ELLIOT's Trackside Diner VI: The Full Meal Deal!

[JimRCGMO]

Afternoon, Janie - I'll have a BLT, cheesey fries and (ahem...) a root beer float, please. Thanks! Of course, I figure it looks like I'll get the TOP honors, but what the heck!

Lee, that gismo for putting your lights up sounds very useful (and speeds things up, it sounds like). How'd you find that?

Rob, that looks like prime real estate for your RR - major acquisition! I'm trying to place where the doors and windows are in respect to each other (still working on that...). Do you have layout design software? That'd help you try out some different designs without major rebuilding problems. Of course, as most of us Diners could tell you, the planning and the building of a design are two completely different things. But looking forward to seeing your sketches and ideas. A tornado, huh? She won't settle for just a few dark thunderclouds?

Sawyer, were you up later than usual last night? Since football season is over, I figured you might not be getting the major workout that your football practices are (but I might be off on that, huh?).

Ray, it's November, isn't it? You know, month of the grey, cloudy and sunless days and bare trees.  Excellent month to be indoors and doing MRR'ing, I'd say. That, or sitting around the fireplace (or dining table) with friends or family. Ahhh...

Morgan - moo? I'm udderly puzzled by that one...  (...Where's Garry?)

Oh, Janie, could I also have a bowl of chili and some grated cheese, please? Thanks again. I'll settle down in the window booth for now and see who else comes in. Hey, Janie, did I call the TOP honors right, or what? Okay, Diners, it's CHOWTIME!

 

Blessings,

Jim in Cape Girardeau 

 

[blownout cylinder]

Rob; many years ago I assisted a fellow in doing up a room almost like yours but what we done was feather the blue from the middle of the ceiling where the deepest sky colour was out to the sides closest to the edge of the railroad setting. It created in his case a sort of hazy look that he emphasized by building in some clouds. Now if only I remembered to take some pix at the time...

[Paul W. Beverung]

Evening Gang: It was kind of cold today and cloudy with some rain. Not really the kind of day to get out side but I did. I worked on the field again untill the weights fell off the root plow. Those things weigh a combined 250+. I scooped them up in the bucket and called it a day. You ought to see some of those tap roots. There were a couple that were at least five feet long.Even a  small bush had a root three feet long and the bush was only two feet tall.

I'm alittle tired tonight so I'll head for bed.

Good Night All

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 Went to Alexandria this afternoon, didn't get back til 6:30. Picked up these two items while I was there.

A new Canadian grain hopper:


And a Phillips 66 3 dome tank car:


I also got 6 conifer trees, 6 cedar trees and 3 elm trees.

[blownout cylinder]

Paul; Some people I know used some tree roots as a 'fence' along the front and one side of their property. Some of these things can be seen in/around Oxford county southeast of Woodstock.... From what I seen of mesquite I can pretty well imagine how much of a PITA they can be...and yet some people use the wood for furniture(?)

[Cox 47]

Good saturday night All...It been a nice day here temps up around 50..Rain moving in tonite with maybe some snow sunday....I got New Model Railroader today...I think its pretty good enjoyed the V&O and GD  spreads but its sad to think both layouts are gone....Looks like Beer Line is gonna be a nice layout...I'll slip over in the corner with a cup of egg nog and see who drops in late...Jerry

[Cederstrand]

Chamomile tea, please & thanks. Another one of those insomniac nights.

***Paul, I thought you were going to say you hefted those tractor weights onto your shoulder and walked them back to the barn, uphill no less.

***Jeffrey, what's wrong with leaving that handsome Santa Fe car as is?

***Jerry, I'll second those thoughts on the latest MRR mag. Good stuff. Wife spotted a Kentucky Fried Chicken model she wants, along with a few others items.

Has been raining here a bit tonight with some fair wind gusts. I don't know what is keeping that large dead old pine tree from crashing down on our power pole. One day it is going to make a heck of a boom when it hits that transformer. Power company never seems interested in prevention, except along the major lines.

Wife & I watching a Game Warden have a long talk with one of those idiots who poach across the creek. It's about time, too. If any of our animals ever die of suspicious circumstances, we'll have a forensic autopsy done and pursue all avenues if there is evidence of foul play. Hope it never comes to that. 

Good night all. Rob

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Cederstrand

***Jeffrey, what's wrong with leaving that handsome Santa Fe car as is?

Nothing at all. Did I say I was going to do anything to it? About all I'll do is spray it with Matte-Finish to kill the shine. Same goes for the tank car.

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning from Tipton IN !

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning.

