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

[grayfox1119]

Hope you guys got a chance to see Megamovers on the History Channel tonight, they moved a very old RR station in Washington state, and two steam locomotives, one being a big Texan, "Madam Queen" as she was called on the AT& Santa Fe RR.

It is now past midnight here, and I am bone tired. We have a roaring Nor'easter here and the winds are howling like a pack of wolves...so we shall see you guys for breakfast, God Bless you all,

[pedromorgan]

morning folks. greetings from this side of the pond.

i did my first lining work with a bow pen last night and i think it looks fantastic. i did the silver lining on my LNER coronation set. i was fully prepared for it to be horrible and its not its great!
i was so pleased with it i kept turning the bedroom light back on to have another look!
i will take some pictures for the weekend photo fun. but i just had to tell someone. it looks great! if anybody has never done this before and think you cant-give it a go, you probably can.

Peter

[wetidlerjr]

Good morning ! from Indiana. [:D]

[GMTRacing]

Good Morning All,
Coffee and a hard roll please. Cooler and overcast this morning but no rain yet. The test day yesterday went well, lost one session to rain, the rest were dry. Mr. Newman was up testing his Corvette at 80 something he still rockets around the track like a teenager (I mean enthusiastically, not all over the place). Maybe the driving keeps him young.
Worked on the display last night at the museum doing backdrops and getting ready to put down track next week in the yard area. Our resident scenery/weathering guru Steve Mayerson did the paint work with what we had on hand from previous jobs. We found some green, blue, white and black and he was able to blend it to give an effect of great depth. I'll try to get some photos next week once it dries.
John - the paint is coming out really nice. What I meant by spacious is that most of us cram too much in too little space and end up with a cramped feeling. What you're doing seems more open and realistic. I think that is the real appeal of western railroads vs. eastern ones. Here can you rarely see for great distances as there are hills everywhere. Out west mountains can be a hundred miles away from where you stand and you can see detail all the way into the foothills. I guess that is what they refer to as big sky. Either way works om a model railroad level, but what you are doing is very nice.
Well time to pick up tools and go to work. CUL, [:D] J.R.

[inch53]

Mornin all, coffee Zoe,
Got Leroy n KC today along with rain and thunderstorms, so it may a long one. Did work on the layout last night, didn’t get much done. May get in there during naps.

Paul , hope you get picture posting figured out. Glad your loads worked out, I’d like to try for some coal loads.

AttaBoy , on me never seeing a real doc, I was told the real docs probably signed off on paper, with no intention of approving it. Was also told by some one who works for SS, they deny it for a while, figuring you’ll give up and find some work or go on welfare. I was denied because my wife works. One SS worker told us to get divorce and I’d get with no problem.
I don’t blame you, just the system and some of the people work for it.

Der , scenery is moving along, thanks for the pics. I used the thread on a MOW crane I got at a yard sale a while back

Rob , thanks for the MOW equipment pics.

Time for corn flakes and baby cereal, till laters all. Thoughts n prayers for all in need
inch

[pcarrell]

Mornin' All,

Just a Moxie this moring please Zoe, thanks.

Attaboy,
Sorry if I kind of spouted off a little. Sore subject with me. What I need to do is get out of God's way and let Him work on it, huh?

Trollyboy,
It's definately a working museum. Check out their website; http://www.itm.org/ . Lot's of stuff going on over there!

Later all, work calls!

[Anonymous]

Good morning crew, Chloe I'll have two eggs over easy with OJ and a cuppa joe...

Krump [#welcome] back, sorry to hear about the wife & daughter - hope everybody recovers soon!

Fergie - I know you don't like diseasles, but must you always show them looking their worst?[;)]

John - Your layout extension is really coming together nicely[tup], especially the rock faces. Sawdust is a great medium for scenery when you can get it - I asked for some leftover sawdust at my local Home Depot store, the guy said Sure let me check with the Manager. Then he comes back and says he can't let me have it, because they sometimes cut pressure-treated wood that has chemicals in it that might cause cancer and they're afraid of possible liability...Oh, puh-leeeze!![|(]

Don -

QUOTE: Originally posted by DigitalGriffin
KenL I commute down to Columbia Maryland every day from York. But I used to live in Owings Mills. It's about 1000 miles in one week.

