, said "You cannot do this, I'm a United States congressman!" The thief said, "In that case, give me my money!"
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/4309
Evening Gang: It's unusually late for me. We worked on the house untill almost 6pm and then John and I went over to the track. The third Sat of the month is a run day so we ran some. Actually some others did the running and we rode. We cooked up some brats, hot dogs, and burgers on the grill and had a great time. I left about 10:15 to get home and get the tools and stuff that we had left outside put away. One of the guys at the track said that a thunderstorm had popped up west of us and would be here in maybe 4 hours. It won't hurt unless the creek crossing is filled up again.
Well bed time.
Good Night all
Good evening gang. I'll have a JR Regular please, and some of that sugar free trifle in the back of the fridge, Zoe. Well, the rain held off enough for us to get some meaningful gardening done today, and for me to get a walk in after dinner. (Left over on purpose lobster tail and claw from the night before, with potato salad, garden salad, guacamole, salsa and sour cream...)
JR: Sorry to hear about Dick Shubar. I was at a funeral in the week. A 67 year old lady who had just started to come to our Heritage Society, a cancer survivor, died suddenly jut a few days after our May meeting. It's always a shock.
Rob: Hope your wife's bronchitis is on the mend.
I would like to request "more layout & train photos" please!
I mention government work only because, 1) I got my tax refund cheque this week, and 2) I spent several hours this evening filling an on-line passport application for myself and Kris. There were "printer issues" and you can't use the Back button.....
BridgeTom:
Weatherwise, this has not turned out to be a very great Spring for ANYBODY!
Gas this week in Sheet Harbour is $5.06 a US gallon., just a reality check. For another kind of reality try European gas prices. I'm told it's close to twice that! Any comments Gav?
On domestic oil, forget shale, there's a sea of light sweet crude about to become available in your northern tier. Saskachewan has our share of it, and is producing already. I'm not sure of production costs, but somewhere around $20 I heard some place.
CNCharlie:
addicted to locos that smoke and belch steam.
Goodnight all, and prayers for all in need of healing, comfort and peace.
"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.
Good Evening Diners,
Well the news from the vet was only so-so. Jamie has an enlarged heart which means there is some valve leakage which is causing the cough. Apparently it isn't unusual in a older dog and the fluid build-up can be controlled with drugs but overall it isn't a good sign. I jus hope he makes it through summer as he really enjoys going out on the boat. Maybe it's crazy but one reason why we haven't sold it is that he gets so excited as soon as we pull in to Gimli where we keep it.
Speaking of boat, we had scheduled to launch it tomorrow but I have decided to wait as the forecast is for rain, 15-20 knot winds out of the north and a high of 11C or about 55F. Sounds like a good day to run some trains.
We went out to dinner last night to a really great French restaurant where the chef is French and trained there. It is the same place where my wife took the cooking course during the winter. Some people can take food to the level of art and Chef Bernard is one of them.
Not much new on the RR front except that I did finish a PK2 Mather box car kit I got in the winter. Turned out it was partly assembled so I did have to put on 32 grab irons but still there were some very small parts. I also picked up a Trains special magazine called Steam Today which has some great articles for those of us addicted to locos that smoke and belch steam.
Well, it's coffee time so I think I'll just sit back in a corner booth and read my magazine.
CN Charlie
Tom .....
Here's something I saw in Mirco Mark's catalog for reaching over a layout. Perhaps it would work. It may be expensive enough to cost you your next yellowstone. Thanks for telling about Sacramento. I would like to get back to that museum again some day. It's definately much more than the KY Ry Museum. Congrats on the plaque!
http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=83876
Afternoon everyone.
Well, there's good news and bad news--the GOOD news is that I was presented with a plaque this morning at Jesuit's graduation ceremonies--a handsome little devil imprinted with the names of every member of my Chamber Choir--all 22 of them. Needless to say, I was too moved to speak--very much, I mean, LOL! Dang, I'm going to miss that place!!
And guess what? Four days ago it was 104, today it's 72 and raining gently, and we've got SNOW in the Sierra. Is this a WEIRD year for weather out here in SunnyCal or not? At least it's dampening that terrible fire in the Santa Cruz mountains. All this and that tornado down in Riverside a couple of days ago--WHEW!
Garry--To answer your question, Carmichael is actually a suburb of Sacramento, a kind of 'bedroom community'. However, we're in Sacramento County, not the city (thank God!). And yes, I agree with you, the State Railroad Museum is an absolute stunner! I've been a member for about ten years or so, my late cousin and his wife were Docents there for years. It's a great place. Only place I know where you can climb into the cab of a gigantic AC-12 4-8-8-2 and look down on the cutest little 1860's 4-2-4 'Bicycle' loco (the "C.P.Huntington") I've ever seen in my life. The place is just chock-full of goodies.
Well, time to get back out to making Fall trees. Boy, I'll tell you, if the Aqua-Net people knew how terrific their 'clear-cement' hair spray was for fixing flock foam to weeds, they'd be setting their displays up in hobby shops all across the country, LOL!