Elliot's Trackside Diner V, at the diamonds

[der5997]

 

Lee:

I've been watching the storm coverage from TX, It's a huge storm but it seems like everyone was properly prepared for this one.

...not quite everyone, apparently!

http://www.weather.com/newscenter/topstories/hurricaneike_news.html?from=hurricane_tracker

8:30 am ET

The Houston Chronicle is reporting the story of a Galveston family who didn't evacuate but ended up escaping by boat when storm surge flooded his house up to his waist. The husband/father said, "My wife's mad at me. She wanted to evacuate. Next time, we'll leave a week early."

Der, Thanks all the pictures are of the same flat car.

...yes, it was the photo that showed your brush work to its best advantage is all. I've gone over to those acrylics from the $Stores, as the tube paints are out of my budget. The tubes I still have, Grumbacher Hyplar Acrylics, that were on sale at a LHS in West Edmonton Mall in the late 1980s have original price stickers with prices north of $7.55 each.  A Google search for current prices yielded a seeming fixation on Gloss Varnish!

That magnet idea should work out well. Too much to hope that the metal plate would become magnetized enough that the car would sweep stray metal from your track automatically.

CapeJim:

DerJohn, about that thing for Christmas stuff in the stores after Halloween - around here, the stores start the Christmas stuff about mid-October, I think it was last year. I've seen Halloween stuff in the stores already this year!

...lucky you!  We've had Halloween stuff in the stores, starting with candy items, from since the middle of August.

Dick:

DER JOHN: You didn't make it to Halifax??? Tsk, tsk, now what are going to do this weekend with your "spare" time??? LOL

...Spare time? ...but I did get some more done on the Container Dock concrete renewal project last night, and may yet get some more done this afternoon...we'll see.

Prayers continuing for all in Ike's path.  From the interactive satellite shots, it looks like it's going to join the stream of weather heading east out of the lower great lakes, and dump on the Maritimes sometime next week.  Sub-tropical depression by then, I hope.

Lunch is called, so I'll say Cheerio, TTFN.

 

 

 

 

[pcarrell]

Morning all!

Couldn't sleep last night.  I was up til 4am, and then my emergency line for work started ringing at 8am.  Yeah, I'm ready to go today buddy!  I see a nap in my future!

Prayers for those in the path of the storm, and anyone else in need too!

[GMTRacing]

Good Moring All,

       A coffee to go please Chloe.  My thoughts and prayers for those at risk in Texas. I doubt as big as it is that we're really as prepared as we needed as a country. I can't even imagine what a 20 - 25 storm surge would look like.

      On the home front, the crew was struggling to get a roof sheathed and at least tar papered yesterday. We'll see as rain came last night and more is predicted today intermittently. We have a slab going in for additional storage that we'll likely turn into a wood working area for the CFO who wants to get back into it (currently she's restoring the family heirloom furniture damaged in the fire.) In a former lifetime she was a nationally recognized stripper (her joke not mine) and toured the country training people for the BIX furniture stripping franchises (relax guys see it was just a play on words). In the mean time one the slab is poured we can put up a prefab shed to store our stuff that has already overflowed a storage container and the shop space we could spare.

    Well, gotta run and get stuff done - I'll try to check in later.    CUL, J.R.

[NS Luc]

Good morning

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning.

I think there's something wrong with weather equipment. It says it's 81 here. We have extremely cloudy skies and a lot of wind. The high today is expected to be around the mid 80's and there's a good chance of thunderstorms.

I got a lot of layout work done yesterday. I finished the plaster pouring in the new area, put a culvert pipe in place and ballasted the new track. I got three Bachmann decoders in the mail yesterday. They'll be going into some locos soon, including my newly built Bachmann/Athearn GP40

Today's Weather for:
Sundown, LA  71446-6114      9/13/2008

Heat Index:  87°F
Humidity:  83%
Dew Point:  75°F

So Far Today
High:  81°F
Low:  79°F
Rain:  0.27"
Rain Rate:  0.08"/h
Gust:  49mph SE

Important Message
    
Tropical storm wind warning in effect until 10 PM cdt this evening. Flash flood watch in effect through Sunday morning. Tornado watch 900 in effect until 10 AM cdt this morning.    
Now through 07:30 AM CDT September 13, 2008
    
National weather service radar indicates the eye of Hurricane ike is just north of Galveston Bay...or over eastern Harris and western Liberty County. The rainshield of ike continues across all of southeast Texas...where sustained winds of 50 to 70 mph...and gusts up to 80 mph will be common. The rainshield extends across western Louisiana...with heavier rainbands across Cameron...Calcasieu...and Beauregard parishes where the tornado threat will be the greatest within the next couple of hours.

