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

[Anonymous]

Ken, I've got all 3 painted. I'll post pics at Weekend Photo Fun but I'll run down and take a few right now to give the CS'ers a "sneak peak"[swg]

Be back in a few w/ pics!

[Anonymous]

These are life-like Amtrak 65' coaches and I painted them as CGW. Discounttrainsonline has these on sale for $9 right now. I need to get a few at that price[swg] They run GREAT on 18" curves and NEVER DERAIL even at 110 SMPH.

CGW never actually had cars in the red and black scheme because passenger service ended a year before the red paint came out. But my CGW will run steam excursions so we need some passenger cars.

somebody put duct tape (handyman's secret weapon) on the roof of the coach so I just left it there and painted over it.



here they all are, L to R- observation, dome car, and the coach


heres a shot looking down the main


turnouts, turnouts

[Anonymous]

These are life-like Amtrak 65' coaches and I painted them as CGW. Discounttrainsonline has these on sale for $9 right now. I need to get a few at that price[swg] They run GREAT on 18" curves and NEVER DERAIL even at 110 SMPH.

CGW never actually had cars in the red and black scheme because passenger service ended a year before the red paint came out. But my CGW will run steam excursions so we need some passenger cars.

somebody put duct tape (handyman's secret weapon) on the roof of the coach so I just left it there and painted over it.



here they all are, L to R- observation, dome car, and the coach


heres a shot looking down the main


turnouts, turnouts

[Anonymous]

D'oh! top of the page [banghead] Ok, WTF is wrong w/ this site, look at my post before this. That happened to me earlier today, when I posted the link to track the 844.[%-)]

[der5997]

Good evening Coffee Shopaholics:[:D] Still cool and damp out, but that prolongs the Spring flowers, some of which are actually out now, and have been for a couple of weeks.[tup]

Fergie: Good thing you’re wearing a hard hat! That thing could give a chap a nasty bump if it were to come loose![:O] [:D] Thanks for the explanation of the “gun ports.” All that air must make quite the noise below decks. What sort of pressure would it take to work that system?

KenL: Now I’ve started the rail painting, it’s kinda addictive. Did a whole section along the wall in front of my computer desk today. (I mask off the wall, and the computer and monitor before firing up the compressor.)
Here’s the gadget I’ve made to strip paint from the railhead. The rail tip has worn now from the use I’ve given it, and there is a blade-like look to it, so it should get even better at removing the paint. The handle came with one of those furniture kits and is for setting some fittings that needed to be pressed into place. I didn’t throw it out as I knew it would come in handy some day. Today’s that day! The bit of rail is held in place with spare AMI roadbed. I wouldn’t use that roadbed again, but I’m finding the material has many other uses. It doesn’t hold the track very well in my experience.

***:

QUOTE: Maybe, I could fit the track roughly for the curved pieces without fixing them in place, and then take them outside and paint them, that way I would not have hardly any bending to crack the paint, and any fix up that I would have to do should be minor. What do you think Der?

…I’d say try it and see, but I’m not too hopeful because the movement in the track required to show the unpainted places under the plastic “clips” that hold the rail is only the width of those clips. Even in Horibly Oversized that’s not very much. Your best bet is to just go ahead and paint outdoors as you suggest, then touch up with a run along the base of the rail with a small sponge type applicator. I don’t know if the average $Store foam brush is cut at such an angle that it would do the trick. Trail and error, with hopefully not too much error.[:D]

Ding: Nice work on those coaches![tup]...and I like the shots of the yard. Looks good!

Looks like it’s bed time once again. Goodnight all, and God Bless.

[pcarrell]

OK, it's safe to post!

[pcarrell]

Were near the top of the page, so it's safe!

[pcarrell]

Chloe, slip me a Moxie,....quietly. I don't want anybody to know I'm here, or they'll all post at once and I'll hit the top of the page again! My credit card can't take to much more abuse!

[pedromorgan]

hello evryone.

round of drinks for evryone.

sorry i havent posted for a while but the i have been concentrating on other interests. (female mainly)

i work for BBC parliament and we had the local elections last night. we go on the server for the night but there was a power cut and evrything went down in westminster. when i came in at 5.30 the switchboard was a sight to behold!! you think christmas trees look pretty all lit up like that! they are not even in the same league as our telephone switchboard after a power cut!

