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

[JimRCGMO]

Good Evening, Chloe - I'll have a hot fudge sundae - Ooh! Look at those turnovers! Yeah, one of those apple turnovers, and a Rio Grande mug of coffee, please. Thanks! YUM!! (And Garry - thank Shelley for me!)

AmanaMedic

I'd still run a little liquid plastic cement into the cracks...just to reinforce them. But then, I've been told I'm "cynical," and have a "narrow-eyed view" of things.

 

Chris, I figured that was your equivalent of "measure twice, glue once..." Sorry to hear of the demise of your landline (plays "Taps" softly here...). Our phones at w**k will do something like that - intermittently. I'll try to dial somebody back, get that message (or a busy signal, only to be told later that the person was not on the phone or internet either one). I have the main operator or one of the receptionists up front try to dial it - w**ks fine for them... I refrain from doing as you do (even if I don't have any tripods at the office), since I don't want to buy a new commercial phoneset.

Ray  - excellent shot of that BTNowhere. I have a future bridge that I may save that photo for structural reference (when I get to building it...). Check your emails, please. Sent you a question (or two). (Obviously, they must be musical questions, right?)   I would second the kudos on the layout photos!

Ulrich, the new plan looks like it will be great for operations, but I suspect that it's gonna be a bit south of your preferred 'Arctic' railroading locale. Good that you were able to get your mother and father closer to each other's place - that will help you with getting to visit both more often, as well as getting them a chance to see each other more. As for the layout, you could start with the 'top' part (Caliente) and with a small extension (like where your swing-out on the plan is), you can use it for switching. You might even be able to simplify Caliente for the initial stages (like leave out one of the passing tracks, only have one siding at some places where you have two?), with the idea to later add the additional stuff as time and funds become available (and they will!). Don't you dare quit dreaming on your layout. Todd's remarks, too.

Lee, that is a good price for the cork roadbed! Standard, you said? Will have to check their prices out.

Robby, keep at it with your layout - I'm also looking forward to seeing what you do with the additional areas.

Keith, sorry for not explaining my shorthand - that H-L is for Hobby Lobby (home of the weekly coupons, some of which can go on MRR'ing stuff). That help, amigo?

Todd, thank you for clearing that matter up about your layout...I think...

Joe, that 4139 looks like it was definitely ----moving!--->, all right!

Tom, I was thinking about what you mentioned - for your own sanity, it might be worthwhile to find someone else to professionally strip all the layers of paint off your smooth runner there. Hey, do the UP rotaries look like the old ones I recall Athearn made a bit back? Or have they improved/modernized those any?

This weekend is my on-call Sat. and Sun., so I may try to get some MR reading done, unless I want to start a freight car kit and maybe leave it on the w**kbench if I get called out during the day tomorrow. Got laundry done earlier tonight, so that's out of the way.

Oh, I got word that my set of Preiser Boy Scouts figures is on its way to me. So, with the two sets I have now, and the three W-S Campers sets, I could have a Scout camp, Ray! Now, how to scratchbuild an umbrella tent (that was what I recall the leaders had for them to sleep in when I went to camp)? Hmm...

And I think I might be hitting the TOP, but here goes... [Edit]: Yep, the late night and early breakfast tab is on me, looks like. And Ulrich, order up your dinner, it's on me! Chloe, start the tab - I'll check back in the morning to see what the damage is...

 

Blessings and prayers,

Jim in Cape Girardeau

[AmanaMedic]

Good Evenin', IF one of them Paducha-Built turnovers is left...I'll grab one with a RBF please 'n thank-you.

JimRCGMO

I refrain from doing as you do (even if I don't have any tripods at the office), since I don't want to buy a new commercial phoneset.

'Eh, it was a $5.00 Dollar General special...maybe THAT was part of the problem!?!?!?!?!?!?

Hmmmm. I'm looking at this turnover, I don't see a Horst air filter, no chopped nose, no extra exhaust stacks, or "frog eye" headlights... you sure this thing is from Paducah???

Now THATs "Paducah-Built..."

Have a good night...

Chris

[Anonymous]

 Good Morning Everyone,

it took me some time to get my father´s PC up and running again, being 8 years old, it urgently needs replacement. I think it is just great, that the grand old man still participates in the world of the internet, that deserves a 

Zoe,  make that a coffee in my LKAB mug, fried eggs, sunny side up. buttered toast and fried bacon, thank you, m´am.

