Elliott's Trackside Diner XII

[Robby P.]

Well I did another "steel plate load" today.  The other one sold last night.  So thats what I have been working on today.

 I also won a Life Like engine, and dummy engine.  I won them together for $6.66.  It might be the cheap engine, but they looked great.  Nothing broke, or missing.  I will "weather" them up, and you won't tell they are cheap. 

Jeff, might wanna get a bracket for that AC.

I guess I will run, so give me a sweet tea to go.

Everybody have a good one.

[Cox 47]

Good Morning all...its cloudy and 64 here....I'll have coffee and a sweet roll please...Thank You...It was like Christmas here yesterday I got 2 packages from Eric...He sent enough track to finnish fiddle yard and more too..a bunch of cars and cabooses for rehab,a Gp 18 to rehab and a Atlas Dash 8-40B...This is my first Atlas engine and it runs great,great slow speed and already has M/T couplers...I have said it before but I'll say it again..We got some Fine Folks here in the Diner!

Inch...I ask them down at the Store why no Model Railroader mags...They told Me the company that brought them went out...That will mean IGA's in Marshall and Casey too...Looks like everyone around here will have to subscribe!..

Jeff...Good thing that AC didn't hit one of the fire trucks or firemen!...I look forward to your photos and modeling ever day!...

You all have a good one....Jerry

[LSWrr]

Jeff,

Sounds like it's time to build a shed.  I have the same problem and the only time the layout gets "cleared off" is when company comes over. Sunday I had to set up another card table to hold the loot from the train show.

Lee

[jeffrey-wimberly]

One of the fire fighters on the third floor went to turn the AC on and there was a slight problem. Somebody's wallet is gonna feel that!


 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

TMarsh

Jeff- Trust me, a workbench, in my case an old desk we don't use anymore, doesn't keep the layout cleaned off! You didn't mention a kitchen table so I'm assuming that has been exchanged for layout space. (not a bad swap, that's why God gave us laps when we sit down). Do you maybe have room for a temporary bench? Like a hinged board deal you could attach to an edge of the layout and then drop when not needed? Or would it block the exit in case of an emergency or the bathroom for the other "emergency".

Table? What's a table? I used to have a desk here for the computer but that went on the burn pile to provide layout space when I added the extension. There's not even space here to add a hinged board anywhere.

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe, I'll have a bowl of Raisin Bran and a dark roast coffee is a FGLK Mug.  Bring it to me in the front booth so I can watch some of the switching going on outside.

Tom, Tenors!  Nobody likes tenors.  Especially other tenors.......... I sang tenor for a while, almost two weeks, back in 8th, grade.  Then I went right to bass.  It was a tough year for me in chorus.  Couldn't sing high enough to be a tenor, and couldn't sing low enough to be a bass.  By the time college rolled around I had settled into a nice Bass/Baritone range.  Everybody likes Bass/Baritones.    Speaking of "side effects"  why is it in all those old operas, that the Tenor gets the prima donna leading lady (Why he'd want her I don't know)?  In real life (according to a study done back in the 80s) it is more apt to be the bass as he has more............. ah, never mind.

Inch that was great! ROFL!  I'll have to dig out a similar one explaining educationalese.

It is currently 48°F  (just a couple days ago it was in the 90s) here in the Finger Lakes.  Going to go all the way up to 60°F later this afternoon.  It is also going to be nice and sunny this morning and partly cloudy this afternoon.

My sister is on her way to South Carolina to harass, er visit an old college friend for a week.  So guess who gets to go take care of her rotten cat............

Hope all of you have a great day! 

[TMarsh]

Here ya go Jeff. Just the way you like em. Syrups on the table here's a bottle of hot sauce and a bottle of Picante for the omlet. Hey, I told you I might have to wait on tables to pay for this page. End of the month ya know.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 I'll have a tall stack of pancakes, a western omelet and a tall cold glass of oj.