Today  High: 82    Tropical storm conditions expected. Showers and isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 80s. Southeast winds 35 to 45 mph in the morning becoming south and decreasing to 30 to 35 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 55 mph in the morning decreasing to 50 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain near 100 percent.

Tonight  Low: 75    Showers likely and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Breezy. Lows in the mid 70s. South winds 20 to 25 mph with gusts to around 30 mph in the evening decreasing to 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 20 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 80 percent.

[LSWrr]

Good morning all,

I've been watching the storm coverage from TX, It's a huge storm but it seems like everyone was properly prepared for this one. I guess the damage reports after first light will tell the whole tale.

Lee

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning from Tipton IN ! 

[grayfox1119]

Good evening morning to all, and our prayers go out to our neighbors in Texas and surrounding states that will be hit hard by Ike.

Ike is due to pass west of us on Sundaybringing just light showers as it passes up through upper NY state and into Canada. By then, Ike will be a *** cat.

Today I worked most of the day setting up a MRR workbench and organizing the former single car garage on the lower level for MRR assembly area. This room has a door and most important, a window, so that I can do those tasks that require fresh air and good ventilation.

GARRY: MTH is always coming out with new products, so go to their site and email Kirstin to inquire about your mountain loco possibility.

CN CHARLIE: Your Canadian Geese made it here already, honking away as they flew SE rather than S. I figure that they know Ike is headed inland so they are doing an end run.

DER JOHN: You didn't make it to Halifax??? Tsk, tsk, now what are going to do this weekend with your "spare" time??? LOL

FERGIE SIGHTING: I checked on the location of Fergie's ship, the HUDSON, and he is located off the western tip of Greenland. I hope he was able to keep the Polar bears off the ship!!

PAUL: That is sad news regarding the head-on crash of the trains in CA. It sure looks like Ike is going to bring you beneficial rains, but I hope your barn holds up to the winds.

SUE: Where have you been young lady ???

Time for bed,

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Regarding Ike.......... Yikes!

I saw the LA Metrolink train wreck story on the news.  Bad wreck.

 

[Paul W. Beverung]

Evening Gang: I went out to Clark Gardens to check out some arrangments for  the coming train show there. Waiting for me were two more of the Hiawatha cars and the two P2000 H-10-44 switchers the I ordered. Those switchers are really nice. I haven't run them but did read the operators manual. Even with DC the things are really neat.

There was just a news flash about the train wreck in California. A commuter train hit a freight head on. Ten ded so far and they are still looking for more bodies. They said there were dozens injured.

Jeff you keep doing that great modeling and make me feel so inadaquite. I can't even get down to the basement to look at the layout.

We bailed some of the hay this evening. John got the 7 acre field finished while I raked the bigger field across the creek. He got over ther and did two rounds and the hay was getting too damp from the humidity coming with darkness. The hay was really a little damp but it was better then letting it get runned by alot more rain. We'll try and do some more tomorrow if the sun will stay out for a while.

I'm going to hit the showers and then to bed.

Terry, Jeff, and anyone else down south and east DUCK! Ike is coming.

Good Night All

[LSWrr]

Jim,

I use Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna acrylic paint that comes in a tube, used for painting pictures.  I squeeze out a little of each on a piece of cardboard.  I use a #10 Loew-cornell, scholastic bristle 5000 round artist brush.  I dip the brush in water then mix up the two acrylics (a little bit) then brush it on the plastic planks of the deck.  I've tried to add a little mars black, but it comes out too heavy.  I've also used this on plaster rock formation on my previous layouts and it works very well to give you random colors.

The brush is the key; it leaves groves in the paint to simulate wood grain.

I thought you were going to make a sanding facility with the gons.