Folks, it is of no use to dream of something that I will not be able to put into reality in a foreseeable future. If I´d  keep on just dreaming, I will probably not start anything. So it will be much better to boil things down, but have some, even if only little, MRR activity. OK, this is what my brain tells me, but my heart says, go for the Salt Lake layout, enjoy watching those long trains 

I am confused. 

Lee - I have not been to Haiti in my traveling days, but I have been to rural India and Bangladesh. $ 5 in that region of the world means the difference between life and death.  Actually, the majority of those close to 7 billion people we have in the world live under circumstances we would most likely not survive for a week, yet we take notice of this fact only, when there is a catastrophe like the Haiti earthquake to be reported.

I have lost my job and my house, but I don´t have to live on the street. I live in a small, but still nice apartment, which is being paid for by society - out of taxes I also contributed heavily to. Petra and I get about $ 900 as monthly allowance to pay for our living, i.e. food, clothing, electricity, telephone. Now that´s not much, and living off that is not really comfortable, but it can be done. There is no room for extras, but I don´t have to worry about our basic needs. Medical bills are also being picked up. OK, after 30 years of hard work and paying much more taxes compared to what you are used in the US, this seems to be not fair. But what is it in comparison to what the people in Haiti have to go through now? I wish I were able to donate more than those lousy 10 Euro-bucks..

Have a good day, you all!

 

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning

We are going to see a mix of sun and cloud today with our high at 2C. We are going to see a low of -5C tonight so we have a bit of a freeze thaw cycle going---

I'm off to start those weekend seminar things again. 20 new participants and same old facilitators.Let's see if we get off on the right foot this time---

Ulrich:  I just saw the number of dead in Haiti has been put up to 200,000. Our church has been getting blankets and the like together and today we are getting them sent. It is just terrible what has happened there. That 10 euro will still help huge there--

Chloe, I'll have a coffee and a toasted breakfast bagel please---I'm going to the corner booth and start to wake up

[Cederstrand]

Chamomile tea, please.  

***Ulrich said, "I just can see a long sulfur unit train snaking along the track, pulled by a consist of Kato´s SD70´s." Now that nearly caused me to drool on my keyboard. What a cool sight that would be indeed.

***Sam, there are some mighty nice pics on that site.

***Todd, your RR plan sounds great!

***Tom, good luck with that loco.

Rob

 

[Anonymous]

 Good afternoon,

it is past lunchtime, so I settle for  a coffee, with milk this time, and a slice of that delicious apple pie, topped with vanilla ice cream, Zoe, please n´thanks!

Both my mom and my dad are having a mid-day nap, so I make use of the time toying around with some more ideas on a layout. I rummaged through my entire library of track plans I have developed in the past and I seem to coming back to one of my earlier ideas. Well, I still have that Bowser ARR F-7A, so why not go for that? I reworked my initial plan by adding some of the thoughts that Paulus Jas gave me. It is again HO scale, but this maybe even better when going for a switching layout.

The plan may look familiar to you, but I just dare to put it up here again.

We have a tremendous amount of news coverage on the Haiti disaster.  Some of the pictures are way too  explicit for my taste - this is bordering voyeurism. It is OK if it makes people donate plenty of money, but I doubt that all the cash being collected actually reaches the people in need. What a world!

Edit:

I just found this in the internet:

It is a kit, made by DJH Model Loco in UK, even affordable (well, not really, I just pretend it  to be ...   )

 

[LSWrr]

Good morning all,

Jim, $49.95 for 50 sections of HO cork roadbed from Midwest through Standard Hobby Supply.  You have to buy it in counts of 25.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 Good morning. It's 45 and cloudy. The high today will be 50 and there's talk of a 60% chance of rain in the morning and early afternoon.

Last night I got the Con-Cor Conrail flat as complete as I can get it at this time. It now sports an L&A truck trailer. The only other junk box rescue project at hand is a Bachmann GP40. Right now it's just a shell. I'm going to see if I can patch together a working chassis beneath it. Seems a little ambitious but there it is. Another thing. It's has UP paint on it. You know what that means. Out comes the patching paint! Nothing spectacular going on today. The Home Health nurse will be coming out later to change the dressing for the wound vac which is doing an awesome job. The healing is progressing faster than even the doc thought it would. I'm looking forward to the day that I can work on the layout without having to lug this equipment around, and believe me, it does get in the way. I still have to add some details to 'The Cup 'o' Joe' trackside diner. I already have a place picked out for it.

