Elliott's Trackside Diner XXIII: Moving on...

[TMarsh]

THIS DINER IS CLOSED.

THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD TIMES
SEE YOU HERE

[Anonymous]

 ALL ABOARD!

We have reached page 50 - the switcher is coupled to the diner and here we go!

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning from Cain'tSeeADangThingVille---

-----Wherein we see fog, drizzle,fog, more drizzle, and lotsa fog----

Supposed to get cold and back to those little tiny snowflurries which will just barely cover the ice patches. Oh---and fog.

Going to have a few HD things today and a few minutes to spare to do some MR things---heeheehee

Lee:  We STILL have 22" of it here in our backyard But we sure have a lot of puddles and lakes---turning to ice later on----with fog

Chloe, I'll have a big ol' pile o' pancakes with Maple Syrup and coffee please---I'll be at the RC for a bit-----oh, did I mention we have fog here?

[Anonymous]

 Lee - here is a link to a company in UK, that may be able to supply you with the parts you need for your loco.

You should also contact Hornby and ask them, who will be able to deliver spare parts in the US. They have a bad record in answering, but maybe you are more lucky than I was.

Good luck!

[LSWrr]

Good morning all,

  

Rivarossi 4-8-8-4. Need a boiler cover and those pipes that go from the boiler to the front pilot truck.


Ulrich, thanks for looking into it for me.


It was 49F this morning and pouring rain, now get this; the high tomorrow 29F, by Friday the high will be 21F.  And snow here and there through the week.  I just got rid of all my snow piled in the yard.

[Anonymous]

 Good Morning Folks,

another day in my GULAG - 9 more to go! We are supposed to do some kind of "on the job" training, following our time in the GULAG. As if we have not worked before! Seems as if there is no bottom to worse!

Zoe, I´ll stay with my "bucket" of cafe au lait, croissants, butter and jam, please. 

It looks,as if the switcher is getting ready to do the move to the new track - I hope I have enough time to enjoy my breakfast.

It is still dang cold. This is the longest time span of sub-zero weather we had in over two decades. The weather guessers predict a slight improvement for the weekend, but also lotsa sn*w to come.

SHIIIVERR!

TBDanny - I had just started a small cruise shipping line, with three yacht-like cruise ships, when the credit crunch hit my business. I was able to fold up the company and settle all debts, but lost about $ 2 million in the process - my savings for the "rainy days". 

Thanks for offering to send me some of your HO equipment. You will find out, that the shipping cost are prohibitive. I once had to pay $ 80 for having a loco shipped from the US to Germany - crazy!

The times are rough, but I won´t give in or up!

Jim - Petra is 5´4" and I am 6´5" - has never been an issue. Her brother and her late father are of the same "size", so she is used of having tall men hangin´ around ...

Tom - congrats on you 2-8-8-2 - I am eager to see some pictures after the conversion!

Have a safe day!

[twhite]

Evening all from Soggy(again!)Cal: 

Okay, it was supposed to be SUNNY here this morning.  I was supposed to take my poor little orphan 2-8-8-2 out to the garage and strip her.  Yah, SURE!   

Anyway, Monday's storm came in a day early.  Well, not a storm, exactly, but just overcast and raining.  More snow in the mountains, level's down to about 3,000 feet today.  I wonder if UP's called out the rotaries, yet?   I mean, the ones that they inherited from SP (he said with a snicker).  So, we're supposed to get lots of WET until Tuesday, then supposed to clear up for a day or two until the next Express tears in from the Pacific.  Spooky and Uff-Dah are beside themselves, of course.  "Look Daddy, more RAIN!"   Weird cats.  Right now, Uff-Dah is sitting in the window by the computer, his little face just GLUED to the glass.  I think his tongue is hanging out. 