It's 46 and clear. Today's high will be around 60 and it will be partly cloudy.

Nothing of note yesterday to report except that I made up my first advanced consist with two Atlas locomotives equipped with Bachmann decoders. L&A 221 and MGRy 225 were successfully MU'd together under TOP #02. I also raided Hobby Lobby and came away with two new freight cars and an assortment of trees.

Today's Weather for:
Sundown, LA  71446-6114      11/30/2008

Wind Chill:  44°F
Humidity:  91%
Dew Point:  42°F

So Far Today
High:  51°F
Low:  44°F
Rain:  0.00"
Rain Rate:  0.00"/h
Gust:  11mph NNE

Today  High: 60    Partly cloudy. Highs around 60. West winds 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight  Low: 40    Partly cloudy until late night then becoming mostly clear. Lows around 40. West winds 10 to 15 mph.


 

[LSWrr]

Good morning, 

Today: Showers after 1pm. High near 44. Breezy, with a southeast wind 11 to 14 mph increasing to between 19 and 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Tonight: Rain before midnight, then a chance of rain and snow. Low around 33. South wind between 11 and 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.We are almost 6” above average in snow accumulation. Well I have all of the outside lights up now and I replaced the rollers for my sliding glass doors on the porch. I found anodized steel ball bearing wheels for the doors. They roll so easy I need to install some more weather stripping or something to slow them down before they get broke.  Not to mention my Lab can stick her nose on the glass and open them.

Lee

 

[LSWrr]

Jim, I picked up the light hanging kit from Home Depot, I just saw it sitting there and grabbed one.

I bought  Walthers brick street system and had to order 2 more kits, they don’t give you many brick tiles in those kits.FYI: EZ-Mate couplers are on sale this month 160-78105, 25 pairs of couplers for $17.98.

Lee

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

LSWrr

EZ-Mate couplers are on sale this month 160-78105, 25 pairs of couplers for $17.98.

If you want EZ-Mate's or other kadee wanna-be's I have scads of them that I use gondola junk loads.

[pcarrell]

Morning all!

Got some snow last night.  Good thing I got the really nasty deck work done out back yesterday.  I heard this was on the way, so my son and I busted it out until late last night.

So whats up with all of you?

[LSWrr]

Jeff,

Check your email.

Lee

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 Lee: Check your email.

 

Hey, whoops! Looks like I'm buying. I'll have a ham sandwich.

[fec153]

Thanks Jeff. That looks good. I'll Have the same but with swiss or pepperjack. Hot black coffee,please.

Flip

 

[gear-jammer]

Thanks, Jeff.  It is not quite lunchtime here, but I will be ready in a couple of hours.

Sue

[howmus]

Ooooooo, Ooooooooo!  Jeffrey is buying!  OK, Zoe I'll have the hot Turkey sandwich, french fries with gravy, and a cup of dark roast in a Finger Lakes Scenic Railway mug!  Thanks Jeffrey!

After church today I checked out the podium mic that wasn't working (short in cord) and it was most probably caused by  volunteers "helping" to move the podium when special services or concerts require....  You know what happens....  Hey, I'll help you move that, quick off this way!  YANK!!!!!!!  Oh, there's a wire plugged into the floor!  I'll get it.... YANK, YANK,  YANK!  Doesn't want to come out.... YANK, YANK.  Oh it clips in place.........??? 

So this time, since the mic has a special 5 wire plug at the end and needs a hand made adapter on one end of the Mic Cord, I am going to hard wire it into a box and wire for a standard XLR type  mic cord.  So next time we can replace the cord and be done with it.

I managed to get a bit of work done on the layout as one pack of railbars finally came in at the LHS.  I use code 83 rail, but find that the code 70 Details West railbars fit and look better.

Got an e-mail from my sister in South Bend saying that she got home safe and sound last night and was able to make the drive back in one day with no problem.  Haven't heard from my son who flew back to Chicago last night from here, but I assume no news is good news.  All things considered I had a very hectic but great week for B-Day and Thanksgiving.

Hope everyone has a great day! 

[Cederstrand]

 in a UNION PACIFIC mug and a bowl of stew, please & thanks.

***Jeffrey, my comment about that Santa Fe car was only because above it you had typed "A new Canadian grain hopper", so I figured you were repainting it for that line. (check your e-mail. Thanks!)

A raw day here, cold blowing rain. Still beats no rain, I'll take what we can get.

Rob

[Flashwave]

JimRCGMO

Morgan - moo? I'm udderly puzzled by that one...  (...Where's Garry?)

 

Ow.