[pcarrell]

Mornin' All!

[TMarsh]

Mornin everybody. No hopes no plans for layout, just taking today as it comes.

Have a Great Day!!!

[JimRCGMO]

Good (late) Morning, Janie - I'll have one of those Kentucky apple turnovers and a Santa Fe mug of coffee, please 'n' thankyou!

Ulrich, that Seward layout plan has several things going for it - like 'only' 8 turnouts (and if you start with only some of the sidings as I mentioned on your other plan, you could begin with fewer and add later), and you can easily connect on either end to more layout at a future point (no matter how far down the road). [Edit]: Hey, that's a sweet-looking steamer there!

Thanks for the info on the roadbed, Lee - I probably don't need 50 just yet, but maybe the 25 might do for a while...

Jeff, sounds good on your vaccuum, and I bet you can't wait for it to be done and gone. When can we see the Cup O'Joe pics? What'd you start with for that one, by the way?

Sun is shining here in Cape Girardeau already and it's 44 F/8 C, heading for 50 F/9 C this afternoon. No calls or pages yet, and I'm okay with that!

I've been evaluating what other freight cars I need/want for the layout. Since BB's aren't around (not easily, anyway) anymore, and I need to get some shorter gons and flatcars, plus some tanker cars, I'm finding that for my era there aren't as many choices. I have been talking via email with a Diner or two on this, and I'm leaning toward Tichy or Red Caboose for the flats and tanker cars (a little more pricey..), Accurail does have shorter gons, as does Red Caboose. I already have a reasonable number of 50+ foot gondolas and flats, and since my layout's set in the 50's, I figure I should have at least as many 40 footers as the longer ones. Wouldn't mind finding a few more pulpwood cars, either. Any other suggestions on 40' (or so) flatcars, gondolas and tankers?

I'll sit a spell at the window booth and have my coffee and turnover while I watch the switcher do the rest of its morning spots.

 

Blessings,

Jim in Cape Girardeau

[Blazzin]

JimRCGMO

 

Keith, sorry for not explaining my shorthand - that H-L is for Hobby Lobby (home of the weekly coupons, some of which can go on MRR'ing stuff). That help, amigo?

 

Jim in Cape Girardeau

 

  Yo  Jim!  Never ever have heard of a Hobby Lobby,  not on the West Coast anyways.   But I did manage to find some Cork Sheets.  On ebay, there is a seller, who has every size and thickness.  http://shop.ebay.com/cleverbrand/m.html?_nkw=cork+sheet&_sacat=0&_trksid=p3911.m270.l1313&_odkw=&_osacat=0 

  His prices are very competitive, but the shipping is terrible for such a large (comes in a roll) ,  fairly heavy item.  I have written to the seller, and he has stated he can and will combine shipping depending on how many you order.  The good points of buying from this seller is that,  he has all sizes .. including various thicknesses that range.. oh.. very thin like 3/32nd" to 1/4 inch or higher.  Just in case you wanted to match the 'mains' cork with the yard cork.. or any other reason that requires a certain thickness.

  Now on the other hand,  you can always go to Staples and buy some cork sheets.  You don't get a choice as far as thickness and the price was only $17 US dollars (about $4 bucks more than ebay)  plus CA Tax which is approaching 10 percent.

  Now this roll of cork I bought from Staples.. 24" by 48 " and ultra thin .. well the price is very nice but only one choice as far as thickness.    It doesn't say the thickness of the cork.. well at least I can't see it... but I'd guess its no thicker than 1/8th" and probably less and down to maybe 3/32nd's.  Good enough for me.. since this is for the yard.. and I wish for the 'mains' to have the thicker Model Railroading cork.

  So I guess there ia always a trade-off between the two.  You may not have a Staples close by,  and/or you may not wish to travel in the winter weather.  And if you are looking for a certain thickness, the ebay seller would be better.  Just a tad higher for what you really want..but ..and .. its delievered straight to your door.

