Ooops, replying to myself again. Coffee and a bowl of cornflakes with fresh raspberries, Joe. Thanks.
Yes, fresh raspberries. Ours are in. I think they're late this year because it's been so hot and dry. We've had no significant rain since June, when it rained all the time. It looks like we'll be at least damp this week, though.
I got most of my booty at the LHS on Saturday. Those little Miniatronics signs are still on order, but other than that I had everything I expected. Usually, Gerry puts stuff on a shelf out back for the special orders, but this time he had a whole box just for my orders. I've got the wall lamps mounted on the station wall. Now I need to route the wires and glue the structure back together. The 0-6-0T runs OK, but it has very little clearance, and I find it drags over guard rails on bridges. I think I can shave it down a bit without sacrificing structural integrity.
Did anyone else see the article in this month's MR about Les Lewis's trolley layout in Connecticut? It's a beautiful layout, both from a railroading and scenery point of view. The detailed interiors are exquisite. I did notice that this 1930s-1940s layout had an office of Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, which set off an alarm in my head. My dad worked there, and I remember when they changed the name, replacing the original "Beane" with "Smith." I figured out how to e-mail Mr. Lewis and point out this discrepancy, apologizing for being a nit-picker. He thanked me for pointing out even this minor historical inaccuracy, and today there was a picture of the re-flagged building, with Mr. Beane's name on the sign.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Ah, the swamp critters have arrived. I goofed when I ordered a batch of beavers, moose, seagulls and tree stumps from Musket Miniatures. I fat-fingered the Zip Code, and instead of 01730 my order went to 91730, Rancho Cucamunga, California. Now, if you'd asked me 2 weeks ago, I would have thought that Rancho Cucamunga was something they made up for a Saturday Night Live skit, but now I've got new respect for the place, since they forwarded my package and it arrived unscathed. Thanks to the unknown team out there. It's appreciated, really.
I've had a few Grrr moments lately. I had a short which I would have sworn was in a turnout, but it turned out to be an apparently defective crossing track, and my beloved 0-6-0 just plain stopped working. I discussed the 0-6-0 problem with Gerry at Maine Trains, and he suggested I bring it in. He spent a good half-hour playing with the engine on his programming track, and finally got it working. No charge. I bought my Model Railroading calendar for 2011 right then and there.
So, back to scenery and such. I picked up a Walthers Trainline Milwaukee caboose. It was pretty spartan, but for the price it was an acceptable model. It got about 2 runs around the layout, and then I took it apart for weathering. It lacked window glazing, too, but a day in the shop added years to it's age.
I've got a couple of scenes restored after chopping them up to get track through them for the addition, but the next big thing is probably the swamp. I'm particularly happy with the tree stumps and beavers, so I'll have to tackle painting them while doing some other gouging and painting to create their habitat.
I've been working on a warehouse flat for the back of the layout behind the car float terminal at Mooseport. One of the finishing touches is some graffiti, using the name of the baseball team that us Red Sox fans love to hate, and a verb that describes adequate performance by a vacuum cleaner. Chuck, I know we hail from roughly the same place. I was a Dodger fan, seeing my first game at Ebbet's Field, then a Mets fan and now a Sox fan. I hope you don't cheer for the pinstripe crowd. If you do, well, "Nyaahhh!"
Our daughter Annie came home the other day with a tattoo. She's 19, so we give her a lot of freedom, and I can't say she's disappointed us. Anyway, it's a modest decoration on the back of her shoulder, nothing that's going to show in a job interview. We've always encouraged her skiing, and she chose a pair of black diamonds, indicative of an Expert slope. I had to smile.
Mister Beasley, how did you guess I'd look in to see what brought the Barn back onto the front page?
Fact of the matter is, my father was a Yankees fan - which influenced my cheering for the Dodgers. Then I dated the daughter of the Giants' ticket manager... (Imagine sitting in a box seat at Ebbetts Field with all the Giants' front office folks - and NOT being able to cheer for the team I was supporting. To add insult to injury, it was one of Sandy Koufax's superior performances. Lynn knew - but she never told...)