Had a nice day.  A good friend of mine, a really terrific Jazz singer and teacher, was having a kind of informal 'get-together' with her students over a the Sacramento Inn.  Not exactly a 'recital', but just kind of a really sweet 'jam-session' with the quartet she works with.  I went over for a couple of hours to listen to them before I went to play the Jubilee Mass.  Most of her students are in their 'thirties and 'forties, and seriously interested in good Jazz.  I heard some pretty terrific stuff, lots of Jimmy Van Heusen, Hoagy Carmichael, Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart and some really witty Cole Porter.  For some of the students, it was their first time working with a Jazz quartet.  But it was 'informal', so any 'glitches' were worked out right there and it was a pretty terrific time.   

From there, down to the church to play Sr. Margie's 25th Jubilee Mass.  Place was packed, we had a choir of about 40, and the whole thing went off just spectacurlaly.   It wasn't an actual "Mass"  (no Eucharist), but it was a really GREAT experience.  I don't mind saying that I played REALLY well, and the choir was right with me all the way.  We sounded GREAT!   Okay, I just blew my own horn.  But, hey, I'm allowed, sometimes, right?   Margie was overwhelmed by the music--that's what we wanted--and just hung onto me for about a half-hour after.  Hey, I wanted that, too.  She's the one that got me into the Church in the first place, she's been my 'little sister' and Mentor and great friend, and I figured that I owed it to her.  I love that wonderful lady to death! 

Frankly, I didn't realize how EXHAUSTED I was until I got home and the adrenalin started draining.  But I wouldn't trade it for the world. 

So, that's about it from SoggyCal today.  My poor little 2-8-8-2 is going to have to wait a few more days for her Conversion.  But I did make her happy, I took her out onto the layout and ran her around for a little while.  She runs really SWEET!   Can't wait until she gets her new Look. 

Best to all, prayers to those in need.

Tom  

 

 

[tbdanny]

Todd, that's right, they are too.  .  They just look the same.

I can just imagine the look on Alisa's face when I try it...

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Hello ...

We just returned from Chuck's Depot about 2 hours drive from here in southern tip of Illinois. I brought my FT ABBA with me and operated the set pulling a 30 car freight train around Chuck's layout. It is really an impressive layout, and it fills a 65' x 35" basement with a maze of tracks looping all over. The FT's operated flawlessly, and I'm pleased. I picked up several miscellaneous items for my layout in Chuck's store. Chuck uses NCE wireless DCC.

Jim CG will attest that Chuck has quite an extensive inventory. He has just about everything for HO and for N. Fellow MRR'ers Gus and Dan went with me, and they picked up a lot of goodies, too.  

The drive is still remarkable because there are entire forests ruined by last year's widespread ice storm. You can still see broken trees all of the way from here to Marion, IL. Some of you may recall my posts last year. We were stranded in our home on our hill for nine days with no electric power, no land phone, no cell phone, and no water. The ice was so heavy it broke everything outside including the big towers for major electric transmission lines. Western KY was litterly crushed last year.

 

[TMarsh]

Danny- Enchilada sauce and salsa are two different things. BUT..... If you're game, so am I. I just happen to have some too.

Oh and Ray-

[GMTRacing]

Well the reply button still works so I'll just sneak inn the back and see what happens. Chores done another side of the basement framed and the Jets went down in flames. Just checking in on my way to get some z's   I'll check back in tomorrow from the shop.   CUL, J.R.

[tbdanny]

G'day all,

First weekend of on-call over.  Saturday was quiet as anticipated.  Sunday was a different story.  First page at 5:50 AM, last page at 10:30 PM.  4 pages, and one was a Major Incident.  Well, I managed to get a stockyard scratchbuilt and a couple of building kits.  Public holiday tomorrow (Australia Day - Jan 26th), so I anticipate a quiet one again.  Probably going to be shoehorning DCC into an N scale Shay while playing Monopoly on the Wii.  Alisa's feeling a lot better as well - no more of that nasty cough she had last week.

Ulrich, sorry to hear about what happened to you.  What type of business is it that you're rebuilding?  I wish there was something I could give you a hand with.  Actually, you're in HO scale, aren't you?  I've got some old HO scale American stuff I no longer use - mostly equipped with X2Fs, but just taking up space - I'd be happy to send some to you, if you're interested?

Sam, good luck with the deadheading, and the new sleeping cycle.

