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Elliott's Trackside Diner VII: Best View Of The Rails In Town! Locked

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Posted by saronaterry on Monday, January 12, 2009 6:50 PM

Yup, they'll be back! said it was pretty close to 1:1 RRingLaugh!!

Now to see if I can still post a pic:

012_12.jpg image by saronaterry
Did it work?
Terry

Terry in NW Wisconsin

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Posted by Cederstrand on Monday, January 12, 2009 6:49 PM

A smallin a UNION PACIFIC mug, please & thank you.  

***Robby, I like what you did with 763. Thumbs Up

***Jerry, very good to hear from you. Hope you are back home real soon. Continued healing thoughts heading your way.

Wife had even more crazy layout ideas today for her layout, one concept I think is worth pursuing.

Cowboy Rob

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Posted by pcarrell on Monday, January 12, 2009 6:48 PM

Matter of fact, that Pineapple  Chicken BBQ that Jeffrey had does look good.  I'll have that, and a Moxie please Chloe!

Philip
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Posted by C&O Fan on Monday, January 12, 2009 6:46 PM

Wow i just can't keep up wiith you guys

I'm gonna have to stop in a couple times a day just to keep up !

Good to hear from you Jerry !

Yea Terry i always can count on the gremlins showing up Too when people come over !

Just one of the Joys of Model Railroading

Thanks for the grub Phillip !

TerryinTexas

See my Web Site Here

http://conewriversubdivision.yolasite.com/

 

 

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Posted by howmus on Monday, January 12, 2009 6:35 PM

Since Philip is getting the tab right now, Zoe, I'll have that Pineapple  Chicken BBQ that Jeffrey had and a Root Beer Float.  To top it off I'll finish with a Hot Fudge Sunday.  And don't any of you dare tell my Doctor....Whistling

Terry it sounds like you had fun even with the inevitable derails, crashes, and sideswiped trains.  Maybe that is what they liked so much....  Never know.

Jerry, good to hear you are doing better.  Hope you can get home soon! 

I got most everything done on my self imposed "to do" list.  I don't have a "honey do" list since I've been a widower for over 20 years.  Anyway I got the amp packed up and down to UPS to send back to the dealer, took posters to all 6 school buildings (public and private) and my Credit Union on my way to pick up my drugs at the pharmacy (The American Medical Association in co-operation with the pharmaceutical industry for a drug free America......), washed a load of clothes, and started to move the other wood pile under cover on the back porch.......  Now I'm going to down cellar and play trains for a while.

See you all later!
 

 

Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO

We'll get there sooner or later! 

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Posted by Robby P. on Monday, January 12, 2009 6:32 PM
I agree. Everything runs good, until someone wants to see it run. Then forget it. AND right when the leave, it runs good. Been there, done that.

 "Rust, whats not to love?"      

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Posted by pcarrell on Monday, January 12, 2009 6:18 PM

Speaking of the way things always are......

 

I'm on top again!

 

ORDER UP!

Philip
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Posted by pcarrell on Monday, January 12, 2009 6:17 PM

Isn't that the way it always goes Terry?

Philip
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Posted by saronaterry on Monday, January 12, 2009 6:03 PM

SHEEEESH!

So the 1:1 RR's come over yesterday. I had spent 4, count'em, 4 hours Sat.nite and Sun. am running 8 different trains backwards, forwards ,up, down, you name it. Not one derailment, coupler break, turnout pick. NOTHING!.Staged 8 trains to show off.

Sunday noon they come over. Lots of Ooohs and Ahhhs.

Then I fired up the system.

Yup!

1 Train makes the rounds.ONE.

Switches picked, derails, coupler breaks. Trains coming apart.Flipped an Atlas SD45 ON IT'S SIDE!

Amtrac p-train SIDESWIPES a Freight.

Sheeeesh.

All had a great time and I found problems I would NOT have discovered running by myself. Both really liked the scenery, especially my trees.Their comments were along the lines of " You remember that crossing? or Bridge?".Both want to come back for a "real" operating session in the future.

All in all, SUCCESS!