Lee  

[JimRCGMO]

Evening, Chloe, I'll have a cup of hot cocoa, please. Thanks!

Lee, some mighty nice gons showed up in my P.O. box yesterday after work. Look pretty well along the way to being in the CAW color scheme, so all I'll need will be making some CAW RR logo decals and they'll be ready for a few details, trucks and couplers. I'm sure I have a couple of handbrake wheels in my parts box, so those won't take long at all. Thanks! Care to describe the steps for your 'wood' flat car tops? (Those look great!) Did you do a lighter color first, and then go over with the 'boxcar red' wash, or what? They look nice, I'll say that for sure.

Jeff, I like your wall there. I have some molded brick wall and another one that's 'natural stone' (think they're Faller or another European manufacturer. I was suprised at the thickness of the walls when I got them in. Had thought of using them for scratchbuilding structures, but decided they'd work better for a wall without windows, due to their thickness. You are coming along with your scenery, all right.

Went to Lowe's today and picked up some items. One (1) gallon of white Elmer's glue, a three pound tub of wallboard joint compound, two packs of Super Glue Gel and a two inch plastic putty knife. Does anybody see some layout work coming on?

Jeff, even before you posted that, I figured you looked like you were working on some more scenery stuff. 

Terry, make sure you get the power pack covered up with tarp, too. Hope your place is sturdy and on higher ground, from the looks of the storm surge video clips I've seen so far on Ike. Take care of yourself and once you get power and internet back up, let us know how you fared.

Paul, Jeff - same goes for you two as well, though I would be surprised if Paul's place gets more than a lot of rain and some wind, based on the track they're predicting currently for Ike. No taking changes and going surfing though, Paul.  

From this evening's weatherguesses, we may miss a lot of Ike's path around here, and have it go a bit to the north of us. I expect we'll still get a lot of rain by Sunday night/Monday morning. Hope the choir and worship team's CD pre-release concert/worship doesn't get the power pulled on it.

Tom, good to hear about your progress and healing. I'm beginning to wonder if Lowell's been telling Spooky that she has to pamper him as much as Tom ('Because I'm injured and ill... meow!'). I hope you can get back to school soon, Tom - I'm sure your 'kids' are missing you! 

Let's see - Tom's accumulating the bigger articulated locos, Fergie and Dick are working on the large (but not huge) locos, so that means the medium-sized and smaller ones are for the rest of us, right? One of my personal favorite steamers is the ol' 0-6-0T saddle tanker switcher. It's for me like the Dockside 0-4-0 is for a lot of other people.

PC, sounds like a very enjoyable birthday for you, with the concert and all. Did you get any MRR presents - like a LHS gift card or such?

Locally, we've had some people spreading rumors of gas prices going up huge amounts (like $4 and $5/gallon - instead of the $3.37 that the cash place was charging yesterday. Last night on the 6 p.m. news, they were showing lots of cars lined up at gas stations because of the rumors, and the police had to direct traffic at the one where the TV crew was. Sheesh! Anyway, today the cash place was up about 20 cents (the night before they were talking about temporarily closing until they found a more reasonably priced supply for their gas). Tonight they said they had gas for several days and that by that point they expected the refineries to be back up and running again). I thought one person the news interviewed tonight had a good point - he said that claiming that (if the oil derricks in the Gulf didn't get started), it would drive up prices didn't make sense, since most of our oil is imported now. (Now, if the refineries got wiped, that I could see affecting prices more immediately, maybe...) I think there's too much rumor-mongering and oil speculators' talk that people are listening to. Okay, end of rant...

Rob, I don't have a clue on a reason for your Intermountain locos deal with the headlight flickering. Only person I know personally who has IM locos is our LHS owner/club member, and he's not fantastically wild about them for their running (HO scale, so N scale might be different). I'll ask him on Monday night if you don't have any suggestions by then.

DerJohn, about that thing for Christmas stuff in the stores after Halloween - around here, the stores start the Christmas stuff about mid-October, I think it was last year. I've seen Halloween stuff in the stores already this year!

Lee - our Texas and Louisiana friends may be a wee bit late with the morning weather reports, if the forecasts are anywhere close to accurate...

