BM1 Lee Soule USCG (ret) L.S.&W Railroad Serving the Lower Great Lakes
Good Morning from Windville---where the winds are up to 80kmh and we just lost another tree down the street overnight. Right now we are at 6C with the high staying where it is right now. More rain is in our forecast as well.
We seemed to have found a lot of wind this morning--about 4am a big poplar toppled down and landed on a neighbours garage--there are pockets with no power as trees and assorted branches came down over powerlines--yeesh. As well, yesterday they were starting too warn drivers of not just flooded sections of streets or potholes but of roads actually either caving in, slumping or crumbling! There's a few sections of one road not far from us that got 'washed out'--a slump occured there---definitly fixing season is upon us.
Chloe--I'll have a full breakfast platter with a large bucket of coffee please--I'll sit in the back and watch the place wake up---
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/
Good Morning All,
A regular and a blueberry danish please. Slept through the alarm again after joining the Garry after hours club last night - you know - wide awake long after turning in. I'll put it down to the change to DST and just get going. Weather mostly missed us with just some intermittent rain and a cooling trend instead of the big storm we were supposed to get. I'm not complaining either.
Rob - the big trestle looks like HO not N. Big deal is the width at the top. No reason not to make a gantleted double track or some such if you've already planned the space. If wiggle room exists to fit a proper N trestle you could always shoot it light gray and plant it on the HO as a washed out structure abandoned to the elements with a rock slide or some such just before or after it. When we toured Colorado, there was a whole abandoned series of wooden trestles and sluices cut into what turned out to be an unstable rock canyon that both the mine and railroad ended up just walking away from. Just a thought.
Time to catch my ride to work, CUL, J.R.
Good morning.It's 66 and mostly cloudy. The high today should be around 80 and it will be partly cloudy.I have an appointment for a physical this morning then I have to mow my sisters yard later. Somethings busted on her mower. Yesterday I constructed the salvaged cargo (wood boxcar) doors and lower rails for the MoW observation car. I need to install the top rails and guards to the bottom of the roof line. I could have done that yesterday except I couldn't find my drill bits. I'll have to drop by Lowe's today and pick up a new set. The main project yesterday was to rebuild an old Athearn caboose. The body was OK but the rest was a total loss. I trimmed the body a little and fitted it to a Bachmann wide vision caboose frame. Problem with that was the Bachmann ladders were no good for the new body. I fitted a couple of metal Athearn ladders and the rebuild was almost done. I need to install a chimney pipe but I have to drill out the old one first.Today's Weather for:Sundown, LA 71446-6114 3/9/2009Wind Chill: 66°FHumidity: 94%Dew Point: 64°FSo Far TodayHigh: 67°FLow: 64°FRain: 0.00"Rain Rate: 0.00"/hGust: 8mph SSWToday High: 82 Mostly cloudy early in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Patchy fog early in the morning. Highs in the lower 80s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.Tonight Low: 68 Partly cloudy. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the upper 60s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Its rainy, and the temp is about 50 deg.
Well I will put a new shack/security building near the cement plant. It lights up, and it was a building used for a fishing/hunting. Took the dremel out, and did a little trimming on it.
Wife goes to another doctor today. This time we will get answers.
Lets see.......................Put up some clothes, dishes, and clean up a bit.
Thats about it for me.
Have a good morning everybody.
"Rust, whats not to love?"
Good Monday Morning All...Its cloudy and 39 here..Illinois had tornados yesterday afternoon two fronts but they went north and south of us..all we got some straight line wind..
I'll have abunch of coffee and a sweet roll please...Thank You...
I got "pink foam" and "blue sky" on new fiddle yard done...
You all have a good one...Jerry
Morning all!
And a fine morning it is.....even if I really didn't want to get out of bed.
Indianapolis, IndianaCurrently: 37°F CloudyToday: partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 50s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the southeast in the afternoon.
Man, this last weekend was nice though, huh? It was around here, especially Saturday! It was 76 degrees and sunny. I changed the oil, brake fluid, and clutch fluid on my bike, then gave it a good bath. Then I grabbed the scooter out of the garage and fired it up. Tossed my son on it for the first time, and taught him how to ride it. He was in seventh heaven! We went for a ride together later in the day.
