Elliott's Trackside Diner XI

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 Good morning.

It's 47 and clear. The high will be in the mid 70's and it will be clear.

Didn't get much done yesterday as I wasn't feeling well. One of the down sides of getting older. I spent part of the day watching some 'Hogan's Heroes' shows and assembling some city details when my hands weren't shaking too bad. These include two phone booths, three double side bicycle racks and two curbside mail boxes. I may get out long enough today to mow my parents yard if the ground is dry enough. It'll tale a bit longer than usual as I'll have to use their new mower (42" cut). The old tractor (60") is down with clutch problems. I'll have to fix that when I'm able. It's not something I'm looking forward to. I took an 'Older than dirt' quiz this morning that made mention of 25 items that older people would remember. I remember 24 of them. Did I mention that I remember dirt when it was a rock?

Today's Weather for:
Sundown, LA  71446-6114      4/8/2009

Wind Chill:  44°F
Humidity:  78%
Dew Point:  40°F

So Far Today
High:  47°F
Low:  39°F
Rain:  0.00"
Rain Rate:  0.00"/h
Gust:  9mph WSW

Today  High: 75    Sunny...warmer. Highs in the mid 70s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight  Low: 58    Mostly clear until late night then becoming partly cloudy. Warmer. Lows in the upper 50s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.

[LSWrr]

Good morning all,

Cold with snow on the ground, but looking foward to a high of 51 Thursday,

If you don't like the weather in Ohio just wait 5 minutes and it will change.

Lee

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning--We're actually sunny and 2C this morn--this is good--it might melt some of our snow off'n the deck---at least we hope

Spent last night getting some painting some walls for a yard office for Exceda and watching an old TV program from BBC called "On the Busses".----and being OOPSed a couple of times. Spring is just around the corner up here and the ads for the yard sales are starting to crop up.

Robby--Congrats on the job!!!

Chloe--I'll have a jug of coffee and a muffin please------got to catch up on some reading here---

[pcarrell]

Robby, congrats on the job!  Hope thats a continuing trend!

[pcarrell]

Wow Barry!  You saved my butt!  Now lunch is on you!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

LSWrr

If you don't like the weather in Ohio just wait 5 minutes and it will change.

The same goes down here, but don't stand around waiting for it as something may come along and try to eat you.

[GMTRacing]

Good Morning All,

    40's and flurries this morning. Finally got up and running at a reasonable hour so I thought I'd stop in and get a cup at my fav diner. Just been real busy trying to catch up with w..k and not much MRR time at all - and that only at the museum. This weekend I go to Pocono for the first race weekend out since smooshing my foot. The toes are pretty well knitted up but I still have a hole in the top of my foot that isn't quite healed yet. I'll try to catch up some posts and see how things are going here - catch y'all later. J.R.

[secondhandmodeler]

 Good morning folks.

I had a glorious day off filled with foam carving and a trip out to the trestle I'm modeling.  I wanted to see it again to get a feel for how the river actually looks.  I just need to see it in the summer now.

 I spent three hours yesterday with a customer of mine at his house. I was completely blown away when I walked down to his basement. He has a garden scale railroad in his basement! The room is 46x28, and is a glorious temple to choo choos! He models narrow gauge in Colorado mixed with Swiss alps. I know, strange combination, but it works. He is a retired dentist who sold his home of forty three years. They completely dismantled the outdoors layout. The criteria for the new house was a huge room for trains with a walk out basement. He ran a K27(?) locomotive with sound for me. I guess he has about thirty-five hundred into that one locomotive. It sure was pretty. Anyway, I thought it was quite interesting.

 I hope you all have a good day.

[Packer]

Morning all. Another chilly day, but it'll be warming up really quickly.

I've decided to temporarily halt buying MR related stuff for a spell. I'm not getting out of the  hobby, I'm just saving for a train show coming up in June. If I save up 20 bucks a week from now until then, I'll have 200 bucks to spend there. Last time I went, a vendor had several athearn RTR SD40-2s in BN, so I'm hope he still has them.

