The Coffee Shop (a place to chat) Est. 2004

[Hawks05]

Noah. i guess i don't know what you mean. if you use Freewebs it is really easy. when you go to create a new paragraph there is a little icon with a tree in it where it says upload pictures. click that, then click upload picture on the bottom of that box, then browse for your file, open it and click submit.

hopefully that helps.

[Anonymous]

Dear Hawks05,


This may be a stupid question, but this past year my gym teacher's name as Chad Hawks. He was getting married to my math teacher Ms. Moser and he told me on the last day of school when I returned after school was out and gave Ms. Moser and Ms.Heflin both a 10 dollar gift certifacate to Barnes and Nobles as they were my favourite teacher., that his dad liked trains ar some other family member. This may be stupid but are you Chad Hawks' father

Sincearly
Nicholas Parker

[Hawks05]

nope.

Hawks refers to my schools mascot. we are the Blackhawk's but are called Hawks for short and other reasons.

[Anonymous]

I'm gettng ready to go out on a full days railfan trip tommorow along the NS Pittsburgh Line, I'll post a report tommorow or Sunday!

[Big_Boy_4005]

Nicholas,

Jim (Hawks) is going to be a senior in high school this year. He's only a few years older than you are. [swg] Sorry to hear about the job thing, but the child labor laws have been around for a long time, and they really are there to protect you even if it seems unfair. Hang in there, you will get plenty of chances to work. They may take you back when you are a little older. I'm surprised they hired you in the first place without checking.

Jim,

sorry I wasn't around yesterday. I was at the Science Museum with Big Girl and my kids. Have you been there? It's great!!!! They have this new mini-golf course, and it's right next to the tracks!!!! We saw 5 trains go by, and the golf was fun too. I had the camera in my pocket, but was too lazy to use it.

The Triple Crown service is a joint effort with the NS. I forgot to mention that part. So seeing NS power on the train shouldn't be too much of a shock. The crews will be UP from here to Chicago, and NS from there to the final destinations east of there. I'm not even sure where these trains originate on the east end of the run. It may be somewhere in Ohio. The word is that much of the freight being hauled west, so far, is auto parts for Ford.

Last night around 8:30 while we were at the museum, we saw a CP train with a string of about 20 auto racks filled with brand new small Ford pickups coming down from the assembly plant. It is possible that last weeks roadrailer's loads are this weeks new cars heading out to dealers all over the world. I'm guessing that those were some of the first 2005's.

As for me emailing you when I see the train, well don't hold your breath. A couple problems with that idea. First, I don't go out looking for the train very often. Second, by the time I get home after seeing it and send you an email, it could have passed you. You would have to be sitting by your computer waiting, and then run like hell to catch it.

Here's a better idea. Use your radio! I said that only works when someone is talking, but in checking the timetable, I noticed that there is a DETECTOR less than 12 miles west of you. Tune to 160.890 that's AAR channel 52. Any train that passes the detector will cause the detector to make a report over the radio. A perfect early warning for you, if you can pick it up. If you can't get it because it's out of range of the radio, there are ways to change the antenna to boost the range. I have the instructions, but haven't gotten around to trying them yet.

[Anonymous]

Jim, like Big Boy said use a scanner, I use mine all the time to know when NS is coming through, NS requires all crews to tell the dispatcher when they pass a siganl and what signal it is so between that and detectors I know when anything is coming through and what the train symbol is.

[Anonymous]

Hello all you train guys out there...
I'm new to this internet chatroom business, so bear with me. I did come down the basement with my coffee. So I think I'm in the right direction. I'm a small repair shop on Long Island in New York. I'm repairing brass interurbans for a customer and trying to find brass trucks and couplers. I was wondering if anyone can steer me to a possible source where I can obtain parts for brass interurbans. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks, Joe
Whistle Stop Train Repair

[Big_Boy_4005]

Mark, the secret here is that I know the specifics of Jim's situation. He lives in a small town about 20 miles from me. The problem is that the traffic is so light on the Union Pacific line that goes through the area, that the crews don't have anything to say. I don't think UP has the rules that you are used to where you live on the NS.

Having said all that, I flipped on my radio and in under a minute heard the dispatcher say something to the engineer. But I only heard one side of the conversation. The train was already past Hawks by at least 10 miles.