Chris, I agree with you on the topic of Maths - binary conversions are all I really need.  Even having covered Octal and Hex, briefly, in addition to Binary during my studies, I still can't figure out those Digitrax lighting effect charts...

GMT, thanks for the info about the Shays.  It was exactly what I needed, given that California and New Mexico have virtually the same climate.  And it'll provide extra ventilation for the decoder, too.

Steve, pleasure to meet you.  I'm fairly new around here as well. I'm basically a 23-year-old Australian, N scaler, interested AT&SF in New Mexico in 1954.

Flip, just noticed you're in Florida.  There's been something I've been wondering - do they still have 'gator farms there, or was that deemed too dangerous?

Ray, that was a sweet story about your granddaughter.  One of the things that always gets me at club open houses and exhibitions is the wonder on the kids' faces.  From what I read, it sounds like she's got her own trains at your place, and you don't let her run yours?

Robby, the 'big split' picture.  Looks like it was fairly recent, too.  Does anyone know how that one happened?  That factory scene looks like it's coming along nicely, too.  I especially like the weathering job on the factory.

Jim, good luck with the harddrive formatting - that stuff's not fun.  Hope the eHarmony thing goes well for you, too.  I'm 6'-ish, Alisa's 5'-ish, but it's never been an issue.  It's also a comfortable height for putting my arm around her when we're walking along .  Also, when I paid that bill at one of the phone company's store fronts, the chap who processed it agreed that it was Monty Pythonesque.

Todd & Keith - scrambled eggs with Salsa?  I'll have to try that - get rid of that leftover Enchilada sauce in the fridge.

Keith, if you're worried about crossed wires, there is a simple way to check.  If it's a track block in question, you'll need to hook one of the voltimeter's clips to the rail on one side of the insulating joint, and the other clip to the same rail on the other side of the insulator.  If you get a reading of 0 volts, then it's correct - any other reading means there's a voltage differential.

Chloe, long black in a big mug, and a triple cheeseburger - with Jarlesburg, if possible?

I'd better pull up a chair for the move...

[howmus]

TMarsh

Well, the switchers here so I best wrap it up. I'd drive her over there but not sure how to lock the old place up. So I'll wait for someone else. What's that? A whistle? (looks out the door) Hey! It's a 0-6-0! Cooooool! Where's number 1 granddaughter!

 

Right Here watching the move!

I actually got to spend some quality time in the Train Room today.  Did THAT by ignoring a bunch of other things that needed to get done...........

See you in the new location soon!

73

[TMarsh]

(groooooaaaan) I think I ate too much. NO! I was not brave enough to try the mincemeat. My Shoo Fly pie came out fine though it is not what I expected a Shoo Fly pie to be. More of a cake in a pie shell is what it was. Tasty if you like molasses. Would go great with a tall glass of milk.

There was a reason National pie day was not mentioned yesterday as the pile of lumber out back seems to be a little small for the amount of pie-a-paults. One is accounted for at PC's. The other...?????

Chris- Yup, don't know about the ole VW itself, but I sure do think the manufacturers have built in ways of selling replacement parts in the future.

Jim- I heard the difference between creativity and insanity is if you get paid you're creative. And yes, she is on a "all the salt you want" diet. She chuckles as she reaches for the salt shaker, "80 years old and all my friends still alive can't have salt and here I am told to eat more". I don't understand this aversion people supposedly have over model railroads. Some watch sports, some fish, some build model railroads. I don't get it. Everyone I've told it to either think they are great or really don't care what I do. I take that back there was one person that thought it was a kids thing and I'm too old for that. Later, he was talking about Pro Wrestling. Nothing wrong with that, I've been known to enjoy it myself. But MRR childish and ... well, really. Come on.

Well, the switchers here so I best wrap it up. I'd drive her over there but not sure how to lock the old place up. So I'll wait for someone else. What's that? A whistle? (looks out the door) Hey! It's a 0-6-0! Cooooool! Where's number 1 granddaughter!

[blownout cylinder]

JimRCGMO

Cederstrand

With my wife having Hashimotos Thyroiditis, she started the on the first part of the MP treatment 36 hours ago. Same thing I will start next week after getting cleared by the cardio doc. Hers is a TH1 disease, just like sarc, lupus, and so many others.