[TMarsh]

Never mind, I see Jim made it in.

Robby- Thanks for the toilet shot. I've always been oddly curious. Hey, I'm a guy. Strange things interest me.

EDIT- Oh crud. I should have counted. Eat up folks. At the rate the chow hounds, as PC calls us, have been visitin, I may have to wait on the tables too!!

[TMarsh]

Mornin all. Coffee and a sweet roll. Say didn't Jerry bring in a pan of Sally's? If there's any left I'll take one of those. Thanks. Left the windows open last night, cooled down, the house is chilly, I had nothing to do first off this morn so you know what I did. Did Anyone see Jim wondering around the old diner last night? I thought I did. I hope he didn't get locked in there. Um.... Something that I've always wondered about. How can we lock the doors on the old diner if we bring it with us? Probably one of those things I'm not supposed to ask about. Like that story about my SIL back in high school....oooops!

4 HOURS!!  

Robby- You lucky, lucky man. There is nowhere around me that a train even stops. Let alone switches. Well except for the I&M yard in Springfield and it's fenced and always looks vacant. except for the cars are moved around. I used to see more movement than I do now, of course I don't get by there as much anymore. Hmm I wonder if that might be why?

Inch- True, very true.

Jeff- Trust me, a workbench, in my case an old desk we don't use anymore, doesn't keep the layout cleaned off! You didn't mention a kitchen table so I'm assuming that has been exchanged for layout space. (not a bad swap, that's why God gave us laps when we sit down). Do you maybe have room for a temporary bench? Like a hinged board deal you could attach to an edge of the layout and then drop when not needed? Or would it block the exit in case of an emergency or the bathroom for the other "emergency".

Waitin for the 8 and a half foot tall grass that shot up in the last couple of days to dry enough to mow. I hope it does because then it's suppose to rain good for the next couple of days and then the grass will be so tall I won't be able to find my house. Oh well.

Have a Great Day!

[JimRCGMO]

Good Morning, Zoe - I'll have some flapjacks and maple syrup with a slice of butter on top, glass of Ed's OJ and another of milk, and some java in a Santa Fe mug, please 'n' thank you, ma'am.

Well, as Ray said, wasn't too hard finding the new place (next door to the old one), but gee, you Diners were busy posting yesterday evening! That was some story on Walter S. ______, Ray.

I may have missed some posts in the old location, so my apologies if I skipped something. Just PM or email me if needed. Long day yesterday (even though I got done about the usual time) at w**k. Barry, sounds like your day was about as much 'fun' (or more). My condolences, and remember, the weekend's comin'...

Galaxy, I think the only green thing that meets those criteria for growing season might be those dandelions...  But, I doubt that she'll go for those, eh?

SaronaTerry, great shot from your layout there! Got to file that one away for inspiration on my 'puter's drive over lunch.

Calif.Tom, good to hear that you're making progress on your layout (and have your... 'meds' ahem, cough, cough... working correctly for you) Got any photos of the new semaphores to post? And how hard are the Tomars to get together (assembly required?) and installed? By the way, how do Spooky and Remington like diesels?

Robby, good 'suggestion' to the BIL about his sleeping arrangements. You didn't coach the dog ahead of time to do that, did you? What's the deal the new job, by the way? The questions did sound kinda weird - but keep looking, and maybe they just use those to sort out who's really interested from the so-so ones. Might still be possible...

Jeff, your local cops (or the RR ones) might need to step up their patrols, if the intruders are coming by. Get those signs up - and the ones at the edge of town, too!

Well, I'll be in the corner window booth for a while, chowin' down on my breakfast. Got to get more energy to wade through the other five or six pages of new posts...

 

Blessings,

Jim in Cape Girardeau

 

[Robby P.]

I guess I was lucky yesterday, but I don't wanna get anybody in trouble. 

Here's the toilet shot.  They asked if I wanted a shot, I said "I guess so".

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

PS....