No, I saw the thread was sliding off of Page two and needed a bump. Seemed like the hing to say at the time.

[f-unit]

Hi I want more turkey and i want it now!!!

I have a train set to i think its HO its under my parents bed, I can't wait until xmas. Can you ?

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 55, gray and windy here. A very dull day.

[howmus]

jeffrey-wimberly

55, gray and windy here.

 

Thought you were younger than that???

Thought I would show what was the best part of thanksgiving.  My Granddaughter digging into a piece of homemade pumkin pie using her father's fork from when he was her age.....

Someone wanted more Turkey?  here's some!

And what it did all day here..........

 

[Packer]

Nope. I can barely wait for my F45. Also can't wait for the christmas music to go away (one week of listening to it before december even gets here gets annoying)

I got myself a sound/dcc GP30 a few hours ago; however, I only bought it to get the sound chassis to put under one of my existing GP30s.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

howmus

jeffrey-wimberly

55, gray and windy here.

 

Thought you were younger than that???

I meant 55 degrees.

[howmus]

 I knew that........... I just couldn't resist a play on words.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Hello DIners!

I skimmed over posts for recent days, and see that lots of food was consumed and there were some terrific familiy visits.  That's just wonderful!

We, too, had some great times. We had family crew from Ohio and from Michigan in town. We ate lots. It was just great. The grandkids put together a neat layout with the wooden train set we have here. A highlight was our 7 year old grand daughter sang a solo in church that was absolutley amazing! We visited relatives in Nashville yesterday.

I posted these phtos in Weekend Photo Fun. You can read about them there. I remakred about my PRR T-1 a few days ago.

[rtraincollector]

Evening all been stopping in but not posting haven't had much to say heres a pic of our Christmas tree and 2 of my train sets top train is O gauge the bottom is my standard gauge set.

 

You may notice that I have 2 Fanta boxcars one is from the mid 70's and is made by Lionel as the rest of the train is and the other is from the 80's and made by K-Line and is actually better made it has spung trucks and applied ladder's not molded in like the rest of the cars its the one with the black ladders on the side.

Oh yeah thats boots our guard cat on the couch lol

[der5997]

 Good evening Diners: and for those celebrating it, a joyful and meaningful Advent Season!  We kicked that off at a choral concert in Stellarton this afternoon. The Pictou area choirs, The Trinitarian Singers, and the Pictou District Honour Choir. A really proficient and enjoyable bunch!     

 

 

 

 

Am pleased to report progress on the Container crane. BTW, the main prototype that I’ve been scaling down and free lancing for my small port is at: http://www.fotosearch.com/EYW193/iac_041/ and a slightly closer look at the upper section….http://www.fotosearch.com/SBY839/e003511/   

 

 

 

 

 I’ve completed work on the cable system that would work the boom if it were not a static model at this point. I built roller blocks (pre-painting the rollers dull silver) for the “pivot point” at the top of the main frame. The cable is soft iron florist’s wire, easy to bend to shape.  That was glued in the blocks as they were being assembled.  The wire was straight to begin with.   Hatches were cut in the roof of the cable house (“discovered” which one that was from the angle required for the cables to reach the top of the frame!)  wide enough to allow some lateral travel as the cable winds on and off the drums, and the cable wire bent down to them and glued in place.  I thought that attaching the shorter ends of the cable to the boom would merely take a simulated hinged attachment piece. So I did a trial. …and found out at once that in fact, since the angle of the cable to the boom is not 90°, but actually unknown until the time of attachment, a functioning hinge joint was needed. Back to the drawing board… ….

 

 

 

and in a different position….

 

 Those tests were with short bits of wire.  The install would be on the already assembled cable on the crane, then on to the boom, but all in one operation!  I had thought of using masking tape to form the joining sleeve. That was simply because I used that to make the simulated sleeves on the bracing rods earlier; and was in a mental rut.  What the job needed was a stronger tube capable of sliding to position as the glue dried. Short pieces of insulation from electrical wire of appropriate gauge proved to be the solution.  Way quicker to describe than do, but there it is… So that phase is done, and this is how the thing now looks…    

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

 I recently emailed a few of you an item about “Can't Steal My Christmas... I'm taking Christmas back...”I also sent it to a mrr in New Brunswick. I thought you might be interested in his reply.  At his request I “X”ed out the name of the other identifiable person…

I feel the same way. A couple years ago, here at work, They changed the Kids Christmas party to Holiday party and then also changed our staff Christmas party to Holiday Party. That was it for me and I wrote a letter to our communications and HR departments and let them know just how I felt. I got a long song and dance about it but they did change the Staff party back to Christmas but the kids party is a holiday party.________________ 