Rob, is it unusual for you and your wife both to have TH1 diseases? I'd almost wonder about the water or something in your area, if that were my situation. Good to hear the medication's helping you some (both of you?). On your missing 3rd stage rocket, you never know - you could be on the do not fly list for that. I recall having one of those CO2 & water rockets when I was a kid, and it went about 5 neighbor's yards down the block one time.

I'm agreeing with JimRC on the TH1's. I did hear of some studies done up around the Sarnia area a few years ago that mentioned something along that line.  As for any 3 stage rocket--any that we ever set off as kids usually ended up somewhere over the rainbow

I got done at a rediculous time of the evening so I'll be having what Jim is having as well as a NYC style Strawberry Cheesecake please-----and a large RBF as well please----I'm going to a corner booth to stretch a bit----no not THAT way!!! SHEEESH!!!

[TMarsh]

Trainman Sam

I apologize, I didn't mean to give the impression that I thought it was a criticizm. 

Oh, no, no, no. No apology needed, I didn't take it that way. Sorry about that, I made it sound wrong. I was agreeing with you on the fence and picked the wrong words on the reasoning behind my comment about the top rail. 

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 Just a cherry-lime fitness water for me.

Not much going on here today. I got a little work done on the layout this afternoon but for the most part I've had my feet up. I've been to some other forums today and offered some advice, picked up some new ideas and left some positive comments along the way. Other than that there's not much happening.

[JimRCGMO]

Good Afternoon Evening, Janie - I'll have the supercheeseburger with all the fixin's (well, hold the jalapeno and other peppers), some cheesey fries, a RBF, and please bring me the ketchup bottle (like my fries and burger juicy!), too. Thanks!

[Edit]: Well, looks like I have the evening tab, even though I missed yesterday's. Start my tab, please, Janie.

Gee, you Diners all have been busy while I was out! Nothing like having a dozen pages to catch up on (and doing that, before the switcher starts moving us again...).

Cederstrand

With my wife having Hashimotos Thyroiditis, she started the on the first part of the MP treatment 36 hours ago. Same thing I will start next week after getting cleared by the cardio doc. Hers is a TH1 disease, just like sarc, lupus, and so many others.

Rob, is it unusual for you and your wife both to have TH1 diseases? I'd almost wonder about the water or something in your area, if that were my situation. Good to hear the medication's helping you some (both of you?). On your missing 3rd stage rocket, you never know - you could be on the do not fly list for that. I recall having one of those CO2 & water rockets when I was a kid, and it went about 5 neighbor's yards down the block one time.

Ray, sorry to hear about your BIL, and I'm adding him to my list. Good to hear about your son's family closing on (both) the house(s), especially with the housing market as it has been for a while.

Hey, Danny, I think I have that 'Intro to Model Railroading' book, too (but then again, I likely have accumulated 3/4ths of Kalmbach's current catalog of books, plus some that are out of print now...). Me, a bookworm? I'm not sure on that protolancing vs. freelancing distinction - I want my RR to look kinda believable, but I don't let prototypicality get in the way of what I want... Your telephone bill thing sounds so much like telephone companies!

Phillip (PC) - great to hear your wife's doing well (and now at home)!

Sunny Calif. Tom :

twhite

And you thought that all we did around here was get buff, surf and work on our tans, right? 

Well, okay, so you only do that 95 percent of the time... How good are you 1:1 ark-building skills, by the way? I figure Uff-Dah and Spooky will just tread water (or surf...), as much as they like the stormy weather! By the way, how did the priest deal with the 'tinkling in the holy water' problem? Inquiring minds, and all that, y'know.

Now, Chris, you'll get me in trouble in here, if I've had the effect of getting you going with those brainstorms! But then again, I've heard there's a fine line between creativity and insanity (and having w**ked in both fields myself, what does that tell you...?).