Inch, that was really funny!

JimCG........... I saw your post about your bad day. It must have bee nawful. It was so bad that you posted your story in the wrong diner thread. I guess that thread never did get locked.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

 

Tom W said...."Garry:  Love that photo of the SD's.  How come Burlington always knew EXACTLY what neat paint scheme to use?   That Chinese Red is such an eye-catcher--but then so were their earlier diesel schemes, to say nothing of their steamers.   Just a class-act of a railroad IMO. " ......

Tom, thanks for your comment on the photo. I do like my SD's and use them often. I have 3 SD7's, 1 SD9, and 2 SD24's. Two of the SD7's are the "blackbird" paint scheme, and the remaining SD's are Chinese red.

Burlington was profitable although it was surrounded by some midwest raods that did not do as well financially (Rock Island, Milwaukee Road, and C&NW). I could see the mainline of 'the Q" from our house when I was a kid. Also, I did ride some of the Q's steam excursions.   

Q's large fleet of SD7's and SD9's were used primarily on the Q's western lines as well as subsidiaries, C&S and FW&D. They were also assigned to coal trains out of southern Illinois.

I bet if Tom buys an SD, it would be a D&RGW unit.

[pcarrell]

Well good morning to ya from the great wet midwest!

We're 2.74" above normal rainfall this year, and so far this is like the 4th or 5th wettest April on record.  And the forcast isn't looking to let up much in the near future.  Hope we don't get the flooding like we did last spring.  A lot of folks got real messed up by that!

So Robbie got to go explore a cab, huh?  I too want to know where the toilet shot is!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning.

It's 70 and wet here, as well as cloudy. The high should be in the mid 80's and it will be partly cloudy with a small chance for rain. Hopefully that will go somewhere else.

Finished up a couple of projects yesterday and spent some down time during the storm cleaning up part of the layout. Funny how things get dusty when they haven't been used in a while but if I'm running the trains I can't work on any projects because there's no place to set the tools and materials and if I'm working on a project I can't run any trains as there's tools and materials on the tracks. There's no middle ground here. My father once suggested I build a workbench. Yeah, right. Where would I put it? On the ceiling? The front room is seven feet eight inches wide and thirteen feet long. The layout takes up almost all of that space. There's just enough space left for a kitchen half the size of a postage stamp, a fridge, access to the front door and an eighteen inch wide gap to the hallway. The rear half of the trailer consists of a bedroom seven feet eight inches wide x six and a half feet long. There's a twin bed and wall-mounted racks of DVD's on one side and a TV, video equipment and a dresser on the other side. The five and a half feet in between the front and back is taken up by the hall, bathroom, closet and video-DVD-book rack. There simply is no place to put a work bench. Under the edge of the layout? No can do. The computer and heater got there first.

Today's Weather for:
Sundown, LA  71446-6114      4/29/2009

Wind Chill:  69°F
Humidity:  94%
Dew Point:  67°F

So Far Today
High:  70°F
Low:  68°F
Rain:  0.00"
Rain Rate:  0.00"/h
Gust:  8mph SE

Today  High: 85    Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 80s. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight  Low: 65    Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 60s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.


 

[secondhandmodeler]

Good morning folks.

 I had a great day off yesterday.  Sunny and sixty five was perfect to clean my car.  I managed to add sculptamold around my newly secured bridge piers.  Some time this week I'll secure the trestle to the scenery as well.  I just haven't made up my mind on how to do it.  I'm thinking I'll use some sort of modeling clay.  With another prom this weekend, I don't know if I'll feel like doing anything at all.  We are looking at rain and thunderstorms this afternoon.  That will be great for the energy level at work!

Have a great day.

[LSWrr]

Good morning,

We went from 85F-90Fand sunny to 45F-59F and rain over night.

