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

[Fergmiester]

Lupo glad to see your back in one piece! I thought I was going to be infor the night but we have to sail again (The new Captain is a Slave Driver!). So until we meet adieu

Regards
Fergie

PS 1 fire station almost complete c/w painted brick. Law office painted and weathered just needs lawyers and a CVT Truss Bridge built and partially weathered.

And Teffy I'm still working on the Logo

Regards
Fergie

[Anonymous]

Hey Ya'll,

Just wanted to post you on the latest happenings. I am over the sad loss of my job and they promised to hire me back when I am forteen they told me to come in on my birthday and they would have a cake and let me pick out a present couresty of the gracious owner Mr.Cobb.

I have dived head first back into my sea of projects. My next one I plan to acomplish is a free lance model of a Ghost Train. For more information see my topic, Modeling a Ghost Train as well as a history to go with it. To see the history keep checking up on my topic. It is very interesting and I hope that Bergie will make it sticky as well as the coffe shop.

Nick

[lupo]

Hi there all !
I am back in the real world, after spending 4 days in the world of bright colored studded plastic blocks called LEGO-land ( Billund - Danmark ) it cost me an arm and a leg-o [:p] but my son and I had a great time, seen lots of [:O] trains and nice buildings, amazing what they make with that blocks [8D] We even build our own lego robots, and about FOOD: have fed myself very well during these days extensive dinner and breakfast buffets: all you can eat ( and that's a lot! [}:)] ) , but someone should teach those Danes how to make coffee ! It seems that they do not know if they are making tea or coffee, and come up with tasteless [xx(] dishwasherwater !
well make up for that tomorrow with my own homebrew !
but for now I got to read through some 5 pages of topics to get back into sync with the digital forum world !

Noah, nice project you made! really looks good ! [8D]

[Junctionfan]

Thankfully the plumbers didn't touch our stuff. Because it was brand new and it was one of those environmental B.S clog easy toilets, we were O.K. I don't like those toilets; they require a plunger sometimes just because you flushed a kleenex never mind anything else.

[Noah Hofrichter]

QUOTE: Originally posted by egmurphy
You might consider preparing rough cardboard mockups, quickly done and simply spray painted from a can. Fills space, gives you more than an empty siding for spotting cars, and gives you a chance to consider (or adjust) the final configuration/size of what you want to scratch build after having it in the actual location. Just a thought.

Ed

Ed, I never would have thought of that, but it's absolutely a wonderful Idea. It'll also help me figure out what I want the indutries to look like. Thank you so much!!

Noah

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Junctionfan

Good Morning; I am here in my apartment waiting for a new toilet. Their is nothing wrong with mine since it is new but they seem to want to replace it anyways. There are toilets all lined up in the hall. It trully is a throne room out there. Of course this probably means the landlord is going to jack up the rent soon after. Thease corporate slum lords are a real pain. You pay good money for a lousy apartment and when you want your money's worth they fix it for a price. If I was a king I would likely put their head on a pike for that but now a days that is called murder and not justice. Oh well, so much for not going over board expressing my frustrations. Is anybody suffering from the same ailment I am?

As one who has been a landlord, and replaced a few toilets himself, it is one of the least fun projects I can think of. Dealing with tenant's [censored].[:O][;)][(-D][(-D]

Your landlord is probably doing this project for his own benefit. I'm guessing that the building is fairly old, and has 5 gallon flu***oilets. Very wasteful!!! The modern 1.5 gallon models will save him a ton on the water bill. You probably won't see a big increase in the rent as a result of this project, as this is an improvement that pays for itself fairly quickly over time.

I hope you aren't without while you are waiting. Keep your legs crossed.[swg]

[egmurphy]

QUOTE: In one spot I'm going to scratchbuild two industry buildings, so the building won't be there for a while, but I'm going to serve it like it is.

You might consider preparing rough cardboard mockups, quickly done and simply spray painted from a can. Fills space, gives you more than an empty siding for spotting cars, and gives you a chance to consider (or adjust) the final configuration/size of what you want to scratch build after having it in the actual location. Just a thought.

Ed

[Noah Hofrichter]

Fergie, I'm a desiel guy and I still can't tell an SD70mac from an SD50MAC or whatever ti is, you're not alone. The only ones I know are the types the WSOR owns.

Just have to quickly stop in and let you all know the most recent progress.
Fake happenings:
The right of way has been graded, and I'll be laying track tommarrow. We'll be laying two spurs for builds that aren't there yet, but there being built on these sites this fall.