DerJohn, your local Radio Shack dealer (if you have one) would be proud of your decoder-tester. Now, the decoder companies who want you to buy their versions with all the bells and whistles, that's another matter... Good to hear you got in some MRR'ing time! As for charging Canadians (or collecting, either one), I'd guess they would have problems getting the payment through Customs!

Jerry, I like your icing platform - good job on that (especially for not having all the parts to build it with)!

Keith - I'm sure someone else will have answered your question by now, but on the icing platforms, somebody in here (Lee, maybe?..) posted drawings of the building and platform for icing. Maybe they'll see this and post the link for you again.

Ulrich, how much more 'time' do you have to 'serve' at the gulag? And for your attending the lady's funeral. Some people out there don't have anyone to say "Hi!" to except maybe those passing by. What yummy things has Petra been fixing lately? (as my mouth prepares to drool...) And great to hear you got some time for "playing with trains"! Hey, on the DIY voucher, you should be able to explain to Petra that, "well, y'see, since we have most all the things fixed up here in the flat, this voucher would go to waste, just sitting there, so we might as well put it into the model railroad, and since it wouldn't cost us the money that it otherwise would,..." Maybe that'll get her okay on it!

I gather from some of the gaps in the posts that something happened in here while I was gone, but I'm guessing nothing to be concerned about. Ah, I can guess who it was on that, though. Good ol' moderators clean things up pretty well.

Oh, Danny - the saying in here is: "Don't feed the trolls.." (Usually, they get bored if you don't respond)

Congratulations on passing your exam(s), Sam! And shame on you, fooling with us like that. Tch, tch, tch (wagging my finger at you..)

Todd, if your mother's BP is too low, why couldn't the doctor just tell her to put salt on everything? I always hear various doctors saying how we should cut back on our salt to keep our blood pressure down. Go figure! Careful there with the waxing eloquent about that teacher, or Chloe or Zoe may be...uh, talking with you (via frying pan). Ah, I see that they did notice your comments! As for the woman in St. Louis, I planned on waiting until we meet face-to-face to tell her (or have I already, and that's why I haven't heard from her since Friday? (Hope you're wrong about that short fuse thing!)

Barry, hope your whatever-that-is goes away before you need to buy stock in a tissue company.

Ah, I see that Bill T. was by, and he brought a breakfast menu, too! Way to go, Bill!

Steve - back, it has been quite a while! Have enjoyed seeing your pics of the steamers, by the way.

Garry, sorry, but I didn't see your post about the trip to Chuck's Depot until about 6:30 p.m. Sunday (still playing catch-up on the posts here). Hope you guys found what you needed there (and then some, knowing Chuck's place).

Flip - yep, Florida is Reptile Heaven, all right (and Small Dog Hell...) ! You reminded me of that photo I got in an email not long ago with the 15 foot Eastern Diamondback Rattler that they found near Jacksonville. (dead, in the photo, anyway).

Robby, when I posted yesterday, I totally missed your 'Big Split' photo (well, I saw it, but you know...). If that pic wasn't PhotoShopped, some engineer had a lot of explaining to do, I'm sure! As for the building - "I like what you've done with the place!"

I think I'm finally caught up (until you yahoos pile it on later tonight and tomorrow a.m. with another dozen pages - between this edition and the next one after the switcher arrives). (Just kiddin' ya, had other things interfering with my Diner time this weekend)

Not lots done today related to MRR'ing, unless you count getting some boxes moved out from in front of the shelving in the bedroom where I have most of my MR back issues - that took some doing, and I still have one bigger box to figure where I'm gonna put it. Catching up took some time, too.

Will check back in the a.m. and see where we've moved to this time. 

 

Blessings,

Jim in Cape Girardeau

[AmanaMedic]

TMarsh

Haven't made it to the basement yet due to several unexpected circumstances. One of which involved the lack of an ingredient for the making of a Shoo Fly Pie. Never had one before so this should be interesting. The other being the operating end of the electric sweeper

TODD: I'll see your electric sweeper and raise you a headlight assembly on a 2000 VW New Beetle

One "glitch" of the New Beetles is their habit of eating headlights like candy... Loving Wife's is burned out...again, and as-always it's on the driver's side. The genius designers at VW put a lot of stuff in the way: battery, a block of terminals, and some other plastic-covered thing. The headlight assembly itself is designed to slide out the front, as a tube-thing. You then open the tube, change out the bulb, close the tube, slide it back into the car. Easy Peasee Japaneesee right???