Well, the mercury finally crawled back down out of the hole in the ceiling, so I managed a little time in the layout space. Most of it was spent cleaning up some of the mess left from the re-plumbing job. Next on the agenda, a re-think of some electrical circuits controlling the frog, stop sections and indicators of a spring switch. The original scheme for controlling the relays didn't pack enough voltage to throw them reliably. Once I sort that out I can get on with tracklaying, after which my passenger consists will have a proper home in the netherworld. Providing them a 'planned to be visible' destination is a little farther down the time stream.
At least most of my physical problems seem to have retreated to some distant place. I sincerely hope they'll stay there.
Well, tomorrow will come whether or not I'm ready - so I'd better get some rest. See ya.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
What is the differences between Elliot's Dinner and the Beer Barn? Flo at the dinner just served me a Milwaukee Best Light. You all so cannot not order Chicken *** there, you have to for Chicken Knockers. Anything else I am missing?
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Wa-a-al, Ken, Joe, here, can serve up any brew known to God, man or an international catalog. As for chicken...
Joe, I'll have an order of Filipino chicken to go with my San Miguel. And see what my friend, here, would like. And, by the way, that nigiri-zushi you served last night was ichiban...
So, Ken, what's your pleasure? Would you rather have ?Arroz con pollo? Or Quit di oh paht? Of course, the Buffalo wings are excellent, if a bit mundane...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - eating anything edible from anywhere)
Well, it's a little like Alice's Restaurant. You can get anything you want, excepting Alice, of course. Try an Adelaide Lager from Australia, for example. It's got a kick like a kangaroo, but a very smooth and creamy taste. I'm partial to Strumpet IPA, which is only brewed in the town of Moose Bay on my layout.
Ho, Joe. Olde Frothingslosh for the house.
It finally happened. A cat in a dusty khaftan, smelling strongly of camel sweat, came to my door and handed me a rag-wrapped package. Inside? My long-backordered Round Tuit!
Translation - predicted temperatures of less than 90 for the first time since Summer Solstice, just in time for the two days without a forum. Now, which pile of debris do I have to move to find my stick rail and file? I already know where the tie stock is...
Coffee and a bowl of fresh mixed fruit, Joe. Thanks. I've learned that the secret to eating healthy isn't to derprive yourself, but rather to find a substitute that tastes as good as what you're giving up.
Well, the 90s have moved out here. Of course, we get both the heat and the humidity, so it's oppressive. Even Penny doesn't want to be outside working in the garden. But, the trainroom has AC, the basement workshop stays reasonably cool, at least for a couple of days, and the honey-do's have become honey-done's, so this warm stuff is perfect weather for working on the layout. Mostly scenery over the weekend, finishing up that warehouse flat. I had to remove some Phase 1 scenery to get the tracks over to Phase 2, and I'm now getting around to covering up the unsightly pink scars.
Among this week's booty was a Walthers Trainline caboose. I've got a number of Milwaukee bay-window cabeese, but those didn't come into use until the 1950s, and I needed something for the 30s as well. When I opened the box, I could see the difference between this one and the "platinum line" ones on my layout. Few details, not even window glazing. It's got metal wheels and it runs fine, though, so it went right to the shop for windows and weathering. It looks a lot better now.
Good morning, Joe. It is too early for spirits, so I will just have coffee.
I have been lazy about the computer lately. Sorry about not checking in. We have been trying to develop operations on our layout. The staging yard is started and we are working on the sawmill area. Larry has been turning out the structures lately. One of these days, I will post some photos.'
Sue
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
Bump.
Good morning, Joe. It must be just us. Is the grill open for bacon and eggs?
Hi, Sue. Just coffee for me. Thanks, Joe.
Busy getting ready to take Annie up to school over the weekend. Like last year, we'll just keep on going up the coast and camp along the way. No computer, and I'd imagine the phone service will be spotty as well. I hope to get to ride the new scenic railway up in the Bar Harbor region.