Terry

Terry in NW Wisconsin

Queenbogey715 is my Youtube channel

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Posted by blownout cylinder on Monday, January 12, 2009 5:35 PM
Hello people! I'll have some of that pineapple chicken--I'm typing over the cat here--he's conveniently parked himself in between me and the laptop hence back to the single finger hunt and peck---Hope to hear more from you Jerry--- well, had a busy day. Only had to work with 3 clients today vs the 5-6 we were looking at a few days ago. this makes it way easier to catch issues before they become ISSUES. I'm going to the back here to sit with the bunch----

Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry

I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...

http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/

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Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Monday, January 12, 2009 4:49 PM

 Almost 5 pm. Bring on the pineapple barbecue chicken.


Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


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Posted by Packers#1 on Monday, January 12, 2009 4:18 PM

 Robby P.-chekc your PMs.

Well, I'll take a nice large bacon cheeseburger like Joe, but make my drink a water. Also don;'t forget the fries. And take off the lettuce, onion, and tomatoe please. 

Well, I'm working on ym pikestuff multi-purpose building come this weekend. I cut the parts last ngiht (building it to 10 ft. high, also added a few doors etc.)

Sawyer Berry

Clemson University c/o 2018

Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

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Posted by DigitalGriffin on Monday, January 12, 2009 3:50 PM

Who knew the diner would be such a hoppin' spot this time of day.  Must be time for the crew change.

Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions

Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!

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Posted by ewl01 on Monday, January 12, 2009 3:40 PM

BamaCSX83

You know, its funny when you come in, see the post from Jerry, start putting yours in, and five more show up by the time you get your one put down.  Makes staying caught up on here interesting. 

Yup, miss a few hours and it takes 1/2 an hour to catch up!

Robby, now that I have a good screen image your engine is sweet!

Eric

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Posted by BamaCSX83 on Monday, January 12, 2009 3:13 PM

You know, its funny when you come in, see the post from Jerry, start putting yours in, and five more show up by the time you get your one put down.  Makes staying caught up on here interesting. 

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Posted by BamaCSX83 on Monday, January 12, 2009 3:09 PM

A speedy road to recovery for you Jerry.  I didn't get to do any pictures while railfanning today as I couldn't find the camera.  It was fun watching a pair of GP38AC's pushing grain cars around for about 30 minutes though.  Then they went on their merry way back towards the industries here in Troy.  I could have followed them, but it was getting close to time for my daughter to get out of daycare, and I'm not sure if me or the wife is going to pick her up this afternoon, so I figured what the heck, might as well head back to the house and be closer to daycare just in case its me that's doing the picking up.  Troy is a pretty nice community, I can't complain whatsoever about it.  I grew up in Montgomery (50 miles north of Troy, Alabama state capitol), so I'm used to a little bit more action and adventure, but its just fine.  There's more room down here for me to do the things that I like, like running my (at this point) small shop, going hunting, and getting to goof off a little more.  Chloe, I'll take a RBF and go hang out in one of the front booths close to the windows to watch everything as it happens.  I'm going to try to get a basic rough-draw of my trackplan for the area down later this afternoon if I can, then I'm going to do my best to get it up on here.  I'm still not the best with XTrkCAD, so I figure paper and pencil will do me fine for the moment.

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Posted by ns3010 on Monday, January 12, 2009 2:49 PM

What's up everyone. I'll take a coffee and a bacon cheeseburger.

Seems that this thread gets busy while I'm at school. Breakfast started at school today, and it's a lot like lunch. A lot of the same stuff and it's good- yes, we get good cafeteria food. I had french toast, a hash brown, and chocolate chip cookies- pretty good! At lunch, I discovered the magic of coffee. Now I know what I've been missing for the last 14 years of my life.

Got nothing done on the layout yet, but maybe some after homework. Hopefully, I'll FINALLY finish the road. Also, I need to take some updated pix, so you guys can see.

Later. Peace.

My Model Railroad: Tri State Rail
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Posted by Robby P. on Monday, January 12, 2009 2:25 PM

I used a airbrush, and chalks.  I rather do my weathering jobs by hand, and just use my airbrush for dullcote.  Since this was my engine, I kinda went the airbursh way.

The chalks used were Bragdons. 

 "Rust, whats not to love?"      