Yeah.

I opted to break out the Sawzall and just cut away the fender...then duct tape it back when I was done. I'm completely out of liquid plastic cement, otherwise I'd just glue the plastic fender back together. Would use orange tube Testor's...but I hate the glue strings. She disagreed with THAT plan.

So... carefully, ever so carefully I tried to pry up a trigger-shaped thing you allegedly pull up on to release it all. No dice. Looked in the Chilton's book...ya gotta push on one thing while lifting the other. OK. Loving Wife gives it a try and manages to break some plastic piece out. Gone. Gaping hole where it was. Trigger thing still won't move. I darn-near cracked some other parts trying to pry on the trigger-shaped handle thing.

She's hoping her automotive guru brother can pop it over their respective lunch breaks tomorrow. I figure...it's gonna end up costing us a visit somewhere.

I don't think I've experienced "farfegnuven" or whatever the word was they said in the VW commercials...

What's worse, we've changed it out before on hers and my P*O*S 2002 version. It's always an epic battle. The passenger side is much easier...so naturally, it doesn't burn out as often!!!

Back to the VW forums... good thing I got 'em bookmarked. Between headlights and a bum transmission (on mine), it's proven a handy little site.

Chris

Oh yeah...did I hear right? A kid getting baptised sprung forth a stream into the font??? Was there a "666" on his head? Sounds a little bit demonic...

 

[Trainman Sam]

Sorry I fell asleep in the booth... What'd I miss?  Oh...

TMarsh

Wasn't meant as a criticizm for Robby though, just an idea for him to ponder.

I apologize, I didn't mean to give the impression that I thought it was a criticizm.  Your suggestion reminded me of what I've been seeing on the job so I thought I'd share it!  In all actuality, I like your idea for the fence, it would add that "rundown" or "dirty" industrial look he's going for!!!  He could also split the bottom of the fence near the end of the stub tracks, to make it look like people have cut through the fence to access the tracks and clutter that are in that area!

BTW, I wish I had known that yesterday was National Pie Day!!!  Missed out on a great chance to get away with having a catapult reappear at the Diner!!! Darn... always next year!!!  Hope you had a good time at "Pie Night"!!!

 Before I fell asleep, I found that there are several LARGE quarries within stones throw of the ROW (Pun intended!).  I think if they had the right business proposal, and the right rolling stock (lettered for the NH&I of course) they could turn a hefty profit by adding the sidings and shipping the stone to destinations "Off Layout"!  I will start drawing some of these plans into (are you ready for this?) a NEW around the walls layout plan!  (that's right, I am BACK to the Drawing Board!)  Wish me luck on this one folks, it'll be iteration #5 of the scale model layout plan for the NH&I...

[TMarsh]

Robby- Never thought of cement patch. Or maybe Hydraulic cement? (might actually be one in the same. Don't know, I've never used cement patch) Hmmm. I did think of actual cement, but figured it'd be too largely pored. But that stuff might not be. I have some hydraulic cement I use for filling holes around pipes and cracks in basements and foundations. I might try a smooth patch and see how that works out and looks. Not on the layout of course. I doubt if it could sand well when dry though.

Sam- Right you are. I have seen a few of those without top rails around here and there. Wasn't meant as a criticizm for Robby though, just an idea for him to ponder. I thought a couple of missing or broken, bent rails might add to his look of not exactly the most upkept building on the planet. 

Ooo, a barrel or crate or something put too close to the fence and pushing it out. OR how about a small tree or some bush or something growing up. Hang on Robby, I'll be right over. 

Haven't made it to the basement yet due to several unexpected circumstances. One of which involved the lack of an ingredient for the making of a Shoo Fly Pie. Never had one before so this should be interesting. The other being the operating end of the electric sweeper.  

 

[Trainman Sam]

Robby P.

I have some plastic I could use for the top of the fence.

