Elliot´s Trackside Diner, Mark XX

[Robby P.]

 Good morning.   Just a quick stop

 I have to go and renew my drivers lincense .  That means.............................A wait in line .  

 Well I will be back in later.  

[Anonymous]

 Good Afternoon, Folks!

Zoe, a glass of diet coke, please!

I am back from the seminar - I have answered all the questions and filled out all the forms. So what will I do there until the end of next week ?

I am getting weary of this game!

Robby P. - we never renew our licenses, they are valid a lifetime. This means no check-ups, no eye testing. Can you figure a 95 year old man, driving a Porsche at 150 mph down the Autobahn?

Jeffrey - I like that weathered brick look!

Petra is busy packing up - I´d like to help her, but she won´t let me - better to stay out of her way...  She has been to job counseling today. The guy more or less told her that she has to accept any job, even cleaning the restroom is okay for someone with an academic background. He cited all corresponding paragraphs (incorrectly), but refused to comment on what the labor agency is doing to get her into a job, after being a housewife and mother for 24 years. When I came home, there was a tigress in the house, not the kitten that used to purr when I came home in previous years. Good to see the old gal´s  still getting emotional

 Edit:

Moving date has just been confirmed to be Nov. 24th. My Last visit to the Diner will be then on the 23rd. I won´t have a telephone or Internet connection for quite some time, so I don´t know when I will be back....

[TMarsh]

Good morning. Breakfast pile please. Coffee and could I get a glass of Ed's OJ and a cup of coffee? Thank you. Today: Occasional rain. High near 46. Breezy, with a east wind between 13 and 21 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.Tonight: Occasional rain. Low around 42. East northeast wind between 10 and 13 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Actually only 1.9" so far out of this since it started Sunday. Not as bad as I thought it would be. We'll see what happens today and tomorrow. They say we could get 4" sure don't need it now.

Today, like many before it and many more to come, I plan on spending a goodly amount of time in Toddland (of which I'm king) I shall, however, refrain from saying anything so as to not jinx it. DOOOH! Too late.

Jim- Upstate Illinois Election Commissioners have it kinda rough in less than optimal weather. It gets pretty nasty writing down all those names in the Cemetery when it's cold and rainy.

Ooooo! Could I get a couple of Ray's cookies please? Thaaaaank you. Todd's love cookies.

Jeff- Looks good. I was going to question either my monitors colors or the possibility of you changing your mind on the colors of the stone work, but I see know what you've done. Say, You have lights in your buildings right? I noticed in the interior corner of the building you just showed and can't tell if that is just the paint over run, or do you fill the crack after assembly to block the light. I was thinking of skimming some Squadron putty in the joints as a light block in case I ever decide to add lights. Which is a real possibility somewhere down the line.

Everything is good so far except I have discovered a mystery cut. A small one, but right on the inside knuckle of my right index finger, making it annoying at worst but annoying it is. Which reminds me, Zoe? Could I get a mug with a handle that has room for two fingers so the injury isn't pressed against the handle? The pain is excruciating. Something you just wouldn't understand.

Glad to see ya'ller getting yer flu shots. We got ours her in Williamsville at the community center a few weeks ago. The local Doctor who is also the Veterinarian and sells feed and does light lawn service, gave the shots. Well he was busy trying to get all the lawns done for the year and some burning  done, and it seems he got the serum mixed up and they all got a Yellow Jaundice shot. Most people didn't mind, some never had one before and thought it was pretty neat to say they got one. I understand he didn't charge for it which was nice. You just don't get that kind of consideration in big cities. I think he gave the flu shots later so we should be good to go there. I don't get one myself but I might next year. I figure the older I get the more likely I am to get the flu. Or Yellow Jaundice, either one

Welp, best get a move on, I have a couple hours before I have to go unload the truck. Actually I just put the stock away, but it sounds like more work if I say unload the truck. Then back home as there is nothing to do outside other than wash the tractor for winter and I don't think I'll do that this year. Aaaa. Ya never know, I might. Maybe I'll have another cup of coffee and think about it. Say where's that mug with the big handle? I'm starting to tear up here.

Have a Great Day!!!

[JimRCGMO]

Good Morning, Zoe - I'll have one of those nutiritious chocolate donuts and some coffee in a CAW mug, please. Ooh, and a couple of Ray's chocolate chip cookies, too? Thanks!