Reality:
I got that hole filled in with my Dad's help. Next comes track laying. In one spot I'm going to scratchbuild two industry buildings, so the building won't be there for a while, but I'm going to serve it like it is.

Noah

[Fergmiester]

Thanks for the link I was also able to snap a few pics of a GP9 or 24 (Pardon me but I'm a steam kinda guy) dressed in Raillink colours. I've also seen engines painted in BN Green and some Alco Century's painted in the CBNS livery. It's quite a diverse little railroad. I'm hoping to get up to Sydney to get more pictures in the near future. BTW I'm not a railfan

Regards
Fergie

[dharmon]

The line apparently belongs to Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway which is part of the RailAmerica corportation. The LLPX are lease units from Locomotive Leasing Partners which is a joint EMD/GATX leasing company. A lot of folks use the LLPX units.

Here's RA site: http://www.railamerica.com/railmaps/CBNS.htm

[Fergmiester]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Noah Hofrichter

I have to make one more stop in today. After much wait, (my fault, I never ask to ahve them hosted) I finally have pictures of my Wisconsin and southern Transfer caboose, scratchbuilt by-me. Thanks to Nora From the trains forums for hosting the pics.

The pictures don't do the real model justice, btu i hope they give you an idea of what it's like. The decals really are much crisper, but my camera isn't that good. If you want I cna post the page and a half write up of how I built it, but I figure nobody really wants to read that.......

Noah

Noah WELL DONE!

I too have been learning the finer points of painting buildings but you have done a wonderful job on your MOW car.

Egmurphy: My ears tweeked when I read BBQ. If all goes well today I'll be BBQ'ng Sirloin Burgers tonight! Speeaking of which last week while on vacation with the family I walked past some people of "high intellect". The lid was off the BBQ and thy where fanning the flames, this in itself was a bit curious but what made it more curious was the container of fire starter beside the BBQ. Everything seemed under control but still I told the manager as I wasn't sure if they had a converted a BBQ to a hibachi or what. Well I was told this the next morning. The vacationers had never used a propane BBQ before so instead oreading the instructions the filled the top of the BBQ with briquettes poured on starter, turned on the propane and lit it. I guess the part I wasn't privy to was the 3' flame that initiated the process.

Yes Houston we have lift off!

Teffy: Do you like Earl Grey! Choice of tea in my household. How are the trip plans progressing?

Der how's life on the Eastern Shore? I should know as I sailed past you last night.

Johnathin: I thought you would have been impressed as the other day as we were anchored off Port Hawkesbury I thought I was looking at 2 GP38's or 40's painted Conrail Blue with Operation Lifesaver painted on the side. Once I got closer the markings read LLPX. Anyone know who these belong to?

Anyway Take care everyone as I might be departing again today.

Regards
Fergie

[Junctionfan]

Good Morning; I am here in my apartment waiting for a new toilet. Their is nothing wrong with mine since it is new but they seem to want to replace it anyways. There are toilets all lined up in the hall. It trully is a throne room out there. Of course this probably means the landlord is going to jack up the rent soon after. Thease corporate slum lords are a real pain. You pay good money for a lousy apartment and when you want your money's worth they fix it for a price. If I was a king I would likely put their head on a pike for that but now a days that is called murder and not justice. Oh well, so much for not going over board expressing my frustrations. Is anybody suffering from the same ailment I am?

[Anonymous]

Morning everybody ! On my third and final cup this AM, the big tom cat having wakened me at 5AM.

It's really funny to watch him try to get one of us up to feed him. The other two just wait their respective turn if he fails. He usually gets his way, as he starts out just tapping my wife's lips very gently, as if to tickle her. If she snores back - a frequent and loud occurrance - he jumps in fright usually right on top of her, and scares the daylights out of her, and the other two cats, which are always camped out somewhere on the bed. He is a 24 pound Norwegian Forest Cat, and the other tom is a 17 pound American Shorthair, and the little female is a Maine Coon growing bigger by the day. It's quite a show when they all are hungry - which is about three times a day. The little female will start throwing body blocks on the passive & tubby 24 pounder, until he tips over. Then he covers up his face as she bats at him, until he's had enough, and kicks her off the bed, or rolls on top of her. And my wife sleeps, or pretends to, thru all of this!