[inch53]

Mornin, an irish coffee Zoe

A nice on tap for here, high of 60 n sunny

Contractors

Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken fence at the White House. One is from Chicago, another is from Tennessee, and the third is from Minnesota.
All three go with a White House official to examine the fence. The Minnesota contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some figures with a pencil. "Well," he says, "I figure the
job will run about $900: $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 profit for me."
The Tennessee contractor also does some measuring and figuring, then says, "I can do this job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 profit for me."
The Chicago contractor doesn't measure or figure, but leans over to the White House official and whispers, "$2,700."
The official, incredulous, says, "You didn't even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?"
The Chicago contractor whispers back, "$1000 for me, $1000 for you, and we hire the guy from Tennessee to fix the fence."
"Done!" replies the government official.

[blownout cylinder]

inch53

The Chicago contractor whispers back, "$1000 for me, $1000 for you, and we hire the guy from Tennessee to fix the fence."
"Done!" replies the government official

 

ROFLMAO!!!!!

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

I'm up bright and early this morning so I can sit and wait for the delivery people.  I have two orders that will have to be signed for and If I want them today I had best be vigilant......  B & H is making me sign for the camera.  I have an agreement with UPS that they can just leave boxes on the porch but............  Then I just checked the tracking for a new Black and Decker cordless electric lawn mower I am getting.  It was originally supposed to be here tomorrow through FedX but it is on their truck out for delivery right now.  Of course the truck has to come all the way from Rochester so it will be late this afternoon when it arrives I'm sure. I would have bought the mower locally but no one here that carries the B & D line has that model or can get it at a reasonable cost. 

Corey that sounds like quite a set-up in the dentists basement.  Actually $3500 isn't bad when you consider it is bigger than 4 HO locomotives that cost.....???  G scale sound is the only that I have heard that I think actually sounds good.  I have a friend who is doing G scale inside and he has a couple sound equipped locos.  How about a photo of that trestle?

Zoe, coffee, dark roast, lots of it!!!  I'll be in the back near the stove trying to get warm.  The main furnace doesn't kick up to temperature in my house until the time I usually get up. so it is 64°F in the house right at the moment.  Currently 32°F outside the house here in the Finger Lakes with a high around 40°.  In addition there are little white thingys falling out of the sky.  Ooooo the main furnace just kicked on.  Heat!  Yes!

Started this post almost an hour ago and got si8de tracked by a business phone call.  Hope you all have a good day! 

[secondhandmodeler]

Ray, the sound was great.  Hearing it though makes me think that I wouldn't like sound in HO.  Of course, maybe I'm just telling myself that to save money!  Everytime I think I'm getting close to covering the foam, I realize how much I have left to carve. I've posted pictures in WPF of the trestle, but I'm not shy!   As you can see, I have a ways to go.  I built the other end of the trestle yesterday. Hopefully I can install it soon.

 

Edit: Here is a photo of the prototype taken at the auto bridge dedication around 1911.

[howmus]

secondhandmodeler

I've posted pictures in WPF of the trestle, but I'm not shy!   As you can see, I have a ways to go.  I built the other end of the trestle yesterday. Hopefully I can install it soon.

 

Ah yes!  Now I remember the trestle.  That is going to look great!  Isn't it amazing that whole towns turned out to be photographed way back then.  I have several photos of the NYO&W around that time where all 85 peole who lived in some little village near the right of way put on the Sunday best and had their photo taken on a train trestle or new highway bridge.  Was a big event back in those days......

BTW, has anyone heard from or know what happened to Bill Tidler.  I even checked over across the street in a forum I use to frequent and noticed he hasn't been in there either in quite a while.  ??????????? 

[Cederstrand]

Coffee in a Santa Fe mug, please & thanks.

***Robby, CONGRATS on landing that job. Hope you still have some time to weather some cars. We always look forward to seeing your latest & greatest.

***Corey, nice start on that layout! And that guys basement kingdom sounds like a pretty interesting layout. Any photos of it?

Well, feeling nauseous today. Probably inner ear related. Have these episodes a few times each year. Nothing to do but rest until it passes. Makes doing my farm chores "un-fun".

Have a good day all.

Rob

 

.