I am going through a nice phase of chinese railways at the moment. (largley due to a chinese girlfreind).

Peter

[Anonymous]

Good morning all!

Just popping in for a cup of joe and a donut. Or is it doughnut??

Anyway, I'll try to stop by later this morning.

[rtraincollector]

Hi all the doc said all was fine just pulled a muscle in my arm for pain there light headed could have been low in sugar or something not sure .

Been trying to do about 3 things at once when I get home at night so mainly been looking in and jumping out leave a quick post now and then.

talk to you all later time to get ready for work

[james saunders]

QUOTE: Originally posted by grayfox1119

OZ JIM Thanks for the trivia lesson, very interesting Jim. We are happy to hear that you missed the big cyclone. When I heard on the Weather Channel that it was going to hit the coastline with 200mph winds, I said my prayers for you guys. BTW, we got to see some Australia on the Amasing Race last night, you have some BIG Crocks there!!! I think I would be darn careful near any waterways.

oh yeah they aint small [:)] the biggest ever caught was almost 14 metres long, thats no bull there is actually photos of it with 15 people on top of it, it was caught in about 1940... i had a close encounter or two when i lived further up north in Townsville North Queensland, where the river runs through the city there is a series of 5 weirs which help to reduce flow when water was released out of the spillway on the dam, hadn't seen a croc since about 1970 and was supposedly croc free because of the weirs, however that wasn't the case, as one day i was walking my dog along the bank when a croc about 3 metres long surfaced about 10 metres away and then started swimming my way... i can tell you now, i was out of there faster than a porsche on the autobahn!

any way some more trivia for you!

im out Ozjim

[Anonymous]

Good morning to all ! Zoe, I'll have a double shot of expresso today !!! Didn't sleep well last night, gotta make it through 5 more hours of work and the WEEKEND will be here !

Ya'll have a great Friday !

[wetidlerjr]

Good morning ! from Indiana. [:D]

[Anonymous]

Happy Friday gang,

A small cuppa joe for me Chloe if you please...

Dingo thanx for posting the passenger car pix, they look really sharp![tup] I always enjoy seeing something different from the usual Pennsy/B&O/SantaFe/UP fare.

John - that looks like a pretty nifty gadget, might have to make something similar for myself! Regardless of how hard I try to cover all vertical rail surfaces when I paint it, I always discover - usually when I'm about to do a photo shoot or even worse, immediately after - there is still a 2-3" stretch of rail that is gleaming 'silver'[banghead]. So I always keep a jar of PollyScale Roof Brown and a finepoint paint brush close at hand.

I did some experimenting with the WS Water Effects paste last night, on a throwaway piece of clear styrene, to see how it 'behaves' - good thing too, because I discovered that the paste [unlike its Realistic Water counterpart] starts to set within 20 minutes of application. So I wound up dipping my brush into [actual] water to thin the stuff as I continued brushing-on the ripple patterns.

OzJim - enjoyed your story about the croc, guess I've lived an awfully sheltered life growing up here in North America...!

. . .
See you guys later, have to resume doing what I am paid to do <LOL>...

[der5997]

Good morning all: A quick JR regular please Zoe, thanks Ding.[:D]

NJBill:

QUOTE: Just popping in for a cup of joe and a donut. Or is it doughnut??

…That would depend on whether the CS is open all nite or all night![(-D]

Peter: Good to hear from you again. And good luck with your project.[swg] [:-^][:I] Those local elections were quite an upset for the Labour Party I guess. Talk now of a Conservative government next go around. Surprised that that the BBC doesn’t have back up generators.[B)]

RT:

QUOTE: Hi all the doc said all was fine just pulled a muscle in my arm for pain there light headed could have been low in sugar or something not sure .

…One more scare you didn’t need! Great that it wasn’t more than that. Do you monitor blood sugar?

OZJim:

QUOTE: oh yeah they aint small the biggest ever caught was almost 14 metres long, thats no bull there is actually photos of it with 15 people on top of it, it was caught in about 1940...

…Ah! The notorious Crocodylus porosus, Here’s a tiddler by comparison, but big for a ‘gator, so I’m led to believe. *** sent us this the other day. The Florida park ranger in the shot is 6’5”.