Then on Sunday, it rained part of the day, so I worked on my hot tub project. I've got all of the mechanical hookups like I think they need to be, but I've come to a problem with the electrical.
Maybe some of you fine folks can help me out a bit.
I've got a heater / control panel unit that everything plugs into, but I don't know how to hook it up to power. I got this thing used, so there's no instrutions, and I can't seem to find any online. The panel can be used for 110 or 220, but I'll be using 110. I have a three prong plug with a black, a white, and a green wire, but I don't know where to hook them to. I think (?) the green is ground, but thats all I know. Anyways, here's the unit in question: http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/IMG_0533.jpg and here's where I think the power hooks up, but I don't know much more then that. I do know that the white wire on the bottom lug (N) goes right to the GFCI breaker. Here's a peek at the inside: http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/IMG_0531.jpg
Any help would be much appreciated! The wife wants her tub!
Large coffee in a UNION PACIFIC mug, please & thanks.
***Jerry, great to see the addition of your fiddle yard. Is that a technical term or just what it sounds like?
***Philip, in 110: black is HOT, white is neutral, and green is ground. I remember wiring up a 220 dryer, but forget which wire went where. Will need to drink my coffee first and wake up a bit. Or maybe someone else can jump in here.
Out of frustration, I bought a N trestle kit last night. Wife's layout will now get 3 of them...
Rob
Jeff, good luck with the physical and the caboose looks pretty good, need anymore? I’m upgrading my caboose fleet with 1949 all steel ATLAS TRAINMASTER series, I’ll post pictures tonight.As soon as you get home from the store with a new set of bits you’ll find your old ones.Lee
Morning, Zoe - a glass of Ed's OJ, cup of coffee, and a chocolate donut, please Thanks! (I'll eat healthier for lunch and dinner, I promise)...
Barry, congrats on the new acquisitions for your diesel roster!
Inch, thanks for the info, and I'll be sending you an email later today/tonight so we can try to meet up at that Boeing show.
Jerry, where does the fiddle yard connect up to your layout? (If it does)
Jeff, good save of those doors for your car, and best of luck for getting all the other parts of the track installed for them. On those drill bits, you know that once you get the new set, the old set will turn up, right? Good job on that caboose, too.
Sawyer, not to get yourself too wound up over the trackplan. When you start building it, any plan usually winds up being modified, since the best plan is a guess at best. Just ask any of us who have got to the tracklaying part...
Garry, how big is your addition? Did you add onto your house lately? Rob, that is a bit of difference between those trestles. With the structural differences (the diagonal braces on the two smaller - N? - ones), I'd try to locate that bigger one (on the right in your pic) away from the others, or they're gonna look way too tiny (plus the bracing diff.). My , anyway. Of course, you could use those smaller two for your layout, and have the big one on hers... I'd agree with Barry - with the track for comparison, the smaller one looks like N (or maybe Z, but I'm inclined to think N) scale. And how will your wife use 3 N scale trestles on her (HO scale) layout? Is she gonna have a mining area? Got me puzzled there...
Chris - or, maybe that's for "how to earn the big bucks to afford the MRR'ing layout you'd like to build" (but don't have a big enough basement for). Good to hear no leak and no one hurt in that train derail/whatever that happened.
Lee, I sent you an email with a question on your locos.
We had some winds through yesterday, and the storm sirens went off mid-day. Think that north of us and south of us they had tornado sightings. I don't think anyone died, but there were a few injuries (just across the river in Illinois, for one). May have some stormy weather this afternoon (hope they're wrong on that one). We'll see.
I'll be in the front window booth a while and see who else comes in, and watch the morning switcher doing its duty.
Blessings and prayers,
Jim in Cape Girardeau
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, I'll have the #2 Special, over easy on the eggs, bacon, homefries, and a double order of that sourdough toast. Lots and lots of coffee in a FGLK Mug, please and thank you!