I'm making layout progress, but I've had a hard time staying focused. Left, right and center, there are active projects going on all along Phase 2. Having determined that the cause of the short circuit over by Moose Mills was an apparently bad Atlas crossing track, I've picked up a Walthers replacement. But, it's not the same size, so some trimming will be in order. Down at the other end, I'm almost done with the low warehouse that tucks into the corner, under the 45-degree roofline. This was a "hot weather" project, mostly done down in the basement workroom where the air wasn't so stifling. Downtown, I started work on a City Classics building. It will be pretty much built as designed, but I did cut down the side walls to fit it better into the available space without crowding the street and sidewalk too much.
And then, there's the swamp. After a wrong-zip-code detour to Rancho Cucamunga, the beavers, tree stumps, seagulls and moose arrived last week. So, I've been doing my due diligence and researching beavers, both to get the right colors to paint the nice metal castings, and to get an idea of what the dams and lodges look like.
Well, I've got to get some cables to send to college, and maybe pick up a different colored rust primer. The one I've got (Rustoleum) is too brown for my tastes.
Good afternoon, Joe. I believe it is time for a Strumpets, please.
This is one of those weekends that you have big plans that change. At the last minute Saturday night, we decided to drive the inlaws extra pickup to eastern Washington for them. Yesterday, we left at 6:00 am and got back at 8:30 pm. On the way back I discovered that the hose on the airconditioning on my car had leaked. No airconditioning, but at least the hotest was 77 degrees. Open windows still work.
I am still thinking of doing the ballast/dirt on 3 feet of the upper track. With company, it is hard to sneak away.
Hope your trip was uneventful, MrB.
Hello all! Is surf and turf on the menu?? Guess I'll just take a draft for now. Don't usually stop into this joint. Just wanted to drop by and say HI!! Life has gotten pretty good for me lately. Business has picked up. The $$$ is coming in and most importantly, I MET A REALLY SWEET WOMAN!!!!She's even into trains. She lives about 300 yards from a NS/BNSF double track main line just outside of Huntsville Al. Just went on vacation to see her and went to a couple train museums and hobby shops.I think I may move down there with her and see about volenteering at one of the train museums.I took a bunch of photos I have to post to Photobucket and I'll add a link on the forum.
I hope life is treating you all well too!!!Tom
Hello Beer Barn Patrons..
Like Tom I'm not here often. Looks like eveyrone is doing well.
Tom, that's good top hear about your friend in Huntsville. I saw your post about the LHS in Huntsville too.
I'll be passing near Huntsville on my way to Birmingham late in October. Huntsville is a nice city.
On my layout, I continue my large expansion that will include my city.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Good morning, Joe. Just a quick coffee before I head to work.
I noticed that Tom and Garry stopped by. Fall is here and the layout time should pick up. We did family time this last weekend so we exercised the locos only.
Later, Sue
Sue said: " ... we exercised the locos only. ... "
Push-ups, by chance, Sue?
Home again, safe and sound. I'll offer up a round, since it's Friday.
Serendipity smile upon us up in Maine. Penny saw a notice about a self-directed tour of pottery studios on Saturday, and suggested that we pull up stakes (literally, since we were tenting) a day early and hang out on the mainland before driving home. So, I suggested that she drop me off at the Downeast Scenic Railway while she toured the potters. I got to ride on this:
It's a short run, only a few miles. They run the engine (a 70-tonner in this case) around the train at each end of the line. I rode in the coach, which is not shown. The train was pretty much full, and they said they have been full since they opened earlier in the summer. Good news for train fans.
The weather is turning here. Squirrels bury nuts, some folks put up a couple of cords of firewood, and I've got enough kits and other supplies to keep me going on my layout for the winter, I suspect. We've got a few more weeks while it's still nice outdoors, but then it will be a while before the snow falls and skiing takes me away once more.
Good morning, Joe. Coffee, please.
It rained cats and dogs last night. No indian summer for us this year.
Back to the layout. I ballasted the upper track with dirt last Sunday. I still need to do a couple of layers in the tunnel. It would be ok, but I want to eliminate the shine when you look through the tunnel.
"Morning, Joe. Make mine coffee, and freshen up anyone needful.
Sue, I sure wish you could divert a few of those falling canines and felines this way. No measurable precipitation in the Las Vegas Valley since a couple of watering-can sprinkles last Spring. Lake Mead is looking more and more like a canyon.