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Posted by LSWrr on Monday, January 12, 2009 1:37 PM

Robby, that's a fine looking locomotive, did you use an air brush or chalks.

BM1 Lee Soule USCG (ret)
 L.S.&W Railroad Serving the Lower Great Lakes

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Posted by JimRCGMO on Monday, January 12, 2009 12:41 PM

Zoe, I'll have a cheeseburger with onions, tomato slices, lettuce, and ketchup, please, and some cheesey fries and a root beer float. Thanks! Dinner

Jerry, it's very good to hear from you (and to hear you'll be heading home to Sallie soon). Yeah!! Not to worry about the catching up - we'll probably fill you in on most things. Have some new Diners (what's new?), we're as chatty as ever (or more...Whistling), and those who were making progress before continue pretty much doing the same. Jeff of course, is leading the pack in that department, I'd guess.Wink

DerJohn, thanks for the info on the Peco turnouts, since I have some I may be powering later when I install them.

Lee, thanks for the tips on the used turnouts (including painting) and all. Thumbs Up I like the idea of the push rods for the turnouts, too. Anyone here used those (not sure I have this right) Blue Point controls for turnouts? I see them listed on sale in the Walthers flyers every so often.

Ray, I wasn't for sure - was that catfish platter for yourself or for your cats?Smile,Wink, & Grin Better baby that snowblower so you make it until spring arrives (and I don't mean the cat...).

Robby, I like that engine! Thumbs UpYeah!!Smile Very nice job - looks like it's been working there for a while and is well-broken-in.

Ah, here comes my lunch - I'll be in the window booth, watching the trains and eating my burger. Dinner

 

Jim in Cape Girardeau

 

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Posted by Robby P. on Monday, January 12, 2009 12:32 PM

Well its lunch time, and I will take a cheeseburger with onion rings, and a Dr. Pepper.

I have been working on this girl since this morning.  It didn't take me long to weather it.  I mainly used the airbrush.  I am not big on weathering with the airbrush, but this isn't my normal rust bucket.

I painted the handrails, which that took awhile.  Rusted the roof some, and added some soot around the fans.  I weatherd up the trucks, and wheels. Oh, and gave it a good fade.  Its a good looking engine.  Will I add extra details to it (hoses, snow plow) probably not.  Its done.  I am happy how it turned out.

 

 "Rust, whats not to love?"      

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Posted by LSWrr on Monday, January 12, 2009 11:41 AM

Jerry, hope all is going well for you and look foward to hearing you made it home.

 

Lee

BM1 Lee Soule USCG (ret)
 L.S.&W Railroad Serving the Lower Great Lakes

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Posted by Cox 47 on Monday, January 12, 2009 11:36 AM

Howdy All...Just stopped in for some of the Diners good food and talk...one of the staff let me use her laptop...I am doing better and hope to get home in the next few days...I miss dropping in and my railroad but most of all I miss Sallie....The CSX main is with in close but havn't done much railfanning...I won't have time now to read all the back posts but will try to catch up when I get home...I closed top up on railroad before I left so I will have to uncover and clean track...Thanks to all who ask about me...Mike [Inch] abd Deb came to see me and I ask Him to let you know how much I miss all you  folks...Hope to be back on the Illinois and Southern soon....Jerry

ILLinois and Southern...Serving the Coal belt of southern Illinois with a Smile...
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Posted by howmus on Monday, January 12, 2009 11:26 AM

Cederstrand
***Ray, what kind of amp?

 

It's a Behringer A500 Studio Reference Amp.  Got it last November and hadn't used it until the Holidays working on a CD for a client.  Gave me a scratchy sound.  Sounded like a blown Speaker driver.  When I changed out the Old Tannoy Near Field Monitor speakers with brand new pair of Alesis Monitor One MKIIs, the sound was still bad.  Hooked up my old Stewart amp that I thought was blown, and it sounds great........  So the place where I bought all this stuff is going to replace the Behringer on warranty for me.

Rob, hope that the headache and nausea are nothing serious.  Get yourself to the Doc though! 