Re: tea - in the South they mostly seem to drink it as iced-tea and very, very sweet.. When you ask for hot tea you almost get a "why?", and will usually get an off-brand and very weak tea bag, and a warm - not hot - small pot of water. And it's often a pain to get a refill (and another bag), although iced-tea refills are a piece of cake. Iced-tea is either "sweet tea" or "unsweetened tea", and you are an instant giveaway as a Yankee if you order just "tea" and ask for some sugar ! Not unlike when you're in NYC and order coffee, and the waitress or waiter asks if you want it "regular", and if you respond "huh?", or "no, I want it w/ cream (really milk or half and half) and sugar" ("Regular" coffee will normally get you a cup w/ a lot of milk and a lot of sugar in it. . .) I remember my Dad only using "heavy cream" in his coffee - one of the very few luxuries he ever allowed himself - except for tools, that is. Having coffee was a sacred ritual in our home when I was growing up. I used to have a cup of tea - or three - late every nite in high school along w/ a grilled cheese and sweet pickle sandwich on rye bread. Didn't start drinking coffee until I dated a real foxy (they still use that BLOCKED EXPRESSION Italian girl in my senior year who drank coffee and smoked, in an attempt to either look sophisticated, or to keep her body trim. Wonder what she looks like now? !

How did I get off on that subject?

Tom - I did get your email. Thanks for getting the G Scale list out to your club's members. I sold quite a bit this weekend, but hardly made a dent in the pile. I'll email you back about visiting your layout. Look forward to the visit.

And Teffy - would like the opportunity to meet you when you visit out this way. Let me know when you're coming out. Chuckled over your comment that "your son gets the shakes when he's not seen the Pacific Ocean for a week". That's how I used to recharge my interest in remaining in Orange County, CA when I lived there, as well as how some must feel that live in Orlando, except they have either the Atlantic or the Gulf to lure them. . .

Heading downstairs now to install a new door, and to make some clamp and lumber storage racks in the shop, so I better get off of here. Have a great day everyone.
BILL

[coalminer3]

Fog has lifted here and it's going to be a clear, warm day. The "Huns" went back to school today, and I'm so not ready to resume homeowrk assistance (I'm alright if I stay 1/2 chapter ahead in the math book). Have a good one.

work safe

[egmurphy]

QUOTE: There is, however, another finished room in the basement adjacent to the RR room. It's also about 13 1/2 by 15 1/2. We use it as Shawna's dance studio, with a 3/4" plywood built up floor and a mirrored wall behind the ballet bar. I've got a stub ended staging yard in there now. The RR might possibly expand into there at some point in the future.

Well there you go, a perfect place for a crew lounge/dispatcher's office!! [:D] And with the ballet bar lowered down to about 6"off the ground it also works well in front of the refreshment bar. All kinds of possibilities come to mind.

QUOTE: RUNNING TRAINS TAKES UP A LOT OF TIME. If it weren't for running the trains, I could probably get this layout built in about a year.

I need to get my butt in gear and get to the point where I can actually RUN trains instead of merely doing the exercise in my head. Maybe less time on the forums would help? [:O]

I didn't get anything done over the weekend on the trains themselves, but did spend some time reorganizing the photos after the hard drive restore. This week for sure. Just let me have another cup of coffee first!

Maybe I could convince Noah to come down and help. He's making faster progress than I ever expected to make.


Later

Ed

[Anonymous]

Good Morning All:

Tom:
Don't think that just because the kids go off to college that they are gone. NO! NO! NO! We have two boys and they shared a bedroom. Stephanie finally made a sewing room out of it and let me have about 1/3 of it, then their was no place for them to return to and they didn't like sleeping on the sofa. When we bought this house (a 4, 1 1/2, 0 - free standing garage), it has two bedrooms, sitting room and the 1/2 bath upstairs. They think that the upstairs is theirs. At first we were going to stay up there if my Mother and her Aunt came to live with us but with her stroke it takes her 5 - 10 min to get up there. She gave me a room for the train and I've got my first layout in the sitting room and we have a bed set up in the third room. Now when the boys come home one's in the bed upstairs and one's in the bed downstairs. They don't come home as much as they used to. When Alex gets laid off and it's going to be awhile (he works construction) he'll come in for a week or two or until another job picks up. Nick doesn't come home as much as he's a beach bum, if he doesn't see the Pacific Ocean at least once a week he gets the shakes. He thought Fla was they way to go until Alex talked him into comming out to Calif.



Well yesterday was a good day to run trains, wire, and install Tortoises. I didn't get any of the jobs completed. Still have to get more trains run, the throat wired, and the rest of the Tortises in the yard. Then is time to start work on the second level and the branch line. RUNNING TRAINS TAKES UP A LOT OF TIME. If it weren't for running the trains, I could probably get this layout built in about a year. I've been two years on it now and have the main yard in, the bottom loop, and both staging yards. All of the track so far, is blocked and running DCC.