Columbia, eh? Then you're closer than I thought! We probably drive past each other on 29-N in the evenings. I don't envy that commute, though...

Jerry - nice shot of you and your G-daughter

Phillip - nice photo of the Coffee Shop interior!

Thanx again ***, T-Rob and anybody else who's offered supportive comments about my layout work, hopefully someday we'll be seeing your stuff in here too!

Now for a 'blog' update: Did any of you see that entry a few days ago by the guy who had two $700 brass locos take the 48-inch plunge? That really shook me up, I regarded that as a wake-up call that I better do something to protect my own trains when they are on tracks that are close to the edge. So I bought 2 48"x36" sheets of thin plexiglas and sliced these into 4" wide strips that I'll install along the high-risk stretches. I'll drill special holes that allow for quick removal and re-attachment if I want to photograph any trains in a protected spot. I'll post pix of this later, maybe even do an outside thread on it when finished.

Must focus on real world again...C-U-later!

[Cox 47]

Good morning all....Cloudy but no rain here looks like it might go south.....I'll have coffee and a Krispy Kream please....laid Ballast down the interchange tracks to mirror yesterday and plan to glue it today...Have a lady coming at 11:30 to reeval me for the home help I get...Hope it doesn't take to long.....

John...Wow you must have a bur under your saddle you are making great progress like the rock work...

Rob....That little yellow speeder would make a great model Hmmmmm what to use for a drive in N scale....

Attaboy.....Just my 2 cents on SS I got mine first time no problem..but my wife who has kidney failure can't draw because I'm under 60 and drawing they told us same thing she could draw if we got a divorce...

House keeper says breakfast you all have a good one...Jerry

[der5997]

Good afternoon, and a windswept, rain-drenched one it is too in this part of the 100 acre fiddle yard.[(-D]

Peter: That’s encouraging about the lining, and I know just what you mean about switching the light back on! I keep sneaking back to look at stuff that turned out half decently myself.[X-)][tup]

JR: Thanks for the kind words.

QUOTE: I think that is the real appeal of western railroads vs. eastern ones. Here can you rarely see for great distances as there are hills everywhere. Out west mountains can be a hundred miles away from where you stand and you can see detail all the way into the foothills. I guess that is what they refer to as big sky. Either way works on a model railroad level,

…Know what you mean, and the bit of the layout I’m doing right now is also the only bit where I’m able to pull off that effect. Everywhere else is just shelves, and very little space for distance and simplicity.

Mike:

QUOTE: I used the thread on a MOW crane I got at a yard sale a while back

…Kris has come up with some absolutely non-fuzzy linen tread. It’s a natural linen colour, so I’ll have to make it black with magic marker. It should work fine. What was your MOW equipment, a 25 ton crane?

KenL:

QUOTE: they sometimes cut pressure-treated wood that has chemicals in it that might cause cancer and they're afraid of possible liability..

…Oh the joys of a litigious society![V] I could mail you some, but the postal rates from here are extraordinary! Besides there are probably insect infestation, or inflammable substances regulations or some such that would prohibit it![(-D]

Jerry: [8D]pic of you and granddaughter!

QUOTE: Wow you must have a bur under your saddle

…seems that way, months of procrastination because I can’t face a particular problem on the layout, then it gets resolved, and whamo! “I get’s ’t urge my son” as they say on “The Rock”.[:D] I hope this lasts a while, might see some real progress. Right now I’m waiting for yesterday’s scene to dry out, then I’ll join you in glueing ballast on the interchange.[tup]

Looks like it’s lunch time already.
TTFN

[grayfox1119]

Good noontime everyone, heavy overcast and a raw 47 degrees with NE winds at 10-15mph today, it howled all night . Now the weather shows no signs of clearing through next Wednesday. I sure hope we don't have a May like last year when it was cloudy, showery, rainy for all but 5 days in the month.

