Elliot's Trackside Diner V, at the diamonds

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning from Tipton IN ! 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning.

It's 71 and clear. The high today is expected to be around 80 and it will be mostly cloudy. There's a small chance of isolated showers.

We still have part of the willow to clear out today. It's gonna be a little harder cutting up the lower part of the trunk as it's better than 24" across and the saw is only 20". Moving the pieces will be like Johnny Cash building his 'Hillbilly Cadillac", one piece at a time.

I have the old Atlas GP40 pulling a 16 car train around the layout. That seems to be it's limit.

Today's Weather for:
Sundown, LA  71446      9/19/2008

Heat Index:  77°F
Humidity:  74%
Dew Point:  63°F

So Far Today
High:  71°F
Low:  71°F
Rain:  0.00"
Rain Rate:  0.00"/h
Gust:  8mph NNE

Today  High: 85    Mostly cloudy early in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Isolated showers. Highs in the mid 80s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight  Low: 65    Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows in the mid 60s. Northeast winds around 5 mph.

[LSWrr]

Good morning all,

The temperatures are forecasted to climb into the mid 70's this week with lows in the 40' and 50's.

I stopped at Dale's house last night and picked up some of my structures he built for me over the past couple of weeks; Kibri dock crane, W's track bumpers, Atlas switch tower, trackside shanties and an operating mill house.  Pictures to follow later.

Busy weekend coming up; I'll be heading to Port Clinton to visit with my kids, then Sunday it's a trip to Toledo for the Model Rail Road Show.

Packers#1 sounds like a good start to the season keep it up!

Morgan, nice layout pictures, thanks for sharing.

Lee

[NS Luc]

Good morning

[Cederstrand]

in a SANTA FE mug, please & thanks.

***Jeffrey, too bad you can use a model train crane to move the remainder of that tree around. Seriously though, take your time cutting it up. Will that tree make good firewood?

***Lee, looking forward to seeing those pics. There is a part of me that kinda dreads putting together a few of the kits I have. Wish I knew someone close by who builds them.

Contractor was here this morning picking up some of the leftover heavy lumber, undoubtedly for another job. Sure would be nice if he would get back on ours. If we didn't have a contract (or the time ran out), I would finish it myself.

Wife is off to pick up another box of deck screws. Guess I'll start figuring up the next batch of lumber needed to continue with the deck project.

Have a good day, all. Rob

[jeffrey-wimberly]

***Jeffrey, too bad you can use a model train crane to move the remainder of that tree around. Seriously though, take your time cutting it up. Will that tree make good firewood?

We have only five feet of the trunk left, but being that it's over 26" across we're have to cut it in 7" thick slices. Each slice weighs around 400 pounds so it takes big guys to roll it up onto the trailer. The only other thing left besides repairing the bridge (that's gonna be a blast. NOT!!) is some branches to cut up and burn. On the question of it making good firewood, I don't think so. When willow dries out it becomes pulpy and falls apart easily. It also burns very fast. The big pile of still green branches we had on the burn pile yesterday all burned down to ash inside of an hour, and it was a very HOT fire. People think pine burns hot, it's a cool customer compared to willow.

[Cox 47]

Good Morning All...Its partly cloudy and 67 here this morning...I'll have coffee and a sweet roll please...Thank You...I got most of the painting done on circus passenger car early this morning before Sallie left..

Jeff...Nice job on flats...

Garry...You would look good behind the wheel of a Porsche but it might cut into some of your model railroading time?...

Jeff got me thinking flat cars too this is a IC flat I got couplers changed out and the deck painted and a back hoe load that Inch gave me...

 

 

You all have a good one....Jerry

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good morning....

Jerry ... I'm quite happy with my chevy truck. I would not get much lumber in a Porsche. We'll see if anything happens.

Rob ... I was just thinking. Your remark on the lumber reminded me. We once had a very bad experience with a contractor building a house. He billed for lumber and presented receipts. Number of 2x4's looked excessive. I investigated, and figured out he was billing us for our lumber plus lumber for two other customers. At that time, we also learned he failed to pay the window company the funds we paid to him for the wondow. I investigated. Some of the windows on our bill were for other houses. We had paid for all of our windows plus soem other windows, and he did not pay window comapny. Window company placed lein on our house pending resolution. It was a mess. 