Well so much for my trials and tribulations, I've got to get dressed and go to work.

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

[tomwatkins]

Good Mornin' Everybody,
It's going to be a great, but very busy day in the mountains today. The first rule of home improvement projects has kicked in on Shawna's room - they always take longer, they always cost more. The paint finish we're covering is a blue sponge painting over a white base. I thought 1 good coat of primer would be sufficient. Wrong. The blue shows through and gives a mottled effect. So today it gets a 2nd coat of good primer to provide an even surface for the ragged on butterscotch fini***he Ladies have decided on. It will be very pretty when it's done, it's just going to take as long as it takes.

Ed, no, no, Shawna's room is one into which the railroad shall not venture! First, the railroad is in the basement and Shawna's room is on the main floor about 9 feet above it. At 4" of rise per turn, a 27 turn helix would probably do. That doesn't sound like fun to me. Second once I broke through the floor into Shawna's room I'd get to find out just how good a sense of humor Louise really has. I don't think I'll push my luck that hard.
There is, however, another finished room in the basement adjacent to the RR room. It's also about 13 1/2 by 15 1/2. We use it as Shawna's dance studio, with a 3/4" plywood built up floor and a mirrored wall behind the ballet bar. I've got a stub ended staging yard in there now. The RR might possibly expand into there at some point in the future. If I stayed close to the walls with fairly narrow shelves I could get a short stretch of the Nantahala Gorge, Champion Paper Co., which was for many years the Southern's largest customer, and a condensed version of the Asheville yard. I do have photos and drawings of the yard, roundhouse, etc. I'd really like to model that yard. But first i need to finish what I've got going on now. There's lots of scenery, structures and details yet to do. Not to mention about ten zillion trees.

Teffy, that sounds good. It would be great for you, Bill and I to get together here. If you're tight on space, you don't have to bring the gremlins. I have enough home grown ones here. Maybe you could take some of these back with you?

I'd better get going on the day now, have a great day everyone,
Tom

[der5997]

TEFFY: You wrote
"Don't buy any tea just for me, I've been in the charter bus business for over twenty years and have learned ALWAYS CARRY TEA. In the states, some places don't even know their is such a thing as "hot" tea. One time when I ask for a cup of HOT tea they brought me a class of tea with no ice cubes."

No, you'll get what's on hand[:P] [:D] At least here in Canada tea is generally recognised as being hot unless ordered as "Iced Tea". (Benefit of a Colonial Past, just think what could have been possible if it hadn't been for that unpleasantness in Boston! [swg])
The challenge here is to get the restaurant staff to put the tea bag in the pot before adding the hot (boiling is too much to hope for) water. If one doesn't ask for this, the bag is on the side, and the water rapidly cooling. Result, something rather like brewed hay.[V][:-,]
It's just on 7:00p.m. here, so you'd better stop that wiring and get ready for the service.
Blessings,

[Noah Hofrichter]

Chris, you bet it is. I came home from my Vacation last Sunday and couldn't get on, so it's been about a week for me.

Changes continue on the Rehab of the A.R.K. sub. In it's fake history, the previous owners hadn't used it for a while, so it's in fairly delapidated state, and most of the ties are being replaced, and some regrading is being done. In reality? I've got the track up and were filling in a gap in the plywood. The way it looks I should be relaying track on tuesday and I should be operating again on friday, if all goes well. I won;t have any buildings for my two new industries yet though. Ones going to be a printing place, receving paper in 50ft Hi-cube Boxcars, and the other will be a plastics mold making place, reciving plastic pellets in covered hoppers. I plan on (I think, this isn't sure yet) using a commercial building proabably slightly modified for the plstics plant, but I think I'll scratchbuild the printing place. I want the cars to go in the printing building along one end, and then I'll ahve a removeable roof over the area where the cars will sit, so I can get in there and disconnect the cars to pull them out. I think it'll all work. The changes will give me more switching operations, one of the things that I love about the hobby.

Noah

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Noah Hofrichter

Oh by the way Johnathon, both yours and Jay's sites on BBfree are knocked out. I e-mailed Jay and he said it was routine mantinece by BBFree, btu do you know when there going to be back on line? It's been a week now.

Noah

It's been more than a week since I could last get onto there, are you guys getting a page listing the "errors" of not being able to get on either forum, too?