There is a radio repeater about 4 miles from here, and that was the first time I have ever heard anything on this line. I should get an AC adapter and leave it on more often. The stronger antenna would probably have gotten me the engineer too.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Welcome Joe.[#welcome] You should post that as a new topic, where more people will see it. Of course a lot of people view the coffee shop, but way more just check the main topic list. There are a few trolly guys here. Remember that this isn't live chat, so replies can take a while. Have fun.

[Hawks05]

i have the scanner on a lot now. never hear anything. i have it set on that channel all i get is static bursts every now and then.

thats alright Big_Boy. tonight i heard the train a good ways off. if i'm outside i can get up to the field about 3-5 minutes ahead of the train. tonight i was there and got some what i thought were good shots. then i went to the bridge and got another good shot. i tried to get another one but the flash went off instead of the normal thing i have now. i then went to my other spot and took another picture that i thought would have been great. the train was just getting up to speed, i'd say about 55-60. and i got a nice pic but it was really really blurry. it was a overcast day so thats what i blame it on. oh well. it was a SD70M pulling i'd say 30 Triple Crown trailers.

that is really cool to hear that NS is part of this. finally a change from the UP yellow. hopefully they have more of those coming through.

i can't wait till monday, might be heading over to Altoona (WI) and watch the UP yard over there. see if i can't take some pics there. then wednesday i'm going down to Winona (MN) for a college visit. i think we're taking the MN side down so i'll get to see some CP then the WI side back home so i'll get to see some BNSF. i can't wait for thursday.

i almost knocked the camera off the table just now. the cord was hanging and my foot got caught, that would have been really bad.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Jim, have you tried new batteries in your radio? The detector should be just west of Roberts.

You should see NS engines up to half the time. I don't think they bother to change power in Chicago. Whatever is on stays on. If an NS engine comes to the Twin Cities, eventually it has to go back. Unless both sides are taking hostages.[:P]

[Hawks05]

sweet. i'll be on the lookout for those engines. hopefully we see a few more.

i'll see about the batteries. we got the scanner from my grandpa so i don't know how often he charged it. i think they are rechargeable so i'll have my dad recharge them. maybe that will help. the scanner is a mobile one so that could have something to do with it to.

[Anonymous]

I think I am dead meat. [:0] [B)] [}:)]

When Dan opens the email with the Coast Guard ship pic in it he will absolutely kill me. The upload took about 12 minutes. [:0] [:0] [:0] . I didn't realize it would be that bad. Usually when I send out pics I will send 2 out at a time. Then the upload for 2 pics will take about 12 minutes. But this one pic took 12 minutes all by itself. [:0] [B)] [:(]

I am not real happy with the latest enlargements. They lightened up the pic way too much. The original pic was a little dark, the new enlargement is very light.


Did you all see the Christmas Card type pic that Jarrett posted in the thread he started? If not you should. I hope he finds some more and posts them too. They are pretty good.

I will try and get a link to it and put it here to make it easy to find. [;)]

[Anonymous]

Jarrett's thread. Stop by and see the pics. I like the snow ones.

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19087

[Noah Hofrichter]

I'm just finnishing the... well you know[;)][:D]. Nothing really big to be done, just final assembly. Today's the last day, so I better get going on finnish it up. I'll see you all later.

Noah

[Hawks05]

i've done nothing today at all. my dad trimmed a tree so i helped cut the branches into smaller sizes. thats it so far. i'm thinking about going up and working on putting couplers on a car but that isn't really that fun.

now i'm waiting till about 6:45 to go to church. then i'll be bored from 8 till whenever i go to bed.

Big_Boy: i have the scanner hooked up to the adaptor so hopefully i can get some service on that thing. i also told my mom to pick up some batteries for it as well. hopefully something works so i can get a signal. does it help to have the scanner by a window or up higher because i can't even get anything when the sirens are going. that would be really nice if we could get a signal from the sign thing outside of Roberts. give me a nice heads up. i wonder where there is a thing like that east of town. maybe Hersey or something.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Jim, the next detector is almost 30 miles east, between Rusk and Ajax. The one west of Roberts is the one you want to listen for, that will tell you when the train is coming east toward you. If I knew which days to listen, I could try to hear it too, but the westbounds come through between midnight and 2 AM. No pictures of those.

Is that flat with the track still sitting there?