[JimRCGMO]

Good Morning, Zoe - I'll have a couple of scrambled eggs, toast with blackberry jam, glass of the OJ from 'the Grove', and a cup of coffee, please 'n' thanks! Oh, and just in case, could I have a clean coffee filter, too? Thanks, Zoe.

blownout cylinder

Is a Frost Freeze something like --it gets so cold it freezes frost?

 

Alright, alright, Barry - what I meant was 'hard freeze'  (and what exactly is a 'soft freeze', anyway?), which is freezing that is cold enough to kill buds on plants, etc. Gimme a break, hey?!

back, Corey (2ndhandmodeler)! Good to hear you have more space for your layout now - that's always an improvement. That dentist's layout sounds amazing. Wonder if he has a 'train door' to go to the outdoor part... Great work on your trestles and bridges, too!

Rob, enjoy your (relative...) peace (or is that peace from...?). Hope your FIL continues to improve, and that your DSL gets its momentum going again!

Robby - great to hear about your (new) job! More LHS money, too! But you'll have some time in the evenings (or the other 16 hours of the day, depending on what time you're w**king) for weathering cars.

I think our weather might get to spring before too much longer. We're predicted to reach 60's (F) today, and rain tomorrow and/or Friday. Guess our more northern Diners got our share of the white stuff - sorry, Dick, it didn't see the sign, I guess.

Inch - - too true, when politics is involved!

I'm really wondering if something happened to Bill T., with as long as it's been since he was last in the Diner.

I'll slip into the window booth and watch the switchers while I finish brunch. 

 

Blessings and prayers,

Jim in Cape Girardeau

[galaxy]

hi guys

Just checking in. Answered a few questions on the forum.

Have been ill again lately, so haven't been hanging around.

Robby P.!!! Congratulations on your new job. Congratulations on cooking dinner too! Hope it turned out swell and the wife was impressed!

Thoughts and prayers for those in need.

Have a  great afternoon.

[Cox 47]

Good Morning all..its sunny and 46 here...I'll have coffee and toast please...Thank You...They have me homebound for a couple of days..I took this from deck this morning...

No excuse not to work on trains...You all have a good one...Jerry

[Cox 47]

Looks like I'm buying! Order up and enjoy I'll be in kitchen wash'in dishes!...Jerry

[Packer]

Corey, looking good.

Nothing train related for the day. After my biology test in about 10 minutes, I'll probably sit at home and watch the tube. I could bring out my loop of easy track; but the last time I did my sis knocked over my brand-new sounded equipped F45 (I bit the bullet on the MRC stuff, but so far I haven't had any problems yet) when I was running it in and broke the plow off. Not having a layout bites.

[ewl01]

Chloe, a cheeseburger, onion rings and a Dr. Pepper please.

FA meeting lasted 11 minutes, 6 members showed up.  Covered up coming training classes, some minor details, reviewed weeks calls.  Meeting adjorned, 3 left and I stayed with 2 of the gals and just hung out for a while.  NIce night.

I forget who it is but, That is some trestle there!  I also like the foam carving, looks very meticulous.   Should be a very impressive sight when it's complete.

Jeff, I'm sure that phone booth was a test of your patience.  I finally looked at the package and saw those tiny parts....whoo boy!

One more day and a 3 day weekend!  I plan on finally finding some foam for the layout, and possilby working more on the structures.  I'm seriously thinking of cutting the unloading building to 2 tracks instead of 4.  Would match up with the factory better and give more track space... 

[AmanaMedic]

Good Mornin',

Noisy day here in Clarence. The National Weather Speculators designated today for the Statewide Tornado Drill. So, Cedar County tripped everybody's pagers multiple times (Drill Tornado Watch, Drill Tornado Warning, Drill All-Clear), we tested the storm sirens (I've got one about 3 houses away...it works very well), and on top of it all, the weather radio kept sounding.

Poor Mr. Rerun is still recovering from all the tones, sirens, and radio noise.

Got the "Dream-Plan-Build" thing in the mail today. From what I've seen elsewhere around here, doesn't sound like it's much worth opening. Any opinions from the rest of the diner crowd? I see it says "no obligation" on the front, but won't open it until I'm sure I'm not getting stuck for something I never requested.