DER JOHN and JP Hey guys come sit over here at the corner table and have some lunch!

[inch53]

Lunch time funny

Subject: FW: PACK OF DOGS KILL GATOR IN FLORIDA

At times nature can be cruel, but thereis also a raw beauty, and even a certain justice manifested within that cruelty.

The alligator, one of the oldest and ultimate predators normally considered the "apex predator" in it's natural ecosystem, can still fall victim to implemented
'team work' strategy, made possible due to the tight knit social structure and
"survival of the fittest pack mentality", bred into the canines over the last several hundreds of years by natural selection.

This picture is a little cruel, but it is really neat. If you do not have a really weak stomach, then I would suggest looking at the pic.

[JPowell]

Hey *** -
Thanks for the invite. Did you watch the game last night? 14-3! And I thought the Yankees would be able to muster more runs that just 3. Schilling v. Mussina tonight. Can we get 2 out of 3 between tonight and tomorrow? 3 of 3 would be best, but even I know that the Sox can't win every game. I sure can hope for that though!

Afternoon all.

James -
Eventhough I'm over '30' I'll take up the offer of a milkshake. Too early for me to have beer today. And besides, I'm still at work and I have to go to class a hour after I get home from work tonight.

As for my New York State (NYS) FireFighter 1 course, We graduate 2 weeks from tonight! Of course I have requested Thursday the 25th off as the department (mine) always cooks up a big dinner for the class and families as a whole to enjoy after the ceremonies. MMMMMMM

Well, I have to get going. Have work to do. Everyone have a good day!
JP

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Hi folks;

Mostly cloudy here in central Louisiana. Expecting rain anytime, probably won't get it.
If you know anybody who would like free HO intermodal containers, send them to this link. http://www.igshansa.de/igsdownload.html

That's all; Bye----

[Anonymous]

der- like the roads[tup]. It does look like it goes to gravel but gravel roads aren't gray. Either way, looks better than my roads (made with duct tape[;)])

grayfox- I watched mega movers and really enjoyed it.

Ken- I'm going to do something to protect my trains as well. I might just take some lathe boards and screw to the layout so they stick up about an inch or 2. I might think about using plexiglass, tho.

inch- [(-D][(-D] them are some dangerous dogs[;)]

Still no 4-6-2[:(!], unless it's coming via UPS. Anybody know how IHC ships?
Hobbylinc sent me the wrong track again[:(!].
Still didn't get the Stewart F3 and my Birthday is tomorrow (it's my B-day present)

All for now.

dingo

[inch53]

Afternoon all, nothing going here, raining now, the kids are nappping, thought i'd check in

Ken L , I used some old paneling, cut so it was about 2” taller than the layout on the danger spots. Had a couple cars take the plunge to the floor. Worked Ok and the price was right, leftover scrap.

Der , think it is a 25 toner, I ‘ll n get a pic later

Found this in the Chicago Sun-Times

AMTRAK TO EXPAND SERVICE
Illinois to expand Amtrak service May 10, 2006 BY MONIFA THOMAS Transportation Reporter State funding for Amtrak will double under the 2007 budget bill passed by the General Assembly last week, setting the stage for additional service between Chicago and St. Louis as well as parts of Downstate Illinois, officials said Tuesday. Negotiations with the passenger rail company are ongoing, but the state wants two additional trains on Amtrak's Chicago to St. Louis route, bringing the total number of daily roundtrips to five. With one additional train each, service would also double between Chicago and Quincy and Chicago and Carbondale, the Illinois Department of Transportation said. Ridership in Illinois growing The proposed service enhancements come as Amtrak ridership throughout the state continues to grow. The new state budget approved by the General Assembly allows IDOT to increase its $12.1 million contract with Amtrak to $24 million next year. Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said that's the largest amount of assistance Amtrak has received from the state in 30 years. It's also the first time in more than a decade that a Midwestern state has expanded Amtrak service, IDOT chief Tim Martin said. More service to Milwaukee? "This is an excellent step toward a really integrated transportation network that would link the whole state," said Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association. The funding boost will also enable the state to contribute more toward Amtrak service between Chicago and Milwaukee, which Illinois currently partners with Wisconsin to provide. The service changes could be in place by the end of the year.