It was a long and busy weekend. This week will be just a busy getting a recording out and getting the house cleaned for the meet in two weeks. I have to get the layout ready to run first as I have an operating crew coming over on Sunday to practice for the layout tour. Certainly want trains running when people visit and it HAS to be running well! I also have to get all the paperwork finished (as in handouts, directions to the layouts, maps, etc.) done for the meet and check in with all the others who are volunteering their time for tours at the Meet. I have an invite to do lunch with some of the crew at the FGLK to check out what they will be doing on that day that may be of interest to us and help them put the final touches on their clinic (Prototype operations on the FGLK).
Philip I think what I would do with that electrical hookup is invite your favorite electrician over for dinner some night and say, "Oh while your here, could you check out something for me?" I would sure like a wiring diagram for that heater before I would hook it up. I bet your son had a blast on the scooter!
Well, my breakfast is here and I have a lot to get done today, so I'll be up front watching the switching while I inhale my breakfast!
See you all later!
Tonight I will be up half the night as I get to pick up my sister at the Rochester Airport at 11:30 PM and drive her home to Canandaigua, then drive back home myself.
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Morning, almost lunch time here on the east coast. A dismal day cool... nothing like out mid-west. Hope everyone made it through okay. Saw some nasty damage on the news this morning.
Chloe, fired chicken, mashed potaoes and Dr. Pepper please.
Started clearing off the dining room table to start laying out the factory. I have a basic idea of what I want, allowing for layout space of course. Looks like it will take up about 3'x5' with the switching. On the prototype, the track made a 90 degree right turn from the float bridge switch to the 4 factory tracks. I was thinking of using 1/2 " plywood as a base and then putting the foam on top. That way I can get the track layout figured while I try and get the foam home.
Eric
Rob I am not sure where the term Fiddle Yard got started..I call it that because its a small yard that about all you can do is "fiddle around" and switch cars...
Jim..No its not connected to rest of the layout but I plan to operate it as the rest of the interchange tracks that run into the mirror on lower level...Interchange from one to the other will have to use the big..realy big 0-5-0 switcher!...Got have a imgination....Jerry
Coffee refill, please.
***Jerry, a fiddle yard sounds like an appropriate name for it then. If switches were cheaper, I might try to create a usable yard myself, but I'll be lucky to end up with a fiddle string yard.
With 3 trestles bunched so close together on the wife's layout, it might look too busy. Soooo, do I ignore the obvious size difference and use the HO trestle at the front of my N scale canyon or forget about using it at all? I could (as has been suggested) use the smaller trestle (plus the N trestle kit I just bought) off in the background (that forced perspective thing). Or, I could forego a BIG trestles in favor of more curving track on some mountain sides with only a couple smaller trestles where needed. What to do???
Really need to nail down what I want to do with the N layout. Are 2 mainlines with a couple of industry sidings enough? There will be at least two farms out in the country. No (N) town, as the wife's (HO) town is plenty (cost of structures add up).
Anyone know where I can find arial views of rr-tracks winding through some hilly terrain? Would sure help in planning the layout.
JimRCGMOChris - or, maybe that's for "how to earn the big bucks to afford the MRR'ing layout you'd like to build" (but don't have a big enough basement for).
JIM: It was interesting... they're teaching 8th graders, in a formal curriculum, everything my Dad tried to (and still does) pound into my head about money over the last 10, 20, 30 years... but we never had in school. The quote of the day came from one girl. After choosing a career, learning the salary range for it, then going through a series of choices (housing, transportation, food, clothing, "luxury" items, insurance, etc.), then seeing how much (little) would be left; she said: "Bills are a mother....."
I'm gonna see if THAT editor will use THAT for her "quote of the week."
Oh, and it sounds like the derailment was more precaution than peril. They let the last of the evacuees return home this morning, according to KXEL radio (Waterloo).
A tripple cheese burger, large fries, and bucket of Coke...then back to work.
As the man says: have a gooden.
Chris
The Cedar cRapids Industrial Branch: Proudly Shipping Yesterday's CrunchBerries Tomorrow!
I've been out the the last week with a severe cough, mild feaver, and a mild case of the stomach bug. still have the feaver and the cough, and if I notcoughing every eight seconds I'm coughing in string on coughs that wont stop unlessi face down. sisters out of the hospital. bye yall. Top page, that's a first for me, eat on me.