Jeff, like the weathering on your DPM kit. Has your rain stopped there? Ours mostly is stopped today, but still grey and cloudy here, won't warm up but about 5 degrees for the whole day.

Sir Madog

Moving date has just been confirmed to be Nov. 24th. My Last visit to the Diner will be then on the 23rd. I won´t have a telephone or Internet connection for quite some time, so I don´t kno when I will be back....

Ulrich, good to hear that the red-tape people are keeping your and Petra's determination up. Are there any internet cafe's in your area, or a library where you could go use a computer? The cafe' might want you to get a cup of coffee, but if your libraries there are like the setup most here have, you just need to get a library card and live within the library's area they serve. Hate to lose touch with you and Petra..

Todd - I'd heard that was a difficulty with rainy day elections up north there. Hope you and Toddland get re-acquainted today. Sounds like you have a busy schedule, though - are you sure you can fit everything into the day (with that bum finger that ya have)?

I'll sit at the RC a while and see who else comes in.

 

Blessings,

Jim in dreary Cape Girardeau (where did that sun go?)

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

TMarsh

Jeff- Looks good. I was going to question either my monitors colors or the possibility of you changing your mind on the colors of the stone work, but I see know what you've done. Say, You have lights in your buildings right? I noticed in the interior corner of the building you just showed and can't tell if that is just the paint over run, or do you fill the crack after assembly to block the light. I was thinking of skimming some Squadron putty in the joints as a light block in case I ever decide to add lights. Which is a real possibility somewhere down the line.

I only seal up those areas that would bleed light on a part of the building a viewer would be likely to see. If the building will be at the back of the layout there's little reason to close up cracks in the back side of it unless light from them would show on something else/

[Cox 47]

Good Morning..Its another rainny morning here and 43...I'll have coffee and a sweet roll please..Not much going on  the I&S ran some coal drags yesterday and am working on a paper building..You all have a good one...Jerry

[Anonymous]

 Jim - no internet cafe around this place -it is just a sleepy village proto German suburbia. Should the sans-internet time be longer, it´ll mean hardship for me - visiting the Diner is something like a lifeline to me.

Ray - you and Petra should enter into a chocolate chip cookie  baking contest - I have here an old President of the US of A -  a Civil War veteran, who tells me, that Petra will win ... 

[Robby P.]

 Well I'm back.  PA and NC do the lincense renew just different.  NC you take a eye test (signs, and letters).  PA you just go and get a picture taken and thats it. 

 Not much planned today.  Might cut some grass, then I might not .

 Ulrich.......Lifetime?   I think it would be bad to see a 95 year old man, driving a Porsche at 150 mph down the Autobahn.  CRAZY but bad

 Well I guess I better find something to do.  

 Everybody have a good morning.

[Anonymous]

 Robby P. - yes, it is very bad

In my good years (so more than 5 years back) I had one of those Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Turbos - in silver with red leather interior. Top speed was 205 mph, but I never drove it faster than 175 mph. I can tell you - that is FAAAAAST !

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe a short stack of buckwheat pancakes would be just the thing and don't forget the real Maple Syrup please.  Oh my usual dark roast coffee in a FGLK mug as well!  I'll go sit at the rivet counter this morning.

Ulrich I would gladly have a baking contest for the cookies (and the photo of Abe) but I would have to bet on Petra too.........  I'm afraid after they have tasted Petra's Strudel, I wouldn't stand a chance of winning....  Good luck with the move!  Hope you can can get internet service without too long a wait, we will miss you.

Got interrupted while typing this.  Another member of the Properties Committee calling in his choices for the Capitol Spending Plan.  

I better get a move on, so I'll catch you all later!

73

[Cederstrand]

Coffee in a large UNION PACIFIC mug, please & thanks.

***Philip/Criss, wonder if my wife did that (naked Rule) back when she drove an ambulance? I do know as a nurse, if there is a patient like that they DO get the BIG needles and there isn't anything gentle about it. Old nurses won't take any cra* from patients with attitudes.

***Tom, that new loco is a beauty and the scenery she's pulling through looks great, too.

***Ulrich, hope your move goes smoothly. It would be ashame to lose you here in the Diner. Perhaps an internet conection will present itself at some time in the near future.