[Anonymous]

John:
Don't buy any tea just for me, I've been in the charter bus business for over twenty years and have learned ALWAYS CARRY TEA. In the states, some places don't even know their is such a thing as "hot" tea. One time when I ask for a cup of HOT tea they brought me a class of tea with no ice cubes.

Stephanie and I are really looking forward to this trip and meeting some of the guys that I've been talking to. My dad was a ham operator and when we went on vacation we'd always stop by and meet someone that he talked to on the radio.

Tom - Bill:
What is the chance of all three of us getting together at Tom's?

Bill:
You and I could sit around and play Devils advicate. I can screw-up a layout in twenty minutes just by standing their and looking at it. Besides that, I'm bringing a slew of TEXAS size gremelins with me - I need to get rid of a few.

I am re-wireing my yard last night and today, I hope to be through by church tonight but I'm not sure. I've got the lead to the turntable in place (but no turntable yet) and can now power it up. I'm going to look at the one at Custom Model Railroad Builders in Baltimore and see if that's what I want. I'm going to use the bridge as a program track and hook it up through a DPDT switch so I can use it regular or program on it. It'll be the shortest program track I've evey had and I might have trouble checking the "start" voltage and the momentiem but then, time will tell. I've got eight Tortoise's to put in, silicone sure makes it easy and quick.

Well I've got to go upstairs and finish my wireing job.

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

[der5997]

QUOTE: Originally posted by fec153

der5997- It is stright in tea bags. Orange box- sometimes in with kosher foods.
Depending how strong you make it,can make 3 cups. Size of cup matters too. I
drink it stright.
Phil

Thanks Phil, I'll look out for it. The Tetley's makes 3 mugs (6 cup measure cups) from one bag with ease. You don't want to know how many cups my brother and his wife can squeeze from a single tea bag. Incidentally he is visiting from the UK about the same time as TEFFY is due to make his tour. Would be a major clash of cultures if they were to meet.[:0][alien]

[fec153]

der5997- It is stright in tea bags. Orange box- sometimes in with kosher foods.
Depending how strong you make it,can make 3 cups. Size of cup matters too. I
drink it stright.
Phil

[der5997]

QUOTE: Originally posted by fec153

der5997- TEFFY- try to find a tea called-SWEE-TOUCH-NEE. Wal-mart here in mid Fla.
sells it. In Miami ,Publix. If you want flavor and strong wake up power, try it.
Phil

May be into our nearest WalMart Monday (1 3/4 hours away)
Is this tea pre-sweetened? If so, sugar or non-sugar? Anyway, I;ll have a look to seeif it's made its way north. Thanks for the tip

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Hawks05

Elliott just read the message.

i was around but it came earlier than that lastnight (7). around 6:45 i heard a whistle then again around 8:30 and again at 10:50 and sometime around 1. very busy night through here. i didn't do anything as i just got home from vacation so i was tired. plus i was playing a game on Madden so i didn't want to pause and run after the train. around 10:50 though when i heard the train i remembered my car was still outside so i had to put it in. i went out into the street to watch the train go by but by the time i got out it was through town. brrr it was freezing, right around 50-45 degrees by 11. ridiculous for mid August in Wisconsin.

20 miles away, it's just as cold. I heard one around 12:30, it must have been the one you heard around 1:00. Busy day indeed. Big Girl and I just ended up going to the fish fry in Hudson, like we usually do on Friday nights.

The other day, I bumped into a new guy on the CTT forum. He lives closer to me than you do. I called him up yesterday, and we talked for an hour and a half. He's coming over to the house on Wednesday. Kinda funny, cause he delivers pizzas too.[swg]

[fec153]

der5997- TEFFY- try to find a tea called-SWEE-TOUCH-NEE. Wal-mart here in mid Fla.
sells it. In Miami ,Publix. If you want flavor and strong wake up power, try it.
Phil

[Hawks05]

Elliott just read the message.

i was around but it came earlier than that lastnight (7). around 6:45 i heard a whistle then again around 8:30 and again at 10:50 and sometime around 1. very busy night through here. i didn't do anything as i just got home from vacation so i was tired. plus i was playing a game on Madden so i didn't want to pause and run after the train. around 10:50 though when i heard the train i remembered my car was still outside so i had to put it in. i went out into the street to watch the train go by but by the time i got out it was through town. brrr it was freezing, right around 50-45 degrees by 11. ridiculous for mid August in Wisconsin.