 

 

 

Here was my note:I'm sorry but this just bugs me to no end. It has taken me a few days to get my thoughts together on this subject and the following is not meant to offend anyone. These are my thoughts and feelings on this subject.I am very disappointed that we as a Canadian company feel the need to take Christmas out of the upcoming holiday season. This is not just a holiday party it is a CHRISTmas party. I know we live in a Multi cultural society but it is after all Canada and for centuries it has been Christmas not just a holiday. I realize that it is done this way as not to offend other "religious" communities but now you offend one of the largest "religious" groups in this country, of which I am one. It is not just Canadians that celebrate Christmas, many other countries celebrate Christmas for the very same reason we do.What makes it even more disappointing to me is it is not the "other" religious groups that are trying to change Christmas, it is people that were born and raised in the Christian environment. I have spoke with other religious groups and they don't expect us to change our holiday for them nor do they want us to. At the same time we do not ask them to change their beliefs, so why do we as Canadians think we have to change Christmas to accommodate other religions when they really don't ask us to in the first place? If our Christmas is changed then what is to stop other groups from having their holidays changed or taken away? From talking with other employees, I know I am definitely not in the minority in feeling this way. I would like to say please do not take out Christmas from our holiday season, After all had it not been for Christ being born there would not even be a Christmas holiday in the first place._________________ 

 

 

 

Their response:  ""Hi Allan,“X” forward this to me to respond to (“X”reports to me), as she has quite a bit on her plate with the party being on Saturday.I read your e-mail and I completely understand that others feel the same way as you. We were trying to be as accepting as possible of all groups that would like to celebrate the Holiday season with their co-workers, friends and family. We have had some concerns expressed to us, we will review these for next year and a corporate decision on the title will be made.Please keep in mind, nothing about the event has changed. It has been organized in the exact same way it was for the last few years. We hope you and your family as well as those who have organized and are volunteering at the event will be able to enjoy the party regardless of what the event is called.Thank you,""---------------- 

 

 

 

 

Even though they only changed the adult party back to Christmas I will accept it as a small victory. When people start taking Christ out of Christmas I just plain get fired up and there ain't no getting that bee out of my bonnet.....if I wore a bonnet that is.  Merry Christmas to you and your family John. Oh I just put up some of the outside lights last night. Al

You do not stop playing because you grow old;
You grow old because you stop playing.
Now, go play with some trains!!!

        ............    ........
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 _II__()__i__|_|+|
((|__|------------|--II
//oo-O-O-O-O-oo

www.wolfvalleyrr.wordpress.com

     

 

 

 

 

Sorry to have missed various birthdays etc. Hope you all had great celebrations.      

 

 

 

 

Jeff:  Great looking Ham Sandwich   Those grain hoppers hold 100 tons, and with un-cleaned grain a 100 car train has the equivalent of 3 cars of insect parts and stones etc!  If you want cool details, spilled grain often sprouts on the end sills, a delicate green.  WS T45 ground foam might do (or could be called something else by now, as my supply was bought back in the 1990s.)     

 

 

 

 

Rob: I like the stealth fighter look that composition photo gives to your (drool, drool ) new train room   Chamomile tea: I’ve had that for a queasy stomach, but not as just a beverage…might follow your example.  I’d not tile the floor if it were up to me. (even with under floor heat, my feet get cold). The hard surface will smash any loco or rolling stock un-wise enough to make a bid for freedom!      

 

 

 

 

Ray: Here’s one solution to the PA problem!   Good to hear your sister had a safe and reasonably quick trip home.  Granddaughter sure is shaping up to be a candidate for the Diner! Good looking family you have there.     

 

 

 

 

f-unit: to the Diner. Assuming you are right about what may be under the tree (my brother and I used to go on the “Does it rattle” diagnostic, is that still used? ), what are your plans for it? We’re more interested that nosey.     

 

 

 

 

Garry: Is that PRR T-1 the 5 pounder? What a bruiser!     

 

 

 

 

RT: Nice Christmas tree set up.  Boots-the-guard-cat may be tuning in to the thoughts of certain Maine Coons on the West Coast! What with Spring also into stealing trains, we have to be on our guard.      

 

 

 

 

Tom: Just in case you get to thinking Spooky and Remington are going to be large cats, check out this Liger…Now here’s a lap cat!

 

 

 

 

 It’s getting on to tea time.  No walk today, so I’ll forego dessert. A ton of email to check, so I’ll say Goodnight all, and God Bless. Prayers for all in need of healing, comfort and peace.