By the way, if you take some of the small twigs from those branches you trimmed, and cut them into about 1-1/4" lenghts and put them on a bulkhead flatcar, you will have a nice pulpwood load.[swg]

[Hawks05]

haha. nope the flat is gone and so is the crain. the track is now laying next to a straight section. i think there are 3 sections of track sitting out next to a front end loader. i don't know when they are going to start that stuff.

midnight and 2AM you say? i'm up around there. i heard the train coming the other night that would have been a great catch, probably wouldn't have been able to see anything though.

caught a west bound train today. 2 SD40-2's in the lead with about 80 cars behind it. the engineer waved and said Hey as he went by. the thing was going pretty slow through town and i got some decent shots as i waited for it.

i'll have to try and listen for that thing in Roberts. we still have the adaptor on. haven't heard a thing, ambulance even went out 3 times and nothing came up.

i'm off to church now. hopefully no trains come through while i'm gone.

[Anonymous]

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE:

HAWK:

When I was talking about Goo warping my tank car, the weights were totally encapsulated in the Goo. If I'd used just a little, like you should, it probably would not have warped.

FERGIE:

I enjoyed talking to you this morning. I painted the bathroom in the house next door (the one that we moved out of) and then this afternoon I had to go to Lowes and get another roller cover. When I drove past one of the themometers it read 104 F. I thought it was wrong so when I got home I took our inside themometer outside and it read 105 F. I'm too old for this kind of heat, and the train room is calling. If the wife could just hear that calling.

I sent your decal out today along with a wiring diagram. It shows where you would have to break the wires to add DCC. Now you realize that I'm doing this on the assumption as to how it is wired. After I get your diagram, I'll have a better idea.

Have a blessed day and remember SANTA FE ALL THE WAY

Bob

[Anonymous]

Some good and bad news,

I'm going to put off my oil bunker conversion till next spring, I have so many car kits as well as a layout that is going to be built as soon as I can get out the furniture in the future train room, I'm going to be very busy! I also have a lite mikado that I think I'll letter for the NKP. (Yes, believe it or not, I do like a few other roads besides the CB&Q![:D])

Well it's off I go, I need to find out a few things that I think I'll start a thread for.

BTW, does Branchline Trains have a return policy for broken parts?

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

I think I am dead meat. [:0] [B)] [}:)]

When Dan opens the email with the Coast Guard ship pic in it he will absolutely kill me. The upload took about 12 minutes. [:0] [:0] [:0] . I didn't realize it would be that bad. Usually when I send out pics I will send 2 out at a time. Then the upload for 2 pics will take about 12 minutes. But this one pic took 12 minutes all by itself. [:0] [B)] [:(]

I am not real happy with the latest enlargements. They lightened up the pic way too much. The original pic was a little dark, the new enlargement is very light.


Did you all see the Christmas Card type pic that Jarrett posted in the thread he started? If not you should. I hope he finds some more and posts them too. They are pretty good.

I will try and get a link to it and put it here to make it easy to find. [;)]

No pic yet. Have you sent it?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

I think I am dead meat. [:0] [B)] [}:)]

When Dan opens the email with the Coast Guard ship pic in it he will absolutely kill me. The upload took about 12 minutes. [:0] [:0] [:0] . I didn't realize it would be that bad. Usually when I send out pics I will send 2 out at a time. Then the upload for 2 pics will take about 12 minutes. But this one pic took 12 minutes all by itself. [:0] [B)] [:(]

I am not real happy with the latest enlargements. They lightened up the pic way too much. The original pic was a little dark, the new enlargement is very light.


Did you all see the Christmas Card type pic that Jarrett posted in the thread he started? If not you should. I hope he finds some more and posts them too. They are pretty good.

I will try and get a link to it and put it here to make it easy to find. [;)]

No pic yet. Have you sent it?

Yes Dan, I emailed you the pic about this time last night. Remember my night is everyone else's early morning tho. I went to Walgreens after I got off work at midnight.

I did email it and it didn't get any of those return email notices. Is your inbox fairly empty. Since the pic is fairly large it could have put you over a limit if there is a limit.

I tried to start a website where the other Jim has his. I kept getting internet error messages, you know the ones where it ask you "Do You Want To Continue?" [:(!] [V] [:(!] Anyway I tried and kept getting those stupid messages. So after much frustration and elevated blood pressure I decided to discontinue it for a time. That way I might not go postal. [}:)]

I might try again. But we will see. I was going to post the Coast Guard ship in it plus train pics and some B-17, B-24, and some B-29 pics. Most everybody has seen the B-17 in movies or tv shows but I favor the B-24. It was every bit as good a plane as the 17s but just didn't get the repeated press that the 17s did. I think the 24 has character and I like it. I still like the 17 but the 24 is sorta like an underdog to me so I go with it. The 29 just doesn't have the same "appeal" to me that the other two do. Plus it came pretty late in the war effort so it didn't get the press that the 17s did. Now if we were to start talking fighters oh baby. My mouse pad has a F4U Corsair on it. [:D] The mustang is cool but so are so many of the WWII fighters. My biggest regret when it comes to fighters is that there were not about 100 of them up in the air at 6:30 am, December 7, 1941. [:(] [:(!] But I better not go there. [:0] [B)]

[krump]

kids are home, pool is up, got my coffee - life is good.
- also bought a computer desk recently and the "organization" that results, really cleans up the room.