We've got a westbound trying to set-out a car the Lowden detector "hit." Conductor has a bad radio, so Disp. 12 is trying to get a sectionman out to help. Not sure which freight this is, looks like a block of gons (steel out of Sterling?), big block of Center Flo hoppers, and a block of UP green ballast hoppers. Lots of other misc. stuff, looks like a long one. Until the trees fill-out, I can watch trains out my office window.

Another boring day in Clarence...

Chloe, a big mug of that boot coffee please, along with my  usual burger and fries, thankyamuch.

As the man said, have a good-un...

Chris

[howmus]

Hey, it's lunchtime and since Jerry is buying, I'll have the half pound Bacon Cheeseburger with Fries.  Put some of that nice shiney gravy on the fries, Zoe.  Oh and a cup of decafe and I'll pretend it is regular....

The Fed X man just delivered the Lawnmower.  He wanted to know why I wasn't getting a snowblower.  We discussed the effect of purchasing something like a lawnmower and it's effect on snowstorms.  Now I just have to wait for UPS to bring my camera and equipment and then I can get on with my life.

Chris I think the boot ended up in the decafe...............

I'm waiting for an e-mail from the company that does TV ads for the business I did some sound clips for last Saturday.  The lady is not happy that she was not in on the recording from the beginning.  Not upset with me but the business ordering the ads.  I need to find out the best way to get the data to her.
 

[AmanaMedic]

howmus

I think the boot ended up in the decafe.

Ray, that might be an improvement to the decaff...

Chris

[jeffrey-wimberly]

ewl01

Jeff, I'm sure that phone booth was a test of your patience.  I finally looked at the package and saw those tiny parts....whoo boy!

You don't know the half of it. It took me 30 minutes to assemble ONE of those tiny phone booths. The hardest thing about the bike racks was cutting them loose from the sprues without breaking them. I did end up losing one of them.

 

Went down and mowed my parents yard then swept their front patio and walk. That doesn't sound like much until you consider the patio is ten feet wide and over ninety feet long. Add a walkway that's around sixty feet long and seven feet wide with six steps along it's length. Now that's work! I think I overdid it, as usual. My back, hips and knees are screaming! I'm sure my feet would be too if I could feel them. Man, I'm going to feel all that in the morning.

[AmanaMedic]

Jeff, I'm not trying to be a smart-&&& here, but what about a leaf blower, operated while riding on the tractor? I'm in fairly decent condition, and I'd HATE sweeping all that, and yeah, I'd have body parts screaming at me too!

Take a good rest man, sounds like you more than earned it!

jeffrey-wimberly

The hardest thing about the bike racks was cutting them loose from the sprues without breaking them. I did end up losing one of them.

Sounds like a scene in the making: town cop examining the remains of a bike rack while unnoticed by town cop, a reprobate knuckle-dragger goes riding by on a bike...with bike rack parts still attached/dragging.

 Hmmmmmmmm. Maybe I oughta switch over to that boot-based decaff...

Chris

[jeffrey-wimberly]

AmanaMedic

Jeff, I'm not trying to be a smart-&&& here, but what about a leaf blower, operated while riding on the tractor?

Leaf blower doesn't work well for those little pine pollen things. Ends up making more of a mess.

[howmus]

 

AmanaMedic

Ray, that might be an improvement to the decaff...

It does seem to have a stronger.....ah...."footprint", but it appears to "tread" easily on the palate.   Has a lot of "soul" to it.

UPS arrived a while back with the camera body and a new light thingy for my photographic addiction.  Currently charging the battery for it and am about to open up the lighting box.  Electric mower is charging.  maybe I can use it to clear out the driveway if we get more white stuff tonight.

Now I'm going to spend the rest of the day doing yard work (in the basement of course!).

Later! 

[AmanaMedic]

jeffrey-wimberly

Leaf blower doesn't work well for those little pine pollen things. Ends up making more of a mess.

Ah. Well, I guess you can tell I'm a genuine northerner... never would've thought about pine pollen things...I was just thinking of grass clippings...

Chris

[bjdukert]

Dick

Do they have the Polar Express fired up yet for this season ?

I thought they let the fire go out but not a chance. The TV guesser and the paper said we had 6" here around the house but all I saw was maybe 1-1 ½" and as Lee said,we can wait for about 5min and see what happens.

Talk to you later

Duke