We fired contractor. We prosecuted him for fraud. We sued him. Both civil case and criminal case were refered to an arbitrator. Arbitrator awarded us from contractor restitution for the materials fraud plus a very big penalty. Lesson learned. Audit every bill from contractor and insist on original receipts.

I became our general contractor and got the project completed.

Hope you are OK with your contractor.

[JimRCGMO]

Good morning (hmm, yeah it still is so far), Zoe - I'll have a ham n cheese omelet sandwich and a cup of Luc's TH that he brought in, please. Thanks!

Rob, I'm beginning to think you are really far out there in the woods (not just a little ways, either) - coyotes? It was a good thing you have the Pyrenees to run interference for your ponies. Does your contract have a clause for if they run over the time limit, that you get to dock their pay some?

Jeff, best wishes on a quick and simple finishing up the willow. Will you be starting the dock repairs this weekend, or next week? From what you wrote earlier, that sounded like the worst part of the cleanup. Don't overdo things, though.

Lee, looking forward to seeing those structure pics. This morning I was sitting in bed and looking at my structure kits stack, and thinking "I need to get at least a couple of those going this weekend..." Those Walthers track bumpers are neat - I am looking forward to weathering ('rusting') those of mine that I have assembled so far.

CN Charlie, good to see you in the Diner, and hope the boat 'extraction' goes well today. You realize that after you get the derrick car, you may find yourself hankering after a bigger boom car, right?

I think our weather here is supposed to be a lot like Jeff's forecast - high in the 80's and slim chance of a scattered shower. Sunny and nice out there for now.

I'll see if I can wake Duke - Zoe, could I have another omelet sandwich? I'll wave this one under his nose and see how his reflexes are - that should wake him up for a little.

 

Blessings and a good start to your weekend,

Jim in Cape Girardeau 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Jeff, best wishes on a quick and simple finishing up the willow. Will you be starting the dock repairs this weekend, or next week? From what you wrote earlier, that sounded like the worst part of the cleanup. Don't overdo things, though.

Not sure exactly when the bridge repairs will commence. Probably sometime next week. We have to make a jacking platform under the bridge first and it all mud down there. Thank God the lake is down three feet right now.

[LSWrr]

Dale has been building kits for years but last year his wife said no more kits because they ran out of room to display them.  She is SO EXCITED (NOT) that I'm supplying him with kits to build.  I had about 20 kits to assemble and I got burned out after building number 12, so I started building bench work and laying track.  Dale came over to help and saw "the box" of models and asked if he could put a few together.... About 10 kits later he is asking for more models.  Time to go shopping!  I do supply the paint, glue and whatever he needs and I let him pick a few things out of my bay box.

Lee

[inch53]

Mornin, an irish coffee please, Zoe.

I haven't been round much for a spell, found I just really didn't much to say seems when ever I started a post, Did didn't have much of interest to say. I still don't have much to say as far as MRR'ing n such today, but to ask for a couple prayers.

Bout a month ago our x-DIL [Beverly, Herman's mom] was diagnosed with overran cancer. She had surgery and all was fine, then she got an infection in the stitches, which has held up her starting chemo, but she's improving now.

While that battle going is on, our middle daughter [Jamie] was diagnosed with cervical cancer . Treatment is still up in the air with that for the moment.

Then this morning our oldest girl [Roni], called n told me she was going in for a biopsy this afternoon for possable cervical cancer also. We'll to wait see how that goes for now.

Every one here is doing what they can, and I thought I bring in a few extras maybe to add to the group. Roni also said thet'd been with electric since Ike came through, hopefully it'll be back on today. She lives in Elyria Ohio now.

Then to top matters off, KC went in the hospital Wed with a urinary infection and a temp of 104.6. She doing betters now and should get back home tomorrow, if the fever is still down.

Every one here is doing what they can, and I thought I bring in a few extras maybe to add to the group. So whatever thoughts I sure will help.

As far as everything, on the good side, me, Deb and everyone else seem to be doing ok, other than the normal aches, pains, grips n crumbles. The youngest grand dauaghter turned 1 year Teu. And my mom turns 75 tomorrow and is in great health still. We're having a surprise carry-in-dinner for her this evening. All us kids will be there, but most the grand and great grand kids will miss it. Oh, n Deb's frying chicken for about 25 or so this afternoon.

School has finally started here, I still have grandkids most everyday, but most of them leave when the bus gets them, then brings'em back. Course I still have KC all day, 2 or 3 days a week. And Jbirds just in pre-school, but she's gone in the afternoons.