TrainsRMe, our news folks may be saving that train story for the 10 o'clock news, as I didn't hear about it on the early evening news. Hopefully, there won't be any really serious inuries to folks on the train(s).

Garry, sounded like your other person didn't want to admit that the 'Bay was less than perfect. Amazon isn't perfect, the 'Bay isn't either, and I've ordered from both with minimal getting burned. But then again, I check out feedback ratings on 'Bay sellers before I bother starting tracking items, and if I suspect difficulties with a seller, I strictly communicate through 'Bay-mail, so I and they have capability to track what was said/promised by each side. I've bought over 50 items off their auctions, and have had minor problems on only two (maybe 3) items, and filed negative feedback on one, neutral on another. But, if they stop allowing money orders and require using PayPal, it'll be so long for me and them.

Well, about time for me to mosey home for the evening. See you Diners in the morning!

 

Blessings and a safe night for all,

Jim in Cape Girardeau 

[CNCharlie]

Good Evening Diners!

Well this is my second attempt at a post as my first one just disappeared before I could hit Post. Oh well, I guess it was too long.

 Hope all goes well for Terry, Paul and Jeff with Ike. I think I'll stop complaining about our snow and cold in winter as it isn't anything like a hurricane.

 Ryan, How's your dad doing after his surgery? I trust everything went well.

 Dick, there's been flocks of Canada geese flying over all headed south and then they appear to turn easterly. Those who can interpret their honking say that the chatter is about the great food in a garden near Boston. I think you can expect a few thousand guests in a couple of weeks. I hope you have a pond as they do like a little water too.

Great weather here today, 25C and sunny but it won't last. We're supposed to be down to 15C by Sunday which is 60F. The leaves are just starting to turn too so that is it for summer. I have to get to Gimli next week to get the boat ready to haul out. I didn't list it for sale yet as I just wasn't in the mood to do so with the passing of my FIL last month.

Nice job on that flat car deck Lee and just in time too as I am putting together a Walthers flat car kit and was wondering what to do with wood deck. I sent away for it as no one here had a kit for a 40' flat. I took a Sante Fe model thinking it just got lost north of the border and thought it would be some sort of red/brown but no, it is a MOW flat and was bright silver. It's now CN red (more of a brown really) but at least I now have something to put with an old BB work caboose I've had for 50 years or so.

Time to say good night ,

Good night

CN Charlie

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I did some ballast work today in the new area.

[TrainsRMe1]

Hey Terry,

    We hope all is well with you, I've been watching the news and weather channel,and it doesn't look good,but our prayers are with you. ( I just heard breaking news there was commuter train than ran headon  with a Union Pacific mixed freight in L.A.!!!!!!) Has anyone heard this news??

[LSWrr]

I was just watching the WX Channel; best of wishes to those in TX & LA.  I look forward to your reports in the morning on how things went as Ike makes landfall.

Lee

[C&O Fan]

They are telling us it could be 2 weeks without power

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Ike is coming ashore tonight. We're in an area that's likely to lose power, so if y'all don't see me on here tomorrow, you'll know what happened.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Went to Lowe's today and picked up some items. One (1) gallon of white Elmer's glue, a three pound tub of wallboard joint compound, two packs of Super Glue Gel and a two inch plastic putty knife. Does anybody see some layout work coming on?

[LSWrr]

Der, Thanks all the pictures are of the same flat car.  While I had them apart I added a steel plate under the deck.  I want to have various loads for them (eventually) each load will have a magnet to hold it on the flat cars.

[der5997]

Good afternoon Diners:  A quick Green tea, and an oatmeal cookie (nsa) please Janie.  Never did make it to Halifax the other day, so the RDC decoder thing will have to wait. Well, I can still run the remaining one, can't carry any baggage with that one however.

Sorry I missed your birthday PC. ...glad you liked your concert.

Some great modelling going on...Jeff, shellac to seal the plaster?  Do you paint it, or stain, or ???

Rob:  Can't help much on the oddly acting reverse light.  I take it this isn't a decoder situation. Have you taken the power pack apart and checked the direction switch for physical dirt/metal powder from wear that might be making an intermittent contact on that side of the circuit? (just a little reminder of what's in store after Halloween

Lee:  Thanks for the pics of that flatcar deck job.  I like the third from the top best. As with any mrr paint project, "a pity to weather it"...but then it doesn't look too real without the weathering...