Did some more ballasting on the wife's layout yesterday. Over halfway finished now. One of the arms quit working on a switch though. Not sure I can get it working again. Probably a small pebble fell into a crack or bent the metal rod under there. At least the gate on the other side works fine.

Have a good day all. Rob

 

[JeremyB]

 back again guys

the plumbing prob is all cleared up ( hopefully ) just need some new caulking around the tub.

Jeremy

[TMarsh]

Jeremy- Good to hear the plumbing is fixed

Robby- Here in Illinois with a silent "s", pronounced "ILL-annoy" (ironic isn't it), as long as you haven't had any moving violations we have no test for renewing the D.L. either. You must however take a vision test every time. We do however have this strange idea of taking a six lane interstate and making it a 4 lane, (possibly refered to as 3 lane and two lane depending on where you are from I'm told) around big towns and adding the extra lane again once the congestion of the city is over.

Ulrich- Do remind us the day before you loose the internet so I / we can wish you well and you will still be able to see the well wishes. I for one would like to send you off on your little hiatus with a virtual handshake and a pat on the back until you can return. Possibly you could find someone who has a connection that would let you stop in from time to time to keep us updated and know you and Petra are well?

[fec153]

Ulrich, L'Chaim unt gay mit glick.

Flip

 

[Packers#1]

 Well, another boring school day gone by. Got some loco weathering planned for later though.

[Packer]

Ulrich, I'd be impressed to see a 85 year-old or older person do above 25 mph, but 150?!?!? I'd probably have to clean my glasses just to make sure I'm not seeing things.

BTW, what happened to the Porsche? (like I could actually afford it anyways)

Todd, that's really backwards. I guess Floriduh (yes, it' pronunced like that; should be spelled like that) does the same thing. Have the main highway going through town 40 on the 3-lane portion, but 30 on the busier 3-lane portion (where I had my incident). We also have stop lights that will go red on you, even if no one else is at the light wating for a green. And they wonder why traffic is always bad??

[blownout cylinder]

Good Evening--

Ulrich: A friend of ours father--a veteran of the Bonneville (Utah) Salt Flats race era---had a Ruf Porsche 911 turbo that he took down there as a 'lark' when he was 87 years old. Fastest he got was 225mph in it. He did take the dang thing on the 403 just east of Woodstock ON and 'dropped the hammer' --got to 185mph---he now drives a more 'sensible car'---a V12 Jaguar E type BTW---hope that when you move that it is smooth and that you can get reconnected soon-----gonna miss you--

We went running around doing some HD listy things and doing some trestle stuff as well---gonna see about getting decking together in some way----

Chloe, I'll have a coffee and a SRP please----I'll be at the RC for a bit

 

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Howdy Diners!

 Mmmmm .... Munch Munch ....... Thanks for the cookies, Ray.

Latest on my BIL is he is still in ICU until his heart beats OK again. He has a low heart rate, and he just had open heart surgery a few weeks ago. His neck arteries were in bad shape and surgeon repaired them.

Ulrich ... It's going to be rough on the chow hounds to wait an extended period for strudel. Seriously, I wish you and Petra the best. I'm curious if you have considered teaching at the college level with your 2 degress.

Speaking of Porsches, we still have the old one in the garage I mentioned a few months ago.

I am continuing to build my department store for my downtown.

 

 

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

Ulrich and Petra   Rest assured we are going to miss you folks more than you'll miss us.

Both of you will be in our prayers for health and healing both Physical, Spiritual and Emotional. as well as Financial.

I firmly believe that you have endured much and have done so graciously, you will now find a new round of blessings coming your way.

If you indeed loose your internet connection it will only be a very temporary thing. 

We really value your opinion and your German slant on things. You have been an asset to this Forum.  And we want you back as soon as possible.

Tell Petra that this small interuption will give us older guys a chance to get our figures back from what her wonderful pastry has done to us.

And tell her to take care of herself as well as watching over you.

God Bless.

Johnboy out for now.............................. I just located this little story that we should all remember, but right now this is especially for you and Petra.

Here goes.

 

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.

 

 

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him..

 

When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

 

He then asked the students if the jar was full.

 

They agreed that it was.

 

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly.

 

The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

 

He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

 

They agreed it was.

 

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.

 

Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

 

He asked once more if the jar was full.

 

The students responded with a unanimous ' yes. '

 

 

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

 

The students laughed..