Now that football seasons started I'm getting some time on the layout on Sundays, but not much yet.

The fall ham n bean cook is this Sat; I got drafted to do the cooking again. And the Veterans picnic is next Sun. Always plenty of good eatin there too.

Other than the everyday chores n getting ready for winter, that's bout it for here in the woods. Thoughts for all those in need [and there seems to been several here lately] n ya'll have a gooden

[LSWrr]

Inch, Best wishes and prayers for Beverly, Jamie, and Roni (they say troubles come in 3's). 

You know I live just east of Elyria tell Roni  to run an extension cord over to my house or stop over with a bucket and I'll fill it up with electricity for her. 

Lee

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Inch..........I am terribly sorry to learn about the cancer affecting your family. Prayers for you.

Lee .... can you run a line all the way to Cincinnati area, too? Son and DIL are still without power since Sunday storms.

 

[LSWrr]

Garry,

I have family in Columbus, just run a cord to their house.

I live NE of Cleveland and Eastlake just got power back Wednesday. My power went out for maybe 30 minutes.  I hear south of us several homes are without power still.  Ohio Edison and First Energy sent most of their crews to TX & LA to help restore power so you see Pittsburg Public Power trucks running all over the place up here trying to restore power.  I think Elyria is First Energy (out of Sheffield Lake).

Lee

[Fergmiester]

Greetings All!

 Finally... Internet! After three weeks of being in the High Arctic we are now homeward bound and should be home come monday. Just Endured  2 days of Storm force winds in the Labrador sea and its now blowing 40 kts and getting better.

Inch sorry to hear about your family troubles. Hopefully this will come to pass quickly and positively. It seems everyon I know these days is affected by Cancer near to home. Scary, very scary.

So what's new in the CS these days and how is everyone?

Later All

Fergie

[Packers#1]

Thanks for the kind words everyone! I'm so happy because there's no practice today. THANK YOU COACH McKNIGHT!

[TrainsRMe1]

Hey Zoe,

    I'll take a root BEER please, Hey y'all things are well here in the City of Roses Portland Oregon, The weather is ah well mmm,OK cloudy with sun breaks temps around 60 to 65, And kind of hazy, the reason why there is a big forest fire in the Cascades between MT Hood and the central Cascades.Well, dare I say it, Both my wife and I are on VACATION!!!!! the last two defenatley!!! We are going to finish painting the back of our house today,also I have some time to work on the layout, before we roll out of town for the week. We got free airfare to anyplace we want to go, so we dicided on Washington DC, we both have never been there,so I think that's goin' to be fun! can anybody tell me if there are any LHS's in the area?? Oh I remember hearing about the Hobby Lobby, is there one close by?  I will visit the diner while in DC, and fill you in on the trip,hopfully post some pic's to (I'm still slow on doin' that) Take care and see you soon!

                                 --Trainsrme1

[JimRCGMO]

Afternoon, Zoe, I'll have a root beer float, please.

 

Thanks! 

...She is SO EXCITED (NOT) that I'm supplying him with kits to build.  I had about 20 kits to assemble and I got burned out after building number 12, so I started building bench work and laying track.  Dale came over to help and saw "the box" of models and asked if he could put a few together.... About 10 kits later he is asking for more models.  Time to go shopping!...

Lee, sounds like his wife would love to have him attend KBA meetings (Kit-Builders Anonymous...), though you might have a vested interest in him NOT attending, right?

Inch, (as Fergie, Lee and others said) I'm sorry to hear about your family's bouts with cancer. Also sorry to hear that KC's runnin' a fever. Good that you and Debbie are staying healthy, so you can tend to the young'uns when others have to go to the doctor's offices. I will add them all to my list.

Fergie - welcome back to the (more or less) civilized world again. We were about to go looking for any rather fat polar bears up that way... Oh, you missed the great puzzlement of identifying the difference between a (Canadian or American) beaver and a squirrel, but we may have Lee's LHS straightened out on that difference by now. I think it was mostly on pages 70 and 71 or so, if you want to check notes. Do you have any projects for the MESS(tm), now that you're back, like curve-widening or such? Have you had snow yet there? And how many kits were you able to finish while you were out at sea?