I envy you, Mister Beasley. The last time I rode a train was when my sister-in-law last visited us - and that was only the ex-RGS at Knott's Berry Farm. I think there's a rideable train over the Railroad Pass hill in Boulder City, but that's a long haul just to check out a 'possible.'
I've had to re-think and partially redesign my electricals. Seems the 12.6VAC from my 'accessory' transformer, once run through two diodes and ending up half-wave DC, doesn't have enough kick to throw some of my stiffer twin-coil machines. My hot probe is now drawing from a 21VAC transformer that once recharged 18 volt batteries, but I have to separate the hot connections to my rotary switches from the 12.6VAC that powers my indicator lamps or I'll be cooking them. So, back to the drawing board. Fortunately, I left a few unused stud termini on my panel terminal block...
Well, I'm off to the layout room. See ya.
Good morning, Joe. I think I will have a White Mocha today.
The rain stopped for a while. The next front taps into some moisture from a typhoon in the Pacific. We usually don't have this much rain until November. ICK.
This morning, I plan to get back to the tunnel shine removal. Larry is getting ready to start painting clouds on the backdrop for the staging area. I thought that he was cleaning track, and he said, "No, I am moving all the trains out of staging to paint.
Yesterday, we picked up a 4' x 4' piece of 3/4" particle board for the sawmill area. It was in the scrap bin for $2.00. What a bargain. We will be raising the area to 4" above the present level. We plan to draw in the track and keep it under the layout until we reach that stage of construction.
This afternoon we have a MR meeting.
Good morning, all. Coffee and a Transition Era jelly donut, please, before they made them healthy and cardboard-tasting.
I got an e-mail from City Classics, which has created their own Facebook page. I put up a couple of pictures of their structures I happen to be working on right now. They have a series of 5-story city buildings, and I picked up 2 of them for the long row in front of the staging yard on Beaver Street. I want to hide the tracks without really blocking them off, and a row of tall buildings does the job just fine. I'm putting a lot of "internal structure" into them, so that I can selectively light parts of the buildings that will have interior detail. I just spend so much time on these "four walls and a roof" kits.
Penny is off to a high school reunion in Michigan this week, so I'm planning to fix up that corner with the faulty Atlas 30-degree crossing. I'm replacing it with a Walthers model, but it's larger than the Atlas so there will be some trimming involved. With no other responsibilities this week, I should be able to do all these track things. There's also a 40%-off-everything sale at a nearby hobby shop I go to once in a while. I'm planning to pick up some overpriced trees, some DPM modular parts and maybe another kit or two.
Good morning, Joe. Do you have any of those gooey cinnamon rolls left to go with my coffee?
I plan to do a little more work on the tunnel before heading out to cut wood this morning. The usual one tank of gas per chainsaw keeps us from burning out. I am hoping for some serious layout time this weekend.
Larry painted the clouds on the backdrop for the new staging area on Sunday. Maybe we will get some hills this weekend.
Monday again. Time for more coffee. I really should cut down on that stuff, but, well, I really enjoy it. Thanks, Joe.
It's been Home Alone week for me. Annie is back at school, and Penny is in Michigan at a high school reunion. I've used the time to work on a pair of City Classics structures, 2 of their 5-story downtown buildings. One is basically done, although it needs just a bit more light-leak sealing. The other one has the walls painted, mortared and decaled, and now it's time for the windows and interior detailing.
My "backup" LHS a few towns away had a 1-day, 30% off sale on Saturday. I pulled into the parking lot just as the doors opened. 45 minutes later, I got on the checkout line and waited another 20 minutes to get to the cash register. Hobby Emporium is more of a general-purpose hobby shop. Most of the customers were picking up airplane, ship and tank models, but the train aisles were crowded, too. I picked up some Woodland Scenics trees, a couple of box car kits, one nice Atlas RTR reefer, and a bunch of DPM module pieces. It was a pretty good haul.
One little boy there must have been very, very good, because his parents were buying him a bunch of stuff. He was getting Amtrak engines and superliners, hoppers and well cars, and a turntable and roundhouse. My guess is that his layout is a mixture of everything from Steam Era to Modern, but it's his layout, and he is a kid, after all.