Jeff, take care of your feet.  I'll be heading to the foot doctor this afternoon to get fitted for new orthotics.  I've had foot problems (not as criticle as yours) since the 60's.  Now that I'm getting really old (according to my daughter 42 is really old) things seem to be falling apart and I've had to wear expensive shoes and full foot orthotics for the last 8 years.

I'm greatfull I have good insurance; $450 for the office visit and casting, $380/foot for the orthotics, then I have to go in today for a fitting at $95.  Insurance is picking up everything.

Lee

[jeffrey-wimberly]

blownout cylinder

inch53

Cracking the Human Resources Code

JOIN OUR FAST-PACED COMPANY"
We have no time to train you.
"CASUAL WORK ATMOSPHERE"
You'll be here very late, very often -- might as well be comfortable.
"MUST BE DEADLINE-ORIENTED"
Your first four projects are already way overdue.
"SOME OVERTIME REQUIRED"
Did we mention that you'll be here very late, very often? And most weekends.
"DUTIES WILL VARY"
Anyone in the office can boss you around.
"MUST HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL"
We have no quality control.
"CAREER-MINDED"
Female applicants must be childless.
"APPLY IN PERSON"
If you're old, fat or ugly, that position has already been filled.
"NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE"
This job listing is just a legal formality. The position was filled by some executive's nephew.
"SEEKING CANDIDATES WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCE"
Due to consolidation, you'll be replacing three people.
"PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS A MUST"
This company is a total mess.
"REQUIRES TEAM LEADERSHIP SKILLS"
You'll have all the responsibilities of upper management, without the pay, title or respect.
"GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS"
Listen to management, figure out what they want, don't ask too many questions and get the **** done.

Sounds like some dumps - er- places I've worked.

[blownout cylinder]

inch53

Cracking the Human Resources Code

JOIN OUR FAST-PACED COMPANY"
We have no time to train you.
"CASUAL WORK ATMOSPHERE"
You'll be here very late, very often -- might as well be comfortable.
"MUST BE DEADLINE-ORIENTED"
Your first four projects are already way overdue.
"SOME OVERTIME REQUIRED"
Did we mention that you'll be here very late, very often? And most weekends.
"DUTIES WILL VARY"
Anyone in the office can boss you around.
"MUST HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL"
We have no quality control.
"CAREER-MINDED"
Female applicants must be childless.
"APPLY IN PERSON"
If you're old, fat or ugly, that position has already been filled.
"NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE"
This job listing is just a legal formality. The position was filled by some executive's nephew.
"SEEKING CANDIDATES WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCE"
Due to consolidation, you'll be replacing three people.
"PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS A MUST"
This company is a total mess.
"REQUIRES TEAM LEADERSHIP SKILLS"
You'll have all the responsibilities of upper management, without the pay, title or respect.
"GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS"
Listen to management, figure out what they want, don't ask too many questions and get the **** done.

ROFL!!---the problem here is that, in some companies, that is exactly how it is!!

[inch53]

 

Mornin, how bout a short stack and an irish coffee Zoe. Another chilly n damp day on tap, with a 30% chance of a shower and 60.

ROBBY,,,,, hey lucky, where the toilet pics. There are still some good crews out on the rails. I've talked to a few around this area and been up in the cab a couple times.

Cracking the Human Resources Code

JOIN OUR FAST-PACED COMPANY"
We have no time to train you.
"CASUAL WORK ATMOSPHERE"
You'll be here very late, very often -- might as well be comfortable.
"MUST BE DEADLINE-ORIENTED"
Your first four projects are already way overdue.
"SOME OVERTIME REQUIRED"
Did we mention that you'll be here very late, very often? And most weekends.
"DUTIES WILL VARY"
Anyone in the office can boss you around.
"MUST HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL"
We have no quality control.
"CAREER-MINDED"
Female applicants must be childless.
"APPLY IN PERSON"
If you're old, fat or ugly, that position has already been filled.
"NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE"
This job listing is just a legal formality. The position was filled by some executive's nephew.
"SEEKING CANDIDATES WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCE"
Due to consolidation, you'll be replacing three people.
"PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS A MUST"
This company is a total mess.
"REQUIRES TEAM LEADERSHIP SKILLS"
You'll have all the responsibilities of upper management, without the pay, title or respect.
"GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS"
Listen to management, figure out what they want, don't ask too many questions and get the **** done.