Wi***hey start running tween Indy and St Louis, I know several people that would use it. Have to check on KC
inch

[egmurphy]

Hello guys,

We're back from our trip north of the border, got home last night. Still unpacking and getting stuff straightened out. Trip went fine with no significant problems.

We saw Paul B. He has a really great layout. Their club layout is even better. I got some decent photos and hope to be able to show some of them shortly.

Also got to see Teffy. We went over to his club layout on operating night. They had a big crowd. Still got to run a train for a while. They have a very nice bunch of guys in the club.

Not sure how long it will take me to sort through about 25 pages that you guys wrote while I was away. So if you see my name logged in here it doesn't mean I'm on this last page, I could be two weeks back looking through old posts.

Later

Ed

[Paul W. Beverung]

Hi Ed; Glade to see that you and Fran made it back allright. I hope that the trip was easy and without problems. Next time try and stay lonmger as we thought of a bunch of things to do besides trains. Have you servaid the orange grove for the 7.5in railroad to haul the oranges out with yet?

I did some more ore loads today. One of the things that I want to do before I post on how to do the loads is work up a system that does not use the type of stuff that I have access to. I don't think that the average modeler would want to spend the dough to get the fancy silcone for making the molds or the resin casting meterial. I'll tell all with both systems when I do.

Time to hit the road for home. I'll try and stop in later tonight.

[pcarrell]

QUOTE: Originally posted by KenLarsen

Phillip - nice photo of the Coffee Shop interior!

Thats the inside of one of the less glamorous dining cars at the museum. It's an old Amtrak car.

Has a nice 1960's flair, doesn't it?

[fec153]

pc- If you are 40 , how would you remember?
Flip

[Anonymous]

hi every one.

Sorry I've been around much lately and this will not change for the next while. CFO is not well, she'll be needing surgeries in the summer, one to repairs torn muscles in her abdomen and some reconstructive work on one of her knees, the bones are slowly being eaten away as a result of a rare medication side effect. She'll also be getting a heart echo test at some point this summer. So between these and work I have little time for myself and much less for train work.

I must go and will try to drop in every once in a while for a quick update.

Happy MRRing

[Anonymous]

luct, the CGO is in our prayers. The doctors hopefully should be able to help her situation. We wish her the best. Phil

[pcarrell]

QUOTE: Originally posted by fec153

pc- If you are 40 , how would you remember?
Flip

I'm not sure what you're refering to.

Are you talking about the dining car having a 60's flair? If so, first, I didn't say that I "remembered" it, I just said it had that flair. I can recognize that something has the flair of many given era's that were before my time.

If that's not what you're talking about then let me know what it is that you're questioning. I'd be happy to clear up any misunderstanding.

And, BTW, I do actually remember a few things from the 60's, though admittedly, not a ton. [;)]

And I was born in 1965.

[pcarrell]

QUOTE: Originally posted by luct

hi every one.

Sorry I've been around much lately and this will not change for the next while. CFO is not well, she'll be needing surgeries in the summer, one to repairs torn muscles in her abdomen and some reconstructive work on one of her knees, the bones are slowly being eaten away as a result of a rare medication side effect. She'll also be getting a heart echo test at some point this summer. So between these and work I have little time for myself and much less for train work.

I must go and will try to drop in every once in a while for a quick update.

Happy MRRing

OH MAN!

You and your wife are definately on my prayer list.

Anything I can do to help, just name it, OK?

[Anonymous]

I didn't ride the amtraks but I do remember the dinning cars on the Southern Crescent and the snack car on the B&O and the C&O. Just wish I had had a better camera.
Luct in my last post I meant to say CFO not CGO, sorry, Phil

[Paul W. Beverung]

Luc: I'm sorry to hear about your wifes problems. I'll be keeping you both in my thoughts.