LHS has a new display, it’s a mountain layout with 4 different scales, and each one has a bridge over the same waterfall and it looks very impressive. I would try your 3 – 4 trestle idea and see how it looks.Got a call from the doctors office and I guess I don’t need surgery. We will be monitoring the situation closely over the next few years to see what happens.Lee
Hi,all!
Lotsa catchin' up to do!
Ray(Ithink), congrats on the new addition!.
Well last Friday morn I got invited to a coffee klatch of ORF C@NW employees. WOW! These were 11 Engineers, Brakeman, Conductors and B&B guys. It was truly a plethora of RR info.Since I model the old C&NW ROW up here they all wanna come see the MRR. My buddy that's a ROF Engineer who came to see the layout set it up.He evidently was impressed enough to ask me into this highly regarded breakfast club. Average age was around 85. These guys REALLY knew their SSSStuff!!! It was amazing listening to the stories! I learned the #'s and names of the various trains that I am trying to model, what the stations were actually called by the employees, timetables, accidents, when spurs were pulled or added,etc, etc. I filled most of a notebook. One of the guys runs the Spooner RR museum and will give me access to period timetables ,train orders,manifests and so on in exchange for some volunteer help.Yeah, tough choice there,huh? They were a little upset that I used modeler's licsense and changed the ROW to BN in 1972 but understood.
Jeff, sent ya an update.
Terry
Terry in NW Wisconsin
Queenbogey715 is my Youtube channel
saronaterryJeff, sent ya an update.
Got my new Dremel drill bit set today so soon I'll be working on the observation car again.
Good Evening--finally no wind making a mess---oops sorry fergie--in the backyard---although I got more branches and stuff all over---
I'm looking over the article in April MRR about the Foundry and I think--after Audrey reads it through we're going to look for some of the bits and stuff in my clutter boxes--there should be something in there!!
I'll have a Chickenburger with fries and a RBF in a tub please--I'll go sit by the window and watch the switching going on----
OK, have you ever had one of those "If it was a snake it'd have bit you" moments? Look what I found: http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/IMG_0551.jpg It was "hidden" in the last place in the world you'd expect to find it. It was right on the back side of the panel you open to do the wiring.....DUH! I also noticed a lug that I'd missed before.....the ground lug! So now that I'm a confirmed idiot, I feel better asking this question..... Does this look right? http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/IMG_0555EDITED.jpg Or do I flip the black and white?
Work continues on the MoW observation car.
HI All!
Been busy trying to clear my case load before I go to the academy next week. I was off on Sun. but got called out to assist with a suicide. It was rough but that is part of the job.
All my prayers for all.
Trent
Evenin' all, Weee hooo. Missed a tornado by about a mile. From what I've heard, It stayed aloft but came down without touching the ground, if you know what I mean. I guess I could have seen it but the wife wanted me to go to the basement with her. Used to be a time when I'd stand out and watch for it. You know, I'll have plenty of time to get inside and to the basement. Now I don't even try to argue. It sets a good example for the dog. We got real lucky here. A couple of trees blown down in town, the usual branches, a garage door sucked in, and a pole barn east of town ...um, Gone. I don't know if you recall me saying my Mother has moved from the family home to Springfield but I heard over the scanner as the VFD was doing damage reports the corner where the house is. I got there and the neighbors (Snowbirds. Luckily they were in Florida)had a barn destroyed, and a Florida/sun room removed from their house and a hole in the roof. Mom's house across the road is fine. Not even a bent shingle. They, someone who was running from the tornado, (bright? I guess they were caught and had no choice) said the thing went right over mom's and the neighbors house. In a town south of Springfield, Standard City, the news said two box cars were blown off the tracks! And here's a weird one, somebody a friend of mine knows said all of his gutter guards were blown off the gutters and were laying in the back of his pick up truck. (hard to swallow, but that's what he said) The sirens never went off in our town. Yes they went off Tuesday. So much for tests. Supposed to get storms tomorrow. I would warn those North East of me to hunker down but I already see Barry's feelin it and is out of it by now. I shut down the computer and unplugged before the storm. And when I went and plugged it in a turn it on, nothing. The power supply quit. Spent the morn figuring that out, then to get another one from not the Best Buy and after church bookwork, I'm back on the net. So wit so much happening out there with all the pages I'll just say, sorry if I missed anything , but ya'll know you and your families are in my prayers good things or healing things.