 

 

' Now, ' said the professor as the laughter subsided, ' I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

 

The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

 

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

 

The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

 

' If you put the sand into the jar first, ' he continued, ' there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

 

The same goes for life.

 

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.. 

 

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

 

Spend time with your children.

 

Spend time with your parents.

 

Visit with grandparents.

 

Take time to get medical checkups.

 

Take your spouse out to dinner.

 

Play another 18.

 

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

 

Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter.

 

Set your priorities.

 

The rest is just sand.

 

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented.

 

The professor smiled and said, ' I ' m glad you asked. '

 

The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there ' s always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

 

Please share this with someone you care about. I JUST DID!

 

 

LIFE ISN ' T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS...
...IT ' S LEARNING HOW TO DANCE IN THE RAIN !

 

 

Mayonnaise Jar & Two Beers..

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Packer: Didn't the name Florida come from the Spanish term "Pasqua Florida"? I remember from history that means 'Flowery Easter'. An apt name. It was known as La Florida until some time in the 1630's. The Tequesta Indians named it tegesta and it was known by that name after it came up on a map published in Joannes de Laet's 'History of the New World'. (Found that while looking for info on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a couple of years ago). It was even divided up into East Florida and West Florida. Control of the area went back and forth among several countries until the British were defeated in the Revolutionary War, at which time control went back to Spain. The Spanish offered land grants to anyone who settled there and many Americans went there. Spain ceded Florida to the US in 1819. The state has a VERY interesting history.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 Here's another building I was doing some work on today. It's the O.L. King & Sons building from Walther's. There used to be a building similar to in Leesville. It was torn down after being condemned several years before.

[howmus]

 Evenin' folks!

Chloe I just stopped by for desert.  Just had a nice roast chicken dinner (yes I can have a little chicken on the diet.... Just have to watch the portions), mashed taters, and broccoli.  How about a slice of pumpkin pie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the top, and a cup of decafe if you wouldn't mind.

Ulrich, a guy who lived next door to me when I lived in Waverly, NY had a 911T Porsche back in the early 70's.  He let me drive it a few times....  I can remember going from 30mph to 90mph in just about the time it took to push the gas peddle down............ That was in 3rd gear.  I also rode with him once where we were doing over 125 down route 17 in the southern tier.  We had a little race in the back roads of PA right after he got the car.  I was driving my 1971 super beatle with an extractor exhaust.  Very few straight aways and a lot of sharp curves.  He couldn't keep up with me....  He was very embarrassed, the next weekend the 2 of us put a add on torsion bar suspention in the Porsche.  That was one great set of wheels!  He ended up wrapping it into a block wall of a gas station in Towanda, PA  a couple months after he got it.  He tried going around a hairpin turn at about 125mph.  Both he and the passenger in the car walked away with some minor bruises............  The wall of the gas station on the other hand was completely destroyed.

When I was first married, my BIL had a jeep that he had thrown a Chevy 283 into......  He used to have fun drag racing it on Main Street in Canandiagua back then....  It was fun to blow away all the Corvettes, Dodge Dart Hemis, etc.  It would do 0 - 60 in  a second or so.  All depended on how fast you let the clutch in.  Of course you started in high gear and blew blue smoke off all 4 tires.......  I drove that monster back and forth to Rochester for about 2 weeks after I got rear ended with my 1960 VW in Rochester.  I could make 2 days if I was careful before I had to fill the gas tank.  The VW could make the 70 mile round trip for 5 days on one $3 fill up.  The Jeep was $25 a week or more.  Decided we couldn't afford that so I borrowed a 36 Hp VW van from the guy who was fixing the bug.  I learned how to be a patient driving at that time..............  After starting from a stop, you could hit high gear (4th) in, oh, 3 or 4 minutes.  (putt           putt        putt    putt   putt   putt  putt putt)

Vincent the stoplight thing is part of Axelrods Law.  If you are in a hurry, the stoplight will always turn red just before you reach the intersection.  Also see Moore's Correlate:  If you are not in a hurry, the light will turn green just as soon as you come to a full stop.

Garry I hope your BIL recovers soon and can enjoy feeling better.  My prayers sir!

Johnboy, well said!

I'll go over to the Rivet Counter and see how Barry is doing tonight...

[Cederstrand]

Hot Cocoa, please.