Ike's biggest aftermath may likely be all the long waits that various parts of the country will have, in waiting to get their power back on. Might be a run on extension cords up Inch and Lee's areas, from the talk of it. The coverage of the areas that are out of power is downright weird, too - in several areas of the country, I've heard that one part of town didn't lose power, but a couple/three blocks away, they're still out after a week, or isolated areas are out, like islands.

I'll be in the window booth for a while. What? Duke still hasn't woke up, even after I left that omelet right under his nose? (Oh, it's not there - guess he didn't even wake up to eat that one..)

 

Prayers for healing, and for Blessings,

Jim in Cape Girardeau 

[JimRCGMO]

...We got free airfare to anyplace we want to go, so we dicided on Washington DC, we both have never been there,so I think that's goin' to be fun! can anybody tell me if there are any LHS's in the area?? Oh I remember hearing about the Hobby Lobby, is there one close by?  I will visit the diner while in DC, and fill you in on the trip,hopfully post some pic's to (I'm still slow on doin' that) Take care and see you soon!

TrainsRMe, make sure you take a suitcase with some extra space in it for all your LHS purchases (of course, they'll probably charge you extra for that...) As for the Hobby Lobby stores, check the map here:

http://www.hobbylobby.com/site3/store/locations.cfm 

and here's a hobby shop locator for the DC vicinity:

http://find.mapmuse.com/re1/map_brand_mm2.php?addr=Washington,%20DC&brandID=MTRAIN&tlist=MTRAIN,&

Hope that helps (and have a fun trip)! We will await the pics after your return...

 

Jim in Cape Girardeau 

[grayfox1119]

Good evening to everyone...I guess those Canadian Geese knew what they were doing three weeks ago flying South in late August...it was 42F last night and it is already down to 45F ( 6.5C ) already at 8:24pm. Many areas of Vermont went into the 30's and some areas into the upper 20's last night, and tonight will be colder.

MIKE: I am so sorry to hear of your family's health problems, it can be so overwhelming. Our prayers for you and your family Mike.

FERGIE: Glad to see your headed home, we missed you here in the Diner, too many deserts left over. Time to get your paint shop going for those locos.

JIM: Sandy should have no trouble identifying Beavers from Squirrels now, those are great shots. And the roof here is asphalt shingles, no sliding on this roof, besides, it has a typical ranch house roof pitch, 6/12, which is easy to walk on, fairly flat.

ROB: I think we are in for an early Winter this year, so I hope your contractor gets his a** in gear and finishes your house. I see you have Coyotes down there now too, we have been plagued with them for about 14 years now. I must say however, that they do keep the rabbit population in check, I have not had any problems in the Veggie garden since the Coyotes arrived here via CSX from the Desert country. If you have continued problems with Coyotes bothering your livestock, get a LLama, they are VERY protective of their turf and the barnyard. A sheep rancher in the next town had problems with Coyotes killing her sheep, so she got several LLamas, and no more problems, she actually saw the LLamas chase the Coyotes and try to hoof them.

CN CHARLIE: More ladder work today, I finished painting the house though, so ladder work should be done except for install of new Bow window. Heights have never bothered me except when I stepped out onto the glass floor on the tower in Calgary, that was a little nerve racking looking down to the road far below, I forgot how many floors high it is.

ED: Are you back from Newfoundland yet??

Later guys,

[LSWrr]

Evening,

Some progress pictures:

Dock Cranes, 3 trackside buildings, Walther's track bumpers, Craftsman wood snow plow kit, flat cars, gondola.........

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2178648010029441264FJVlMg?vhost=rides

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2436783610029441264XJYJlQ?vhost=rides

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2079483340029441264MSMtsO?vhost=rides

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2018848210029441264oYqLty?vhost=rides

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2294061440029441264EXdNwO?vhost=rides

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2410442530029441264WmSaLs?vhost=rides

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2558256240029441264Jrbbey?vhost=rides

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2721164290029441264DQnEXH?vhost=rides

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2702801450029441264czuNth?vhost=rides

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2466806720029441264APcZJI?vhost=rides

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2156547780029441264ckPHPW?vhost=rides

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2106900830029441264aDGRLC?vhost=rides

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2025021400029441264hgBjVd?vhost=rides

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2540384560029441264AYipKx?vhost=rides

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2409410790029441264VIVywm?vhost=rides

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2695573400029441264VxkCRh?vhost=rides

Enjoy,

Lee

( No beavers were harmed in the filming of these structures)

[JPowell]

Hey gang -

  Just a quick stop in... sorry for being tardy as of late. Chloe - Hot Fudge Sundae w/ Mint Chocolate Chip Ice cream please? Thanks. I'll be in teh corner booth.