I do recall someone using the word organized. What is that?
I also recall (Sawyer?)talking about track planning. Post a drawing or two with what you have. I'm no good at it but some of these guys can probably help out quite a bit. I wish I was in the forums when I laid mine. However Jim's right. Most all will be modified.
Rob- Boy I don't know what to do. I always try and use something I have, but I see your scratchin on the trestles. Sure you can't make the big one a double track? Too narrow?
Lee- no surgery sounds great! Or is it something that would be better if there was to be surgery and this is just prolonging the inevitable.
Jeff- now you will find your old drill bits.
Philip- Whoo boy. I wouldn't know or want to say I know switching black and white if it's wrong could be bzzzzzzzzzzz. That white on L2 is throwing me. I don't know. L2 I thought should be hot if 220v.... and white is neutral......but I can't......tell.... Wow I wish it was DC. I know just enough about AC to get me in trouble. So to save you an appliance, I think I'll stay quiet.
Getting' late so Prayers to all in need. G'night
Todd
Central Illinoyz
In order to keep my position as Master and Supreme Ruler of the House, I don't argue with my wife.
I'm a small town boy. A product of two people from even smaller towns. I don’t talk on topic….. I just talk.
Todd: We seemed to have caught the same system you got clobbered with--thankfully we only get the straight wind type of knock things down winds and T'storms---and yes--we're expecting more of the same tomorow evening again---BTW we also had a power outage but that was brought on by some dummy who ran a red light and plowed into another car, sending that car into a hydro pole--therefore--and this was just around the corner from us--
Jeff: Are you going to leave the colour as is on the MOW car? Looks good!
Good Morning from Tipton IN !
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
Good morning all,
Here is a shot of the 2 new cabooses or is it cabeeses?
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2562730090029441264NrsENy?vhost=good-times
Mornin, an irish coffee ta-go, if'en ya would Zoe.
Another warm day with rain and some thunderstorms forecast for here.
TODD,,,,,, I was wondering how you faired with the storms up your way. I figured the electric was out after seeing the channel 3 news Sunday night.
PC,,,, you've got the wiring figured right for 110.
Best get to chores and it's bout time to get bodies up n moving. Thoughts for those in need n hope ya'll has a gooden.
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/4309
blownout cylinderJeff: Are you going to leave the colour as is on the MOW car? Looks good!
Good morning. It's 70 and very cloudy. The high will be around 81 and it will be mostly cloudy. Work on the new MoW car continues unabated as shown in this photo: After I finish this side I'll start on the other side which will go a little faster as I'll already know exactly what needs to be done. Anybody got any hatch covers for an HO 40' Pacific Fruit Express reefer? If I can't find any I suppose I'll have to scratch build them. I'll be going to DeRidder this afternoon to pick up my left shoe (turned it in for repair last Tuesday). Called the prosthetics office yesterday and they indicated it's ready. Doctors appointment yesterday went quite well. He couldn't find any signs of infection in my right leg. There's still a danger though that it could have moved into the bones as a bone density scan revealed some abnormality. He thinks it could be a false positive as previously broken bones can cause them on BD scans and some of the bones in my right foot have been broken numerous times (more than I care to remember). He's scheduled me for an MRI on the 17th to make certain. Also yesterday I mowed my sisters yard as her mower is deadlined at this time. Afterwards I helped her move some things inside the house and install a couple of blinds. Today I think I'll be taking it easy. Today's Weather for: Sundown, LA 71446-6114 3/10/2009 Wind Chill: 70°F Humidity: 83% Dew Point: 64°F So Far Today High: 70°F Low: 69°F Rain: 0.00" Rain Rate: 0.00"/h Gust: 20mph SSW Today High: 82 Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 80s. South winds 10 to 20 mph. Tonight Low: 65 Partly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. Areas of fog after midnight. Lows in the mid 60s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.