Picked up a couple bags of sand at HD (for an outdoor rock wall) and discovered it is fairly fine stuff. So, added some on top of the ballast work I had already done and it looks better/finer now. Still perhaps a little larger than actual real life RR ballast, but good enough for us. I like doing things on the cheap when possible.

Called the Doc back. Looks like a soft tissue mass in my neck. That sounds preferable to being something in my head. Perhaps I should still get the MRI done on it. Odd that my wife has what sounds like the same thing in her neck.

Hope everyone is doing well this evening. 

Rob

[blownout cylinder]

jeffrey-wimberly

 Here's another building I was doing some work on today. It's the O.L. King & Sons building from Walther's. There used to be a building similar to in Leesville. It was torn down after being condemned several years before.

I could see that with a couple of blocked in windows and a concrete repair patch or two--or three

I'm playing with 'Spring'--he found a loose robe tie and was walking around with crying--like he was looking for a safe haven for his little one. So I picked up the other end and we started a tug of war----OOPS! --there he goes tumbling over backwards-----a backward summersault----

Catch you LTR

[CNCharlie]

Good Evening Diners!

Another nice day today in Winterpeg, well at least nice for us at 8C. The normal is -2C so that is quite an improvement but it is supposed to end on the week-end, sigh.

Rob, yes perhaps it would be a good idea to get an MRI. Say, do you have a Walthers 2-8-4 and if so what is it like? I'm thinking of adding one to my collection. Don't ask me why as I don't have any track set up but just can't seem to stop from buying more N scale stuff.

Ulrich, I sure hope you are able to stop in here after your move as we certainly will miss you. Could you get an internet connection in your new apartment? 

All quiet here for the moment as both dogs are asleep. In the case of Pippa that is most of the time but Robin is a rather lively little fellow. I spoke too soon, he just woke up as he seems to be a little spooked with the noise from the wind outside. Tomorrow he has his last obedience class, sure hope he passes! Oh the shame if he flunks! Think I'll tell him his treat supply will be cut off if he does which should do the trick as he'll do no end of sit, shake a paw, down, fetch a toy if he gets a treat. My wife says it is much like training a husband. Personally I refuse to do shake a paw.

Well it is time to pick up said wife from her Tueday stint at the restaurant.

CN Charlie

[der5997]

 

      Good evening folks: I took a day off from the freight yard project, but that is coming along OK, with revisions "on the fly". I did get my first patching of a loco complete. It would have taken Jeff all of 5 minutes, but I had to have several goes at it - a real display of utter incompetence really. Factors impeding the completion were:

• Trouble finding a letter set that would do. Settled on a sheet of DECAdry black 12 point in an undeclared font.
• Finding the white Micro Scale decal sheet (not stored with the letter sets.)
• Finding the Solvaset (1980s vintage and still going strong) not stored with either the decals or the letters.
• Finding the photo of a Leasing Company's loco taken in Stellarton NS. Not where I thought it was.
• Miss-reading the reporting marks - or general dyslexia  (I've numeric dyslexia anyway, but general is not so common for me.) as GERX instead of the actual GEXR. (Goderich and Exeter Railway  G&E are two towns in South West Ontario about which doubtless Barry is full of "many cheerful facts") The GER is now a leasing company. GERX is a recycling firm in NY and NJ, among other places.) Both are genuine reporting marks, but I was after the G&E.
• Forgetting that dry transfer letters usually work better if the sheet is warmed first. This resulted in having to rub too hard, which lift not only the letter in question, but also a patch of the white decal "patch".
• Cutting the decal sheet to patch out the XR too small for one of the two pieces I needed.
• Miss-aligning the tiny patch to cover the even tinier bit of black showing at the edge of the too small patch, and having to cut and place another.

Anyway, here is the result.

Joe:

Speaking of the new layout, I have a problem. I had originally planned to buy a few tank cars. But now I'm thinking that maybe I can start with benchwork with that money,

...I'd be going in that direction. You already have some cars, why not build a pike on which to run them. Congrats on the school work BTW.

Ulrich: Hopefully the Geműtlichkeit of your flat is not as in "ihr sitzt da in aller Gemütlichkeit, und ich arbeite wie ein Verrückter" (Google led me to Collins German - English dictionary!)

Congratulations on the Attic Victory!