Got the snow cleared out of the Driveways this morning.  Think the transmission on the old snowblower is on its last legs. Sometimes it turns the wheels and sometimes everything locks up.  Hopefully it will get me through the season and I can get it looked at over the summer.

My cats are reminding me that it is almost lunch time for them.  Flo, you still serving that Catfish Platter that I saw Jeffrey chowing down on a couple days ago.  Hopefully it is fresh catfish? Pour me a mug of decafe to go along with that will ya.

Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO

We'll get there sooner or later! 

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Posted by LSWrr on Monday, January 12, 2009 11:14 AM
Jim & Garry, I found the right price on used turnouts for #4 and #6 brass is $2 per turnout, Nickel Silver is $5.  WYE’s, curved, and 3 way turnouts in brass is $10. The trick with the brass is to use a stainless steel wire wheel on the ends before you install a track clip and solder them in place, I also run a feeder wire set to every brass turnout to prevent power drop.  Then I paint them and sand off the top of the rails, then apply rail-zip to seal the metal to prevent oxidation.  It’s a little bit of work but every 10 turnouts you save $97.50.  You must use a stainless steel wire brush because it doesn’t leave containment behind that will eventually degrade the brass in the rail. I use a Dremel stainless steel wire wheel ($3 at HD).  Also if you don’t paint them they will turn green in about 2 months where you soldered them.    

John, I plan on trying the push rod method for my remote turnouts. Using conduit clamps mounting a dowel rod under the layout to push and pull the turnouts

Lee

BM1 Lee Soule USCG (ret)
 L.S.&W Railroad Serving the Lower Great Lakes

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Posted by ewl01 on Monday, January 12, 2009 10:46 AM

Almost lunchtime already!  How's everyone doing?  How about chicken fried steak?  Don't see that around here too much.  Some onion rings, and 7up please.

My CSX are Blueline sound models w/ decoders installed.  The MODIN Funits used to have stainless grills on them but they fell off.  Tha A units have handrail details etc on Athearn BB units.  DCC would be nice to be able to run them together.  They are powered but where static display with a passenger set.  The Modin A-10 is a Railpower products shell and chassis w/ a can motor I built years (10?) ago.  It has first gen. MRC dcc and yes it still runs.  These were items I keep on the shelf at home.  I have a bunch of stuff at the folks house.  I like setting up diorama's and photgraphing them.  Now I have people to show them to!

Jeff, the interiors really set off the station!

Eric

 

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Posted by Cederstrand on Monday, January 12, 2009 10:44 AM

A small, please & thank you. 

***Jeffrey, that station is really coming along nicely. Interior touches are excellent.

***Luke, I had not noticed the miss spelling either. Guess the brain sometimes fills in what's missing.

***Lee, carpet should go in shortly and then it's just more little fiddly stuff I'll need to do to complete the project. Getting very close to finished now, thank goodness!

***Ray, what kind of amp?

***Jim, you're right about the wife's layout "growing". I told her just yesterday a 4'x8' wouldn't be anywhere near large enough to encompass all she wants to do. A 4'x12' might come close if the plan maximizes use of that space effectively. Time will tell.

Still have a headache, although not at severe as it got last night. A bit nauseous and the BP is up. When the wife (a nurse) asks you, "Are you dying?", it's probably time to see the Doc again. Takes a lot to get me there, but I'll go. Need to do critter rounds first though.

Have a good day all.

Cowboy Rob

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Posted by der5997 on Monday, January 12, 2009 10:33 AM

Flip:  I'm pages behind too, and so haven't yet seen if anyone answered your Peco turnout question. The answer from my experience is that 1) underneath is the scenicly neatest solution unless you have a way to hide the rather large plastic gizmo Peco provides for table mounting to either side. I've used them in buildings, and where my passing tracks are in tunnels (do I hear purists gasp?).

The D10 motor is sitting on top of the plastic thingy here, and this one is hidden in a shed that is itself behind some grain silos.

If your underside mounting is in a spot where the layout is thick, there is an extension of the actuating rod possible through an add on by means of a brass sleeve. It's more complicated, as the motor has to be in one of those plastic things, mounted to the underside of the layout, with the extended rod going up through however many layers of layout and subroad bed and road bed and turnout it takes.  I've used that before, but have no photos.