The weekend is upon us, maybe this time I'll get that container dock re-do finished. (Not Sunday though, as we're due to be at a concert ourselves in the p.m.)I hear Rosie-the-rapidly-aging-dog is thinking it's supper time.  See you later, and I share the concern about Ike, and those with ops.

 

 

[bjdukert]

Lee   Yes it did make some sense,as I learned in the A.F. that it all has to go to the top to trickle down. 

Duke

[Cederstrand]

in a SANTA FE mug, please & thanks.

***Philip, I'll share your review with my brother.

So, does anyone have any ideas regarding why my Intermountain F7 locos exhibit occasional "flashes" of their headlights when running in reverse (when those lights are suppose to stay off)? 

Farm chores are done. Time to work on the deep end of the porch/deck.

Have a great day all & for those in the path of Ike, will be keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Rob

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good morning.

Terry ... Looks like your layout is ready for a storm. I hope you will be safe yourself.

Anything new from RT?  I hope he's OK.  Ryan's Dad, too.

Everybody.... Did you see in the news about teh huge fire in the Railroad tunnel under the English Channel? It will be closed pending clean up and repairs.

I guess I learned not to venture into the main forum. We're having big problems with ebay. Many model rairloaders deal with ebay, and I thought I would share them. Evidently, reality offend an ebay fan.

 

 

 

[pcarrell]

Mornin all!

 

***Philip, my brother (the one who lives in Hong Kong) taught Journey's new lead singer how to speak/sing better english, a few years back. How did he sound?

He definately pulled it off.  He sounded great.  He really sounded a lot like Steve Perry.  He didn't have the power and sustain the Steve had on the really high notes, but thats hard to do.  Other then that, you could literally close your eyes and you'd think it was Mr. Perry singing.  And you say he was just polishing his english a few years ago?  Sounded to me like he's lived here all his life.  Even when he was just speaking between songs, no accent at all.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Terry: Looks like you're almost ready for Ike to go stomping through. I just hope he doesn't stomp on your roof!

[C&O Fan]

Morning all

Almost finished covering the layout

Hope it isn't needed

Go away Ike !!!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Jeff, that's a bunch of plaster!  Did you pour those walls too?

Yes. I made thewall sections a couple of years ago using a latex mold I made.

[LSWrr]

Good morning all.

 Rain, rain and more rain for the next 3 days.

Flash, glad you can use them.

Garry, I'll have to send you pictures of my CB&Q end loading 1929 AUTO box car kit I picked up last week.

Jeff, that's a bunch of plaster!  Did you pour those walls too?

Lee

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning.

It's 77 and mostly cloudy here with isolated showers. The high is expected to be in the mid 80's with a chance of thunderstorms.

I took some time yesterday to do the initial plaster pour on the new section of the layout. It was messy but as with most messy projects, a lot of fun. I went through one carton of plaster. I still have four more cartons in the closet.

Today's Weather for:
Sundown, LA  71446-6114      9/12/2008

Heat Index:  82°F
Humidity:  87%
Dew Point:  73°F

So Far Today
High:  80°F
Low:  77°F
Rain:  0.09"
Rain Rate:  0.00"/h
Gust:  18mph NE

Important Message
    
Flash flood watch in effect through Sunday morning.

Now through 06:00 AM CDT September 12, 2008
    
Through 6 AM...rainbands of shower associated with Hurricane ike will continue to stream westward across central and southern Louisiana. Expect wind gusts of 25 to 30 knots with these passing showers. Across the coastal waters...additional rainbands will continue to stream westward...possible wind gusts of 30 to 40 knots.

Today  High: 85    Tropical storm conditions expected. Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some thunderstorms may produce tornadoes. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs in the mid 80s. East winds 30 to 35 mph. Gusts up to 45 mph in the morning increasing to 55 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight  Low: 78    Tropical storm conditions expected. Showers and thunderstorms. Some thunderstorms may produce tornadoes. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows in the upper 70s. East winds 35 to 45 mph with gusts to around 55 mph. Chance of rain near 100 percent.