[fec153]

Good morning all. Hot coffee and todays comics. Hope your paper carries the strip-
"For Better or For Worse" . Enjoy the day.
Phil

[Anonymous]

I got back from Harrisburg at 11PM last night, spent 11 hours there and saw 30 train (new record), saw a UP in Enola Yard, a UP behind a CR unit, and an ATSF C44-9W, I'll post a full list in a bit.

[Anonymous]

jhhtrainsplains/Dan:

I don't know how to do quotes so you have to read jhhtrainsplains post to see what I'm talking about.

I saw a special on the TV the other night and they said that the Stealth bomber was titled F??, because they wanted fighter pilots to fly it instead in bomber pilots. They thought that if it was titled B?? the fighter pilots would shy away.

Just a little trivia.

Have a blessed day and remember SANTA FE ALL THE WAY
Bob

[lupo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TEFFY

jhhtrainsplains/Dan:

I don't know how to do quotes so you have to read jhhtrainsplains post to see what I'm talking about.

I saw a special on the TV the other night and they said that the Stealth bomber was titled F??, because they wanted fighter pilots to fly it instead in bomber pilots. They thought that if it was titled B?? the fighter pilots would shy away.

Just a little trivia.

Have a blessed day and remember SANTA FE ALL THE WAY
Bob

I thought the stealh bomber was given an F number because of some international agreemnents in wich the developments of new bombers had to be reported, development of new F (ighter) planes not.

[Anonymous]

Bob [:)]

Look up in the right hand corner of each post. There you will see 3 choices, one is "Quote". Click on it and it will copy the whole post into the new post you are making. You can use the backspace button to take out what you don't want in there.


Dan [:)]

After you get a chance to check your inbox I will email the pic again. I have a feeling the was too big and got bounced into hyperspace. A 12 minutes upload at dial up speed indicates it was a fairly large pic. I will see how big the file is. Then we can try again. The ship number is in the pic but it is too small for me to read.


After I wake up (still working on it) I might try again to start a website. NJMike just imed me and I gave him Jim's website to look at as he wants to start a website too. He now says he is making it. I hope he has better luck than I did.

I am typing with one eye open and one eyed still glued shut. I have had 3 cups of coffee so far and still could fall out any second as I am so tired and sleepy. Have a great day.

[Fergmiester]

QUOTE: Originally posted by fec153

Good morning all. Hot coffee and todays comics. Hope your paper carries the strip-
"For Better or For Worse" . Enjoy the day.
Phil

Did you know that Lynn Johnson's husband owns a manufacturing company that produces large scale (the kind you sit on) trains and rolling stock.

Teffy it was good talking to you yesterday and I look forward to hearing from you again. I'll be going down to the Bridgewater Railway Museum next week and let you know if it's worth seeing when in NS. I don't know if you are aware of this but Cape Breton & Nova Scotia Railway CBNS might be in it's last few months of operation and might be worth seeing.

BTW that phone call lasted 97 minutes. DCC is tempting but the cost is something I'll have to consider (I'll be investing in new windows for the upstairs this winter). I suspect I will bite the bullet one of these days but will have to cut my roster in half as I've got both high and low end steamers (Bye Bye Mehano) and low end is not worth investing good money into. Jut remember when buying in Canada you sometimes have to take the $US x 2 = $Cdn. There's a Prodigy system on sale at one of the LHS's going for $249 Cdn and not knowing what is good or bad I'm hestiant in investing.

Decisions decisions

Have good one gents

[Anonymous]

Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

Bob [:)]

Look up in the right hand corner of each post. There you will see 3 choices, one is "Quote". Click on it and it will copy the whole post into the new post you are making. You can use the backspace button to take out what you don't want in there.

Now if the halfhimers doesn't take out this new information I'm in great shape.

Thanks Dan

Have a blessed day and remember SANTA FE ALL THE WAY

Bob

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