Best get movin, bout time to make the houseold mad. Thoughts for those in need and hope ya'lll has a gooden.

[ewl01]

Morning,

   Chloe, oatmeal and an herbal tea please... Thanks!  (my weekday breakfast for the doctor)

   Cool and rainy so far.  What weather are you folks sending east next? 

Jeff,  hope the Dr. goes well, I shudder everytime you bring that up!

Robby, Amazing! You really got lucky with that CSX crew! I think it was Charlie(?).. You can't get within 20 ft of rail equip.here either..... unless you're pulling a body from under one.  NJ Transit has a siding in Neptune, when they store MOW equip overnight a RR cop sits there all night!

Oh well, time for work.... Eric

[blownout cylinder]

twhite

Just a shot in before I head for the hay: 

Just got back from choir practice for the church, one of the tenors (natch!) was in a fit of pique, said we weren't using our time at practice well enough.  Choir director blinked at me, I shrugged from the piano and suggested that if said tenor arrived warmed up and ready to work, like every other member of the choir, it might get things done faster.  Said tenor doesn't like me very much now, I think.

HAH!!!---Sounds like a couple of people I've got to deal with in some of our so-called meetings!!

Good morning people!! We's be getting sun with a few cloudy periods and a high of 15C. The current temperature? 5C. Lotsa fun!!---tomorrow we'll be seeing some more rain---some of us might also see T'storms as well-----

Gotta go to early morning meeting---round 2. Hopefully this one will go a bit quicker---I got a mirrror that I'm going to use at the meeting which will be facing opposite the 2 protagonists involved in stretching the meetings---hopefully, upon seeing their visage in the 2/3 year old "I don't wanna!" stage of temper tantrum that might calm them down a bit------

Robby!--how'd you get such luck!---Love those train pix!!

TomW---You getting an SD? You could try for an RS11-----

Have a good'un---

[twhite]

Just a shot in before I head for the hay: 

Just got back from choir practice for the church, one of the tenors (natch!) was in a fit of pique, said we weren't using our time at practice well enough.  Choir director blinked at me, I shrugged from the piano and suggested that if said tenor arrived warmed up and ready to work, like every other member of the choir, it might get things done faster.  Said tenor doesn't like me very much now, I think. 

Big deal, I'm not necessarily a fan of tenors to begin with, LOL! 

CN Charlie:  Okay, okay, LOL!  But I'm NOT going into Tunnel Motors!   Well, MAYBE an SD something or other down the line, but NO FURTHER! 

Sawyer:  Read your article in the new MODEL RAILROAD NEWS.  Good on you, buddy!  I like it a lot.  Does this mean you have a monthly column?   And if I happened to miss an announcement in the last Diner, my congratulations!

Jeff:  Take care of that foot.  Do whatever the doctor says (I know you will).  We want you healthy and well. 

Garry:  Love that photo of the SD's.  How come Burlington always knew EXACTLY what neat paint scheme to use?   That Chinese Red is such an eye-catcher--but then so were their earlier diesel schemes, to say nothing of their steamers.   Just a class-act of a railroad IMO. 

Well, nothing much new out here.  Oh, got a phone call from my doctor this morning.  He wanted to tell me that if I have a certain 'reaction' to the new BP medicine (COZAR/VIAGARA) that lasts for more than four hours to give him a call.  I told him if I have THAT kind of reaction, I'm calling the Guinness Book of World Records then heading out to the nearest Singles Bar.  I mean, DANG! 

Best to all, prayers to those in need. 