In mounting, Peco recommend cetering the point rails in the turnout (hold in place with strips of card?) with the throw rod also cetered in the machine.

Hope this helps.

"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.

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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Monday, January 12, 2009 10:02 AM

Good morning.......

Lee..... You have the right idea about buying turnouts (other items, too) second hand. My opinion: stick with a budget, and the hobby will be more enjoyable. Prototype RR's have budgets and adhere to them, too.

Bama....... I have relatives South of B'ham. I've passed thru Troy to/from FL, and I recall it being a nice looking community. I'kll have to pay more attention next time.

Luke........I, too, like the logo. I'm trying to imagine it on a boxcar. Car shops used stencils to apply logos.

Cheers,  everybody..............

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

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Posted by JimRCGMO on Monday, January 12, 2009 9:59 AM

Good Morning, Diners! Zoe, I'll have a glass of Ed's OJ and a JR regular, please. Thanks!

Luke, nice logo - my first thought when I saw it was "Is that a police RR?" Wink I'm just so used to when I see that shield shape, it's on the side of a police or highway patrol vehicle. (Picturing a guy pulled over by a Mallet, with the officer writing him out a ticket...Whistling) I like your colors on the newest logo - much more readable, and I like the gold star even better, too. Thumbs Up

Thanks for the link on the interiors, Jeff. Looks like that site has a bunch of stuff. Some of it might be too new for my layout, but I'm sure there will be plenty enough I can use. Smile Nice job on the Shell station interior, too!Bow

Rob, we weren't really jumping on you, the guys were just afraid their CFO's would see that and expect the same level out of them.Smile,Wink, & Grin We know that even the busiest Diner has days when less gets done (rainy downpours, etc.). I think your wife's layout may end up dwarfing yours (in My 2 cents as much as in size..). Nice wagons there. Thumbs Up

Ray, I'd say you must have been either short on sleep, or working pretty hard lately (or both), from your body deciding it was going to take a good ol' nap. I'm sure the book wasn't boring, so that wasn't it.

Robby, my compliments to your wife on the video, and to you on the weathering on your cement plant (and yeah, that loco does look too clean to me, too).Wink

Lee, after seeing your post on the used turnouts, I may have to start watching more closely for used turnouts at the next train show I attend. For 40+ turnouts, that amounts to a few pennies saved. Yeah!!Smile Hope you don't get the ice storm after all.

This morning's weather was saying that the upper Midwest was going to get hit with some snow, and then the cold air from NOTB is to follow it through. So that may mean that Inch 'n' Jerry and our Ohio Valley Diners may be getting some chilly breezes soon. Brrrrrrr!! But it could be worse - I heard that Fairbanks (Alaska) had -48 F yesterday.Shock

And speaking of Jerry - Inch, where are you, guy? What's going on up your way, and any news on Jerry?

Bama, hope you find the camera and get a chance for some good photos at the interchange track today.

The singles chili supper was fun last night - we had a little bit low attendance for it, but the regular chili still ran out (one guy got the remainder of the 'white chili' (chicken, and white beans) to take home, and I got about three desserts to bring to w**k today so they'd get polished off. Now if I'd brought them in to the Diner, they'd be gone already now...Smile,Wink, & Grin) We had a fun time, and played Catch Phrase (uses an electronic gadget for phrases you try to get your team to guess, before the buzzer goes off - anyone here ever played it?). 

We're cold and grey clouds today, but no precip. in the forecast. MRR club tonight (I missed the last two meetings), supposed to be doing some soldering on the wiring, so I'll take my puny soldering iron along. Need to pay my dues and for the two Athearn cabeese kits I got. I was fiddling with my (enlarged, room size) layout plan over the weekend, running my mine track off a passing track in the #2 town (Many Farms) instead of putting the switch on the mainline just at the edge of town. Still need to smooth out the curves on that track as it goes to the girder bridge over the mainline. I'll post a pic of the revised plan later (tonight or tomorrow).

Prayers for comfort and healing for those in need AngelAngel, and for enough wood to keep the home fires nice and comfy warm.

 

Blessings,

Jim in Cape Girardeau

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