Just a suggestion, or FYI, I know of several industries in my area that do not put the top rail in, specifically to keep people out.  I believe they do this so that you have no quick way of entering or exiting the property... They also have the razor-wire stranded accross the top as well, just as an added deterrent! OUCH!!!  I have also notice several of them adding run-of-the-mill barbed wire across the bottom, three separate strands, about 3-6 inches from each other with the first strand starting just above ground level (some even have "DANGER Electrified Fence" signs posted every 50 or so feet, double ouch).

Well, I'll be in one of the booths, I'm searching different ariel/satelite websites for different challenges, such as Flush, KS for Chris!!! This one looks like it's going to be a great bit of fun researching and developing a track plan... Thanks for THAT!!!  hahaha

Also searching for "possible" trackage that New Hope & Ivyland RR could have added to expand business!  We shall see about THAT as well!

Flo, may I have a Chocolate Milk, a BLT sandwhich, and a gigantic RBF with extra icecream please?  Thank you!!!

 

[Robby P.]

 Just a quick stop.

Todd........I have some plastic I could use for the top of the fence.  I think that would help it out, plus that will give me something to do .  I need to add some more yellow (layers) to the parking lot.   The parking lot was done with "smooth it".  I like the stuff, but I did read in a magazine that someone used a cement patch from Lowes for the same thing.  It looked good to, but I don't think I want to try it thou.

[Blazzin]

  Jeff,  nice pic.  Nice cars.. nice truck.  But what I really noticed.. is your multi-level of the area.  I hate flat layouts.. nicely done.  I may copies of every pic I see.. that I like.  They remind to of certains things I'd like to add.

Well, I'm off to the Local hardware store... maybe Ace hardware.. they greet you as you come through the door,  will tell you where exactly what aisle you need to find your product.  I love it~  I have a very bad knee,  good for most things except walking all over the place looking for something.  Aside for my volt meter.. I'm planning on getting some wire.  Any specific guage?  I figure 12 ga.... lol.  just a general guage of wire to run power from transformer to track.  Ok.. I'm off, wish me luck..lol.  Keith

[Anonymous]

 Good Evening Everyone,

Flo, let me have just C & C - that´s Coffee & Calvados, please!

Spend some time fiddlin´ around with MR´s track plan for the current project layout, just to find out that "ends did not meet" where they should, should one follow MR´s drawing based on Kato´s Unitrack 

Otherwise it has been an uneventful day - did not move an inch outside - it is way too cold. Time to hibernate!

Have a good day!

[TMarsh]

I'm back from church with a full tum tum. Fellowship day don't you know, and that means food. That coupled with pie night at 6 pm.... It's good to be Methodist.

Robby- Love the building! Looks good and used. I like the parking lot look also. Concrete and asphalt give me fits to look right. (dirt roads too) Haven't got it yet. But someday. Say just a thought on the fence. I noticed you don't have a top bar. Or maybe not yet. But here's a thought to ponder, add some top bars and leave one or two off, maybe one or two has a top bar that is broken and hanging down on one end? Just a thought. Looks good as it is.

Ray- Yes after telling a child you can't pick something up, it isn't a wise idea to do it yourself. They don't seem to understand "do as I say, not as I do" Besides, letting the locos do the "work" is WAY more fun. I hope your Pastor's leaving is a rumor. Our Pastor has had a tremendous positive affect on our Church as well and would be very difficult to replace. Our congregation likes the older preach from the Bible type and not the newer updated style of talking from some other books. 