  Take care guys! Prayers to those in need (Inch and his family need them the most)!

JP

[Paul W. Beverung]

Evening Gang:

Inch you and the family are in my prayers. I hope that everyone gets better soon.

Fergie welcome back to the lower world. Except for that storm coming back how was the trip?

We finished the baling here today. I raked and John baled. When I got finished with the rake I got out the chain saw and cut another 60 ft of brush on the UP. Tomorrow we move the equipment out to John's place to cut his hay. He has about 20 acres of hay out of the 300 he has.

Right now a shower sounds real good so I think that I'll head out.

Good Night All 

[Cox 47]

Evening All...Just stopped in for a root beer float before heading to bed...You all have a good night!!....Jerry

[Flashwave]

Evening. Dad;s back in the hospital. They say its just another infection, but the general paracice is fever=5 hrs in a waiting room at the ER. There's nothing to do, and yet, they frown on Plastic weld and gondolas...

Inch: Sorry to hear of the cancer. What is it with this world and uncontrolled cellular reproduction anyway?

Ferg's back! Did ya get a kiss from the remains of Ike?

Whoever said it, we have Cuyotes around me in West Central Indiana every now and then.

I see JP snuck in real quick.

 Oh, frined of muine sent me a joke:

JUST A TAP ON THE SHOULDER

A passenger in a taxi leaned over to ask the driver a question and tapped

him on the shoulder. The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly
hit a bus, drove up over the curb, and stopped just inches from a large
plate glass window.

For a few moments everything was silent in the cab, and then the still
shaking driver said, 'I'm sorry, but you scared the daylights out of me.'

The frightened passenger apologized to the driver and said he didn't realize
a mere tap on the shoulder could frighten him so much.

The driver replied, 'No, no, I'm sorry, it's entirely my fault. Today is my
first day driving a cab. I've been driving a hearse for the last 25 years.

[TrainsRMe1]

Just wanted to come by for a quick late night visit, Chiole, I'll have a slice of apple pie ala-mode w/ a glass of cold milk. Thanks for the instructions Jim, I think I will check out this LHS named "Granddads Hobbies"? (I think that's the name) they don't have a Hobby Lobby there either, ,  Well it's gettin'late and I'm goin' to turn in, so I will see you all later. Take care and have a good night

                        Clear minds & Happy Trains

                                             -Trainsrme1 

[tin can]

My first post in the diner...

Sawyer, way to go.  I have a freshman fb playing son; he is starting DE on A team; and plays lots of tight end as well.  Hurricane Ike has kinda messed up football for a week or so, but they get back to games next week.

I'm kinda bummed out tonight.  Our HO modular group was supposed to set up at the Temple Train Show this weekend; but Ike kinda messed that up.  Don't know when we'll set up again, I hope it is soon.

jeff c
college station, tx

[Flashwave]

My first post in the diner...

Sawyer, way to go.  I have a freshman fb playing son; he is starting DE on A team; and plays lots of tight end as well.  Hurricane Ike has kinda messed up football for a week or so, but they get back to games next week.

I'm kinda bummed out tonight.  Our HO modular group was supposed to set up at the Temple Train Show this weekend; but Ike kinda messed that up.  Don't know when we'll set up again, I hope it is soon.

jeff c
college station, tx

So, tell us about yourself. (The interesting parts: What you model, or what is your module) If you have a home layout, or plans for one. othe rup and coming mrrs in the family, etc.  

[CNCharlie]

Good Evening All!

 Well I did get out to Gimli today but I just got the boat ready for haul-out that is now scheduled for Wednesday. I took off all the running rigging and put the boom in the cabin where it's stored for winter. The engine started right away so I let it idle for about a half hour to charge the batteries. In doing so I found out the source of all the water I've been getting in the bilge. Turns out the drain **** on the water muffler wasn't fully closed so cooling water was running out of the muffler when the engine was running. I had been convinced I had a major leak from a deck fitting so that discovery was a pleasant surprise.

Nice day here again, about 22C but it's going down to 4 tonight but then it is supposed to be back up to 27C by Sunday. So far September has been better than most of the so-called summer. Leaves are just starting to turn which is late for us.

Talk to you later,

CN Charlie