Randy: On your track choice, check out the Peco Code 55 switches. They make them Code 55 by using Code 80 rail and engineering a "lip" at the code 55 height. This may or may not be suitable for your purposes. As far as I know, their code 55 rail is just that, but I've not seen any to know for sure.

Also BTW, I've updated the RBF page in Wikipedia to include RBF = Root Beer Float.

CapeJim:

I have one friend who wrote a couple of childrens' books (well, the second one was for teens), and the first one is doing pretty well (not sure how much she gets out of the sale of each book, though).

...there was an author on the radio today saying that he gets 10% for hard cover, 6-8% for paperback. That's with a good agent - and they cost too!

not likely to freeze over the ponds like in other parts of the country (or up our Canadian brethrens' way).

...I wish our pond would stay as clear as that one Keith showed. Algae cloud things up even with a good filter plus an Ultra-violet light system. It seems right on the coast as we are, the spores are in the air constantly. Our pond although only 6-8 ft across is deep enough not to freeze solid, so the few fish we have don't need to be taken out for the winter. THAT could be a deal-breaker.

Keith:

Koshi, No Hisoku ?

Rob:

Lost a long post with responses. Not going to try again.

...I'm doing this opus in WORD, and will paste it into the Reply field using the "Post from Word" Icon in the Reply toolbar. That way, if it goes Poof, I've still got the original.

Jeremy:

Can anybody else share the Water problems they have had? maybe make me feel like im not the only one?

...take heart, we've had to have our daughter's house in Truro completely re-plumbed this Summer. The original pipes were thin walled copper (1962 build) The new ones are plastic. Took the plumber less than a day for the whole thing...However, I'm still re-placing ceiling tiles in the basement...and will be at that again tomorrow, and on and on. Slow, because I am learning on the job, and have zero prior experience.  The original "water in the basement there was because "someone" didn't know how to use a shower curtain! Don't get me started! We've also installed a sump pump this year as there are seepage issues after heavy rains - Grrrr.

Well, I've just started on page 34, but see that I'd better say Goodnight and get to bed if I'm to make it to Truro in any decent time tomorrow. God Bless, and Prayers for all in need of healing, comfort, prosperity and peace.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Hello again .

Jeff  I like the bricks! 

I just received these photos by email.

I wonder if they are enough to awaken Duke......

[Packer]

Jeff, it comes from something Spanish... But the Bucs? I'm a Packer's Fan!!

Ray, never knew there was a name for it. Well besides annoying anyways...

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

Cederstrand

Picked up a couple bags of sand at HD (for an outdoor rock wall) and discovered it is fairly fine stuff. So, added some on top of the ballast work I had already done and it looks better/finer now.

 

ROB:  Just make sure you run a magnet over and through that sand to make sure there is no metal particles in it.  That would really screw things up for you.

I checked a couple of sand samples  last summer and there was lots of metal in it.  There was a much in the sand as there was in some crusher dust that I checked as well.   I sure threw that idea out  right then.  I then checked some bagged play sand (sand box) and that proved to be clean and clear of any metal.

Just make sure or you will be ,  and you don't need that right now.

Johnboy out.......................

[TMarsh]

Got to work on the Whataburger a little bit this afternoon. But tomorrow! Tomorrow should allow me more time! ah ha! 

Johnboy- Absolutely wonderful story and very very true. I am saving that and posting it on my wall in the basement. Thanks for sharing.

Jeff- By golly you sure got the bricks down pat under the bottom left two windows. Looks just like some patches of old repaired but needs it again, and in need of tuck pointing sections on a couple buildings uptown in here in Willieville.

DerJohn- Your experience sounds so much like everything I attempt. It's a wonder I get anything done at all. Wait, most times I don't. Looks like it turned out OK though.

Rob- I always type in word and post like Der said ( surprised Jeff didn't poke in with an I told you so. He's a big advocate of posting from a word processing program). I only lost one post and I've done the word thing ever since. Well, unless it's something real short. Oh and check the sand with a magnet because it has a tendency to have metal in it. Ah I see Johnboy's already warned you.

Garry- WOW!!!! I looooove that second photo!!!! I've saved it and it WILL be blownup and printed! That is such a great shot! And I'm a diesel guy. Ya know pictures like that make me want to step back in eras. But then what would I do with my Whataburger.

Well, prayers for those in need