Keith- May I? Let's forget about east and west and go with forward and backward. It will be less confusing IMO. As you sit in the cab of the loco going forward on the main direction of travel whether it be your choice of CW or CCW, the right rail should be hot, or pos. (think "right is Red") The left should be neg. or ground. How you choose to connect the wires is as Jeff said up to you. I do happen to agree with him on the use of Scotch-Lock type connectors, but many will disagree and have no problems. Cost wise, solder would be cheaper, much, much cheaper than any snap or crimp connectors considering the amount you may use. But that is only my opinion. The part that gets you (read "me") a lot of times is in the spurs or team tracks that come back from the direction of travel. I want to, many times without thinking, change the direction simply because I'm now going "this way" and switch my right and left, instead of looking at it as backing into it and therefore the right rail is still the right rail. You may, however have this A OK and have a turnout issue. That I don't know. At any rate the DC and DCC are wired in essentially the same manner with the exception of power Lock -outs as I call them. If you plan on going DCC you can either turn all your switches on or simply disconnect the switch and run the wire to the correct rail. Clear as mud? For power, after determining as you go your still in the correct polarity, I like using about half throttle. If I notice ANY decrease in voltage, I add a feeder. Now that is me, many will disagree with that method and some may agree. I have no issues with that, but I haven't experienced all situations either. Some which you may have. But it's agood start. Adding feeders wouldn't be all that bad if you needed to in the future and Ray has showed us about the best and easiest way to do that with little to no disruption of the layout. Look on the NMRA links for electrical help and of course back here if I‘ve made it more confusing than it should be. If I were you I'd wait a day. If I‘ve mis spoke, or there is a better way, someone will jump in and stop the mistake soon.

　

[jeffrey-wimberly]

It's 57 and partly cloudy here in the sportsman's paradise. The high will be near 70 and it will be partly cloudy.

For most of the afternoon yesterday we were expecting a storm front to come through at any time. Well, the weather guesser was wrong again and missed the timing by several hours. I shut down my computer at 8 pm and the storm hit at 8:04 pm and did some wild tricks with the power for about ten minutes. The power never went off completely but the lights were flickering like crazy. Then the storm front hit here with winds that hadn't been predicted. No damage here that I can see with the exception of some branches blown down and a ton of pine needles added to what was already there. It was mostly wind, not much rain to speak of. Nothing planned for today other than my usual day to day activities.

[howmus]

Mornin' Everyone!

Since yesterday was "National Pie Day" and nobody told me, I'll have a big slice of the Apple Pie and a huge pot of dark roast coffee served in a FGLK Mug.  What?  Of course, good nutrition with fruit, wheat flour, and vitamins....  You know stuff like THAT.  I'll be in the front booth by the window watching the comings and goings outside.

Sam, yes the trailer has been jacked up to get the weight off the axles.  I just hope he didn't damage the suspension system on it.  We'll see when we get her unloaded.  I am planning on selling the trailer to a Boy Scout Troop as soon as we are done with his moving.  I will probably end up getting a small flat bed trailer for hauling wood and the log splitter around some time.

Todd of course I move the cars with the loco (Don't want the granddaughter to know you can pick them up with an 0-5-0)!  At least to move them to where I can get to them without reaching over buildings an stuff.....

Robby, I thought only CSX did stuff like THAT!?!  ROFL!  Bet there is a story behind THAT....

OK need to get myself moving here.  Overslept so I didn't get to church today. Today is the annual meeting of the congregation to do the "business" stuff and elect Deacons and Elders to serve.  There is a bad rumor going around that our Minister may announce his retirement......  I'm hoping it is just a rumor being passed around to get more us us to the meeting.   He is a year younger than me and if his wife retires this year (Head Start Administrator) it could be a true rumor.  If they move from Geneva, it will leave a huge hole to be filled on many community boards including the Boys and Girls Club, Hospital, and many others that he and his wife have served faithfully on as well as a major effect on my church.  He is the type of Pastor you don't easily replace!

All right now I'm posting this and getting busy with all the other things I should get done today!

73

[Robby P.]

 Good morning, and it seems like some rain is coming.

 Ulrich.......That picture does look like something that happens on my layout!!  

 Not much planned for today, other than watching some football.  No Steelers, but I guess I can pull for the Vikings, and JETS!!

 Finally got some pictures of what I've been working on.  I still gotta do some "touch ups" though.  I wanted the building to look just "bad".  I made the steel beams look like they will fall any day.  I do want to add some caution tape to that area thou.  Seems like my wifes "nickname" got sprayed on the building .  I still need to weather up the parking lot, and add some more detail work to.  Its just a beat up, old, dirty, nasty building!!!