This may have errors as Preview has stopped working agian.

TTFN

[SilverSpike]

Friday, May 05, 2006

I just posted a new thread in the main area about my new layout plans, please feel free to add your comments. Basically my two questions or dilemmas are this:
1. Compressing a main line HO gauge run on a one level layout in a 16 X 14 room.
2. And getting larger radius HO gauge curves within a small bench work foot print without a duck under.

Welcome to the Weekend! I know for us working stiffs the day is still not even half over, but being dress down day around here and wearing jeans, I kind of feel like the weekend is getting off to a slow, but real start soon.


We had a small scare in the office this morning. One of the co-workers was standing outside of the cubicle next to mine and while she was talking a large hairy caterpillar came slinking down next her out from the ceiling tiles and landed on the carpet, then scurried off onto the office next to us. I got recruited to immobilize the threat, and so my right foot became the willing tool for execution of this poor little creature. To not avail, the bug ended up in the trash can for the quick burial. No family members attended the swift ceremony, but this is the only obituary it has received.

QUOTE: [i]Posted by dingoix,{/i]

Silver spike- welcome back.

icmr- graduation is getting close. congratulations!

I'm off to paint a passenger car. Cya

BTW, UP 844 is on the move this very second
schedule
track the 844
This post has been edited by dingoix on 04 May 2006, 09:04:15

Thanks! And also, the links to the UP steam are great. Just wi***hey had a run up to our area, I would like to see that action!

Hey Duke,
Thanks for your understanding, and let’s do make a point of getting together for the October event. I look forward to it!


Cheers,

Ryan

[rtraincollector]

original by der

QUOTE: One more scare you didn’t need! Great that it wasn’t more than that. Do you monitor blood sugar?

No I don't it may have been anything really but that was just a guess as I'm over weight but am losing but last time checked it was fine (about a month ago at hospital) .

Anyway guys probally won't be chating any more till sunday as I'm about to head to PA. to see mother

[Cox 47]

Good Morning all...Sunny and cool here this morning....Just coffee thanks...Good news Sallie's mom came thru surgery fine yesterday...Can't stay long but I'll try to check back in latter...You all have a good one....Jerry

[Anonymous]

Hello again.

Before I have to go running off on honey do's.......

Here are some pics of the new addition ot the fleet.





It a BLI EMD SD40-2. I'm very impressed.

Also, here is some of the work on our layout. We now have grass.[:D]




Also in the foreground are the coaches, we kit built.

[DigitalGriffin]

Morning all,

Any coffee left? I need it this Friday morning.

I was up late last night working on plan 10 *sigh* of my steel mill ops. I really need a good reference and track plans for this. (Ken: You and John G. got to stop making it look so easy. I'm pulling my hair out here.)

Gumby: Looks like you have a good start. What are the plans for scenery?

~Don

[Anonymous]

Hi all

Weather's changed here - cloudless blue sky, temperatures in the 20s (Centigrade). Have spent most of the day running in my new LGB railcar outside.

Fergie, Sorry I stole the thunder! Think I read about them in New Scientist a few months ago. The other idea they came up with was to have an icebreaker with a bow at both ends, so you can have the icebreaking type aft and the standard bulb-type forward which should apparently result in a smoother ride off the ice (you'd just go astern through the ice field). Given what ferries intended to navigate in both directions tend to look like I suspect it would be a bit of a frankenstein lookalike!

Ryan, still no bans up here although the south-east has them. Given I usually wa***he car on average every 6 months (it's not worth doing it more often - it looks just as gungy again within a week in winter due to the number of trucks throwing road dirt everywhere) I'm not too bothered. My main worry with lack of rainfall is pollen, as I tend to get hayfever. Nasal spray stuff keeps it under control but if the count gets too high (as it does if there's no rain to wash it out of the air) even that doesn't work.

Peter, I've given serious thought to buying some Chinese HO stock - ehattons.com have some very good prices on the Bachmann models, one of the overhead electric locos and a set of matching coaches is very tempting. I did also attempt to find out if any of it could be reverse-engineered to model Russian equipment, given many Chinese designs are modified Russian ones it looked feasible but no luck in finding prototypes yet.