Well I haven't been down to the basement except to take the molds and ore loads down there. I think that I may try just painting the concrete block walls blue for now and see how that works. At least I won't be looking at gray "sky" all the time.

I think that I'll head to bed. Actually I am going to call Teffy tonight. I talked to him last night for a short time and he seems to be keeping himself very busy. His job is taking up a great deal of his time. He is getting some over time and that coupled with the home duties hav limited his time on the railroad. He did say the he has installed three tsunamies and they are great. So I'll say good night.

[trolleyboy]

Good evening again gents.winding down for the night. I'm off to the Toronto airport to collect siberianmo Tom who's comming up for a cople days of trains and fun in ontario.

LUC I'm sorry to hear about Gloes latest woes. please tell her that heather and I are thinking about her. take it easy yourself as well.

PC Thanks for the link to the museum i shall check it out shortly. Here's the web link to our museum as well, have a boo. http://www.hcry.org

Jerry That's actually not a track speader, it's just slightly bigger than one of the fairmont gang cars. It's actually our rail bonder ex Lake Erie and Northern, essentially it's a 600v DC arc welder self propelled off the over head. It's used to repair the ground wores on the trackage ( between the rail joins ) electric railways ground everything into the track and ground via the "bonds" Lionel actually made amodel of it two years ago.

Inch Wow those dogs are sure scary critters [:O][swg] Survival of the fittest for sure. [;)]


Rob

[trolleyboy]

Hi guys back again just quickly. Here's a couple of the latest shots from Brantfords passenger platform


Local short line raillinks "new" GP38-2



More BNSF run through pool power



Double headed VIA from Montreal to Windsor and Sarnia .



50th aniversary of the CBC speacial painted VIA F40



Shot of an ex Illinois Central prime mover car in a train Toronto bound.

Enjoy more shots are on the last page ( 9 ) of my railimages account.

Rob

[der5997]

Good evening all: Mike, that was a great photo of the alligator![(-D]

QUOTE: think it is a 25 toner, I ‘ll n get a pic later

… I had one in HO, also a garage sale or swap meet score.[tup]

Jeffrey:[#welcome]…take it you are in HO, care to say more?[:D]

Ding:

QUOTE: It does look like it goes to gravel but gravel roads aren't gray.

…I agree on both counts, except our local ones are grayish in some conditions. Not after they’ve been graded, but when they have settled down. If I do go the gravel route, I’ll use a more sandy colour.
Did you get sent brass track again![banghead]

Luc: Sorry to hear about the health problems. Please let Gloe know we are praying for her.

TrolleyRob: Thanks for posting those photos. I'm particularly interested in the Raillink one. I'll have to bring my camera for sure in July!

More scenery progress to show. There’s been some extra land made for the houses and station to sit on. The roads have their shoulders shaped, and fit in much more realistically, I feel.
Here’s the long shot.

Here’s those houses closer, the driveways are modeled in the sawdust mix.

The station and interlocking tower. Of course these are just staged, as the mix is still very wet, having been laid about 15 minutes before the photos.

Lastly, the other viewpoint for the station, with village behind.

That’s about it for tonight, God Bless , and prayers continuing for all in need of healing, comfort and peace.[angel]

[pcarrell]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trolleyboy

PC Thanks for the link to the museum i shall check it out shortly. Here's the web link to our museum as well, have a boo. http://www.hcry.org

I think I've seen this site before. Great collection! I especially like the plow. Don't know why, but I have a real soft spot for MOW equipment.

BTW, nice pics! I hadn't seen the 50th anniversery paint scheme before. Pretty cool.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Did you get sent brass track again![banghead]

Yes. and only 3 pieces. They were s'posed to send 5. But at least I'm getting free track, even if it's brass. I'll use it for the engine terminal and possibly some industrial spurs.

The 4-6-2 came today (vis UPS) and it runs great. I won't be in for a while as I'll be running this whenever I have time. you can expect a review of it next week.

I'm heading out.

ding