  Ok.. thats for me.. I'm still recovering from soldering copper pipes.  What a mess... ever do copper pipes?  I had to rip out the 'drywall' in the closet .. just to get at the shower water feeding pipes.  I start to look for the leak,  run my hands up and down the pipe.. just looking.. then I scratch some copper/green oxidation off the pipe.. and then.. it sprang a bigger leak.. now I'm running off outside to shut off the main water supply.  Well its done now~  3 trips off to the hardware store... and finally done.  I told Jeanne I dont' want to do the drywall until next weekend.. just in case.. lol.  So aside from tearing out carpet.. wet smelly carpet.. I might get a chance to work on the layout.  As I've said before.."Ah the pride of home ownership"

[jeffrey-wimberly]

JimRCGMO

Jeff, When can we see the Cup O'Joe pics? What'd you start with for that one, by the way?

It's still pretty much as it was when I got it. Someone had made an old Harriman coach into a small diner by scratchbuilding a platform and kitchen onto it. The coach has a diner interior as well complete with the round swivel seats.

 

 

 

[Blazzin]

  Jeff,  that diner seems to fit right in with the rest of your surroundings.  Care to tell us about the layout .. the place and time period? 

  I must admit though,  there are two pics of yours Jeff,  that I always remember.  One, that AMC Rambler.. I get a chuckle everytime I see that one.  And the other is .. that Porsche sports car on the flat bed.  That one, I am definately copying.    So do tell of your layout.. what time period.. and what place if any.  Cya Jeff~   Keith

[JimRCGMO]

Jeff, thanks for (re-)posting those pics, I'd forgotten from earlier. Man, somebody put some major time into that one. Great looking!

Keith, I guess Hobby Lobby may be more Midwestern and Southern as far as their store locations go. We have a Staples here, but the H-L has the 3/32" (2' X 4') rolls for about $14-15. I never did measure how thick the roll I've been using for mine is. Maybe I'll go do that today, just to satisfy my curiosity... Sorry to hear about your plumbing difficulties. But at least it got you a reason that might give you some MRR'ing time this weekend (at the expense of maybe none next weekend when you get back to the plumbing...). It does seem that a lot of builders never consider "How will they get to these pipes for the (bath/kitchen/whatever) if they need to?" I've lived in places where there were removable doors, but I suspect most of those were added after-the-fact, when the owner at the time got done with their drywall removal and piping repairs.

Janie, could I have a refill on my coffee, please? Thanks.

Well, I'll grab the Walthers catalog and see what I can find out about some freight cars for a while. Hope your Saturday goes well for you.

 

Blessings and prayers,

Jim in Cape Girardeau

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Blazzin

Jeff, Care to tell us about the layout .. the place and time period? 

 

The layout is set in a somewhat flexible time period between the late 70's to 2004. Some of it was done with stuff I saved from the previous layout but most of it is original to this one. The Shell station )location of the flatbed with the Porsche) occupies what used to be a shipping and receiving area for Lakeside Shipping and the flatbed was loaded with crates. The park is loosely based on one in Leesville (they don't have any kind of exhibit though) where the kids go to play baseball when it's not flooded (it's a lowland area) and is a good stones throw from the tracks. The large gray building that serves as the loco maintenance shop on the south end has been on a good many layouts. I got it back in the mid 70's and it was part of a larger loco maintenance area. I didn't have that kind of room here so I used just the one building and placed an abandoned steamer beside it. I placed an old engine house next door as a car barn. Ezra's place (small gas station) is a kitbash of several kits. The gas station and garage were made by Heljan and the house atop the garage came from Model Power I think. The stairway at the side came from a pedestrian bridge. The brown engine house at the south end (large door) was built largely from a Walther's kit with a smaller engine house beside it serving as a machine shop. I think that one was made by Pola. The structure to the front of those two is a Foundry building from Model Power. There are many other areas that I won't list here at this time. About ten of the structures are from DPM. The rest are from Model Power, Walther's, Pola, Bachmann, Life-Like, Atlas and some I don't remember who made them.

[howmus]

Afternoon everyone!

Just got home from the Art and Poetry sorting session.........  I did my best just to stay out of the way and be available for moving stuff around as needed.  I also did my best to help consume the donuts we had for people (I only had one...) and lots of coffee.

Zoe I'll have Dr. Pepper if you please.  No nothing else right now, I need to run around the parking lot a few times to pay for the donut this morning.

I now get to print out the certificates for all winners and "permission to use" forms as well. 

I'll be in the back booth resting up for the w**k ahead.

Later!

73

[Trainman Sam]

jeffrey-wimberly

JimRCGMO

Jeff, When can we see the Cup O'Joe pics? What'd you start with for that one, by the way?