Bye for now

[sunsetbeachry]

Hi All;
............Cloe mud with choc please and I'll sit in corner booth and try to ketchup.Chuck LOL LOL

[SilverSpike]

QUOTE: Posted by Matt,
Ryan, still no bans up here although the south-east has them. Given I usually wa***he car on average every 6 months (it's not worth doing it more often - it looks just as gungy again within a week in winter due to the number of trucks throwing road dirt everywhere) I'm not too bothered. My main worry with lack of rainfall is pollen, as I tend to get hayfever. Nasal spray stuff keeps it under control but if the count gets too high (as it does if there's no rain to wash it out of the air) even that doesn't work.

Matt,
The water restrictions were just lifted a few days ago for the Raleigh area due to large rainfalls the past few weeks, and already people are pulling out their garden hoses and watering the lawns, plants, and washing their cars like never before. Recently moving from New Orleans, where water is never something they run out of, I am still getting used to the fact that it such a limited resource around these parts.

And as long as sunsetbeach is buying this round, how about a tall iced tea for me Cloe?

[inch53]

Mornin all, coffee please Zoe,
Running late this morning, been working on outside chores. Went up to Charleston last night on monthly grocery run, and ended up spending more than normal. Not that we got more, it was just the prices have gone up that much. Meat and produce seem to have the worst price hikes. Gas was 12 [1.76] cents cheaper, so that help.

Rail Excursions , found this site that list all kinds of rail trips, heres the link I found one bout 1 ½ hours from me, I didn’t know was there.

http://www.webunionstation.net/us.html

Ryan , most likely I’m not standing on the tracks, just beside them.

Fergie , great pics of your ship. I was kinda close with the torpedoes, except your is air shots.

Ding , liked the pics, the cars and the layout is looking good.

Peter , good to hear from you, it has been a spell. You have to watch those girls, they can distract ya from a lot of things

RT , glad doc said it wasn’t some thing serous. Take care feller

Ken l , let us know how your experiment comes out on the water, good luck

Bout it for now, need toget back to mowing. I’ll catch up with the rest laters
inch

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by DigitalGriffin
Gumby: Looks like you have a good start. What are the plans for scenery?

~Don

At this point we really don't have any major plans. We are going to put a farm some where but I don't think we will go to wild until we install a turntable.

[grayfox1119]

Good afternoon to all, been running around buying more deer netting and working on the blueberry area. It is unbelievably nice today, clear skies, 76F, very low humidity, I could take this weather all year. ( silly boy, you live in New England )

OZ JIM I am certainly glad that we don't have crocs native to this area like you have. Believe it or not, we had a croc in a pond in the next town last year. Nobody believed the guy who said it was there until it snapped up a duck when some people were fishing. That really caused a stir here. Apparently some idiot turned it loose after they realized that they could not take care of an exotic reptile. It was caught and hauled off to a zoo. So, you never know when you swim in a lake or pond, even this far north.

DER JOHN I am going to give it a try painting the rails in advance outside. I will take your advice and get some small brushed to do any spot painting that will be needed after mounting the tracks.

Ok, time to get my butt back outside, lots of garden work to do in the west 40.

[SilverSpike]

QUOTE:
BTW, UP 844 is on the move this very second
schedule
track the 844
This post has been edited by dingoix on 04 May 2006, 09:04:15

And here is a link to a TV story on the arrival of the steam train in Kansas:

http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/2741401.html

It has a 2 minute video too!

Hey! My 500th post! [:D]

[inch53]

After noon all, I’m ready for a barley pop girls,
Taking a break from mowing, so thought I’d get caught up while waiting on KC to get here. I’m keeping her during Leroys t-ball practice, Shila says it’s to much with her and trying to watch him play.

Ryan , poor caterpillar, my sympathies are with his family. Thanks for the link on the UP steam.

Gumby , nice looking addition and the layouts coming along great.

Der , think I’ll make one of those track cleaner tools, now what box did I put that T handle in.

bout it fur now. Hope every one has a great MRRing weekend.
Inch

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the compliments on my passenger cars.
I've got a quick q- will these P2K 33" wheelsets work for Athearn BB cars? What about Tyco?