Tom

[nik .n]

Steak, milk, spatula, and corner booth, please.

My NS GP-38 ID number matches a Conrail-now-Norfolk Southern GP38 was made into a slug by NS but it still had the conrail side paint, but the front, back, and roof was NS colors and logos.

Robby P., Great Photos!

Jeff, Take care of the foot, Hope its not serious.

Quote of the Day: "It's ONLY a flesh wound!" (After arm falls off)

                                                                                   Monty Python And The Holy Grail

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good evening...

Robby...It sounds like you had quite an experiance. The crew most likely was violating the rules, and could have been in trouble if the bosses found out.  

Many, if not all, CSX road slugs from GP30's  (and also from a few GP35's if I recall correctly) were built near here at VMV Company in Paducah.

GP40's were great for fast freights such as intermodal trains, but at slow speeds, the high horsepower was not needed. The road slugs allowed the 3000 HP of the GP40 to be allocated to eight axles instead of just four. This setup was ideal for slow freight service.

I have seen such locomotives working on the CSX and on the Paducah and Louisville here in KY.

 

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Robby P.

 Ahh.....You are probably correct.  Heres a shot of it.  I believe the other engine was a SD40-2

Ahh. A GP30. As I remember all the CSX GP30's were converted to slugs and mated to GP40-2's. More economical for the railroad as it gives them the power of two locos with the fuel consumption of one.

[CNCharlie]

Good Evening Diners!

Robby, you are one lucky guy! Here you wouldn't get near an engine let alone on one as the crew would get sacked. My one and only time in a cab was when I was 10 and the Midland Rwy. had just taken delivery of a new SW8( Yes it was a very long time ago, try 1957). I was hanging around the engine house and an engineer asked me if I'd like to drive the engine. We went down the track a few hundred feet with my hand on the throttle. Talk about a kid over the moon. Mind you I think I'd have much the same reaction now and as you can tell I'm a little jealous of your wonderful good luck.

Tom, great to hear from you again. I've been wondering how you and your furry kids are doing. In a week or so I'll be down in the land of Uff Dah, i.e. Northern Minnesota. My friend uses that saying a lot. Did you ever get that new loco, a N6 or something wasn't it?

Corey, I'm tired just reading what you did today. Am really impressed with your bridges and river scene. 

Finally did manage to get some yard work done on Sunday but still a lot to do. Our spring has been really slow in coming here so it will be a mad rush in May to get all the plants planted and get the boat cleaned up and launched. Hopefully we will have some luck in selling it but the market isn't very large for sailboats and given the economy, who knows.

Just for something different I picked up a copy of British Railway Modeller magazine. It costs a couple of dollars more than Model Railroader but it is 157 pages !  Most of the Brit magazines seem to have quite a bit in them.

Well that's all for me for now so I'll say Good Night.

Good Night.

CN Charlie

[galaxy]

Robby P.

....The one engineer said it will be awhile before they move, and wondered if I wanna come up on the engine?  Of course I said "YES!!!"...

...Well they told me to try to meet them Thursday, and I can ride with them.  Maybe even ride while they do some switching.  

Well, Golly Gee! Some guys have all the luck!! You have me salivating at your pics!

 

Evening the rest of you guys...

Well, turned cold and raining causing me to get a weather-related migraine headache. I hate when the weather makes such drastic changes. Migraines are no fun, as those who have suffered or know someone who does knows.

Going to donate our salad greens to the MIL. She had a stroke several years ago and doesn't get out/around much anymore. She is jealous of our fresh-from-the-garden salads we have during planting season. FIL doesn't bother much with planting them so we will do it for her. We WILL, of course go buy more salad greens to replace them with for ourselves.

JEFFREY, hope you leg is ok. Take care of yourself, buddy.

Have a great night guys. See you tomorrow.

 

 

[Robby P.]

 Ahh.....You are probably correct.  Heres a shot of it.  I believe the other engine was a SD40-2