I hope you're all getting some modeling in. I managed to replace that bad Atlas 30-degree crossing with a (larger) Walthers crossing without too much disruption, and I did a bit of back-corner scenic work as well. Nothing's ready for photos yet, though, which is OK because the camera went to Michigan. Cheers.
Good afternoon, Joe. I will have a Strumpets, please.
We did get some layout time this weekend. Larry painted the distant hills. He painted the closer hills, but will probably go back with a lighter color. Those artists sure are picky.
I finished the dirt ballasting in the tunnel. I then painted ties, and painted ties, and painted ties. That has to be the most boring thing that we do on the layout. A few more projects and I will be back making trees again.
Joe, I hope that you are getting enough business to stay open. I will have a Strumpets, and buy for anyone else who shows up. It has been quiet lately.
I finished ballasting from the tunnel to the trestle today. My next project is to make blackberry vines, and Aggro trees.
MrB, I hope that you got some layout time after that trip to your LHS sale. Maybe we will see some photos when the camera comes back from Michigan.
Chuck, Are you still getting that warm weather? Did you see triple digits in that recent hot spell?
Sue says: " will have a Strumpets, and buy for anyone else who shows up"
Here I am !
Cheers!
Good morning, all. I'll have some coffee. The fresh raspberries are just about gone for the season. I may get one or two more bowls of cereal with them, but that's going to be about it.
Heartland, I loved your pics on Photo Fun. Is that Hudson #5398? That engine makes it over to my layout on occasion, too.
I had a busy weekend in the train room. I spent Saturday finishing up that back corner behind the Moose Mills building, and finishing the last of the long, narrow strip of scenery between the track and the 45-degree roofline. I put a small photo backdrop of a road going off into the distance, and then continued the road out into the layout. It's the same technique that was illustrated in MR a couple of months back.
I made the Gump Forest National Park sign from a home-made decal and a scratchbuilt wood frame.
Sunday I spent sort-of watching football, but the table in front of me was covered with modeling supplies. I'm working on another City Classics building. I want to selectively light only a few rooms, so I put in a lot of interior structure to separate the floors and even some of the windows, and added floor and wall coverings everywhere, since the front windows are large. I built a "light tree" to position the bulbs inside the building, in the back, but showing through to the front. The building is 5 stories. Like the one next to it, I didn't want to build the bulbs in and have to unwire it whenever I removed the building, because I've stll got a lot of scenery work to do around and behind these structures. So, the "light tree" will let me keep the structure and lighting separate.
I will have coffee for a starter this morning, Joe. It was in the 30's when I walked the dog and cat. It is bad enough that it is dark. I am not ready for winter.
MrB, Great job on the photoshoping photo. It makes the area behind the building seem deeper. Are you still playing hockey?
Off the layout room to organize my tree and blackberry vine making supplies.
Mr. B ....... Thanks for your remarks. I like your photo. The scene looks good.,
The Hudson was a gift from my Dad when he brought it home from a trip he took to Japan. I was way too young for a brass loco, and my layout was a very crude layout. The locomotive became a "floor model" plunging to the floor more than once. Eventually, I put the pieces back in the Tenshodo wood box.. Its parts had spent decades in the box, but about six years ago that I restored the engine. I stripped the paint off, and I repaired it. I purchsed replacement brass parts as needed including a good pair of tender trucks. The mechanism itself was in reasonably good condition. I repainted and relettered the locomotive. I had photos of NYC Hudsons for referance. I selected the number on a photo rather than using the original number on the Tenshodod model. It runs rather well inspite of all of its adventures.
Good evening, Joe. I will have a Strumpet's, please.
This was a great weekend with lots of progress on the layout. I managed to get 20 Aggro trees assembled. They are now ready for ground foam. I pryed up one of the tracks on the log landing, removed the incline, and placed a level riser. I also reshaped a couple of hills so they will accept more trees.
Larry worked on painting the backdrop, and painted a dump truck.
We exercised the Mallet on the long freight train today.