[der5997]

TEFFY: You wrote in part
"I don't have any sypathy (SP) for people with high water or 6" in an hour because that's what can happen here, but give us 2" of snow and the whole area becomes a disaster zone."

Reminds me of a time in the late 60s when i was in Niagra Falls, Ontario on business. It was winter, and the spray from the falls freezes when it hits the ground, trees, whatever. I was down by the falls, and there was a car with Mexico plates. The driver was trying to back out of his parking spot (a slight incline down) that was covered in this frozen spray. He was generating quite a lot of steam with his tires, but not getting anywhere.[banghead] I asked if I could help, 'cause "been there, done that" and I knew what he was missing.
Slid into the seat, and just gently reversed out, to his amazement. ( I was lucky, it worked) Counterintuitive, this snow and ice business, like driving "into" a skid in order not to spin.

We'll try not to have any snow when you visit, but can't be sure anymore
[}:)]

[egmurphy]

QUOTE: We got Shawna off to college on Wednesday. .........The major project on the schedule is the redo of Shawna's room. Everything is moved out except the drawer cases and the bed. That's next and then the carpet comes out. Then the painting begins. It's going to really look good when it's done.

Geeez Tom, you didn't waste any time in appropriating her room after shipping her off to college. I didn't realize you needed more space for your layout. [swg]

QUOTE: ..the standard coffee cream in Nova Scotia is 18%, not the wussy 10% that the rest of NA uses in their coffee.

Back NOB where we could get it we used Half and Half. I have no idea of the % or how that compares to what you have. Down here, due to choice limitations, we've gone to using condensed milk. You gotta make do with what's available. [^] Actually, even finding real tea is difficult where we are. There's a lot of those 'artificial' teas that are made from herbs, flowers and what-have-you. I suspect there is a selection of real teas available in larger metropolitan areas down here, but we're kind of out in the lesser provinces.

Anyway, it's good hot coffee to start off the day. I suppose it could be a bit late in the morning to be saying 'start off' but this isn't the first cup.

Hasta luego,

Ed

[tomwatkins]

Good Mornin' Everybody,
Sorry I haven't been around much this past week, but things just got real busy. I had time to stick my nose in and smell the coffee a time or two, but didn't have time or energy to stop by and enjoy a cup with all of you.

We got Shawna off to college on Wednesday. She's starting her junior year at Brenau University in Gainesville, Ga. It's a small private women's college with a really good theater program.We've really been pleased with all the faculty and staff that we've met and talked to so far. I think she will have a really good year. Life goes on, and it's about changes. Ron just had a new baby ( Big time congratulations!) and we just took our baby off to college.

I think food is always a good topic, especially barbecue. Another thing we're blessed with here in the mountains are some excellent BBQ places, as well as what we turn out on the grill on the back porch. However on the way back from Gainesville Wednesday afternoon, Louise and I stopped at a place just south of Cleveland Ga, that we'd never tried before. It was absolutely the worst BBQ I've ever had. It was full of fat, gristle and who knows what else. The only part of the cow they didn't use was the moo. Oh well, we survived, and it will give us something else to remember and laugh about for a long time.

Noah, The transfer cab really looks good. It turned out great. Too bad nobody else followed through on the contest, but you did. Ed's right, you set a goal, completed it, and it turned out super. Regardless of what anybody else did, that makes you a winner. I hope you enjoy making the changes to your layout. In one sense having to go back and redo things can seem like a pain and a waste of time, but it's really not. I think it's actually time very well spent. The railroad will operate better, be more fun and more satisfying when your done. And you will have learned more about what works and what suits you. I'm just finishing several years of going back through and redoing large parts of mine to increase curve radiai, and frog numbers and to make it a more accurate representation of what was actually there. I'm a lot happier with what I've got now than I ever would have been if I'd left it the way it was. Good Luck with the changes.

Ed, hummingbirds are so cool. They are very beautiful and great to watch. In addition to the feeders for the larger birds, we have a hummingbird feeder on the back porch. We really enjoy it.

Teffy, I also applaude and subscribe to your comment about it being well worth the chase. It took me a half a century to find Louise. It was worth every minute of it.

Welcome Back Bill. It's good to see you back in the coffee shop. I hope you got the email I sent yesterday. Give me a call.

Well everybody, I'd better wind this up and get the day going. The major project on the schedule is the redo of Shawna's room. Everything is moved out except the drawer cases and the bed. That's next and then the carpet comes out. Then the painting begins. It's going to really look good when it's done. But first it's time for another cup of really good coffee.

Have A great Day Everybody,
Tom