It's still pretty much as it was when I got it. Someone had made an old Harriman coach into a small diner by scratchbuilding a platform and kitchen onto it. The coach has a diner interior as well complete with the round swivel seats.

 

 

 

Hey, Jeff?  How about the catapult?  I don't see it?  I could fabricate one? LOL  Awesome Diner!  Do you have a place on your layout for it?  Or will the switcher just move it about once a month, as it does on the "prototype"?

I feel so blessed to have what I have.  I sometimes forget just how well I have it.  We complaing that we don't have enough to build our "scale empire", while others struggle to be able to feed themselves... I wish the politicians would get off their fat duffs and shut up long enough to get this world fixed somewhere in the vicinity of right!

Whoa, sorry i'll get off the now.  Chloe, sorry about the marks that the box made on the RC... I'll be in the corner booth.  May I have a large coffee and a doughnut please?  Thanks.

Hope you all have a great weekend!  I'll be checking in again later.  I'm heading over to visit my wife at the house she is petsitting in for the weeekend.

I'll leave you with this link...

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1162402

 I've been trying to find a "suitable match" for these cars... the heavyweights that I have now seem just a little "big" for the RR to operate.  But I am not entirely sure... Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[AmanaMedic]

Good Morning, Zoe?  Think I'll have a double cheeseburger basket with a Coke...yes Ma'am, this is my breakfast today.... why are you scowling and shaking your head? Yes, my mother knows I eat like this...

GEESH!

ULRICH: Sir, THANK YOU for tacking up THAT track plan!!! The longest wall in my RR room is 13', 8-1/2" long...pretty close to your 14' plan. If'n I was to go with THAT, I'd have a much better (though still only representative) representation of the Quaker Oats plant... and I wouldn't have the Chicago Central yard, the lumber distributor, or my beloved Jerabek's Wholesale Distribution (purveyor of such fine brews as Schlitz, Old Style, Hamms, Grain Belt, Blatz...), or Cargill.... BUT, I could probably have this built in....well, sometime maybe this decade.

I'm never going to have a basement-filling empire, and even a room-filling empire isn't looking too practical. A shelf layout like this? Very do-able...easier to w**k into the nearly non-existent budget for RR stuff...eventually. IF I were to go this route...I could potentially sell-off some of the stuff I've accumulated in anticipation of an eventual layout. The Cargill stuff could go...with the proceeds going to lumber or more hoppers for Quaker Oats, as an example.

Hmmmmmmmmmm. I see much cogitation in my short-term future.

Coincidentally, Loving Wife picked up the Feb. MR, and "102 Realistic Track Plans" last night with the groceries. She said after a tough week, I both "needed" them...and "deserved" them. What a gal! Included with the 102 booklet, was "6 Railroads you can model," which has...*drumroll* National Docks Ry.; the layout I've been strongly contemplating flipping and rotating to fit my RR room. Is THAT a sign?

Hmmmmm. I've already got 50 plans in the "Layout Ideers" folder...many of them from THAT SpaceMouse (whatever happened to him?) guy's contests and site...several variations on variations of other plans snagged from around here... Now I've got this booklet of "102" plans, many of which will be of no use/interest...although I did see one last night THAT caught my eye...

THIS could be a good day to do some serious RR thinking/planning (note, I did not say "dreaming"). Looking out the window, I've got a very monochromatic, almost black and white photo, looking scene with the very light gray sky, white snow, white houses with black/gray roofs, gray trees... gray power poles...GEESH! THAT could depress a guy!!!!

Have a good, SAFE rest of the day...

Chris

[Packers#1]

 Hey folks. sorry for the absence yesterday; had a "nothing" day, haha.
Absolutely LOVED the rugby scrimmage Thursday. didn't prehydrate well enough and my calves locked up at the very end. Otherwise, I did pretty good. definitely have some stuff to work on, but overall I didn't screw up, haha.

[LSWrr]

I hooked up the SPROG II USB DCC programmer and small layout controller!

Price: $99.99

Comes with: Programmer, 1.25A power supply, USB cable and software.

This SPROG II is very different from other USB DCC interfaces currently on the market today. There is no need for a layout or DCC system to program your locomotives.  The SPROG II works completely independent making this a great tool for anyone who belongs to a large club layout or for those that want to sit at the kitchen table with a laptop and program their locomotive. Once I installed the SPROG II I took a piece of wood and mounted a 24” section of track and soldered two wires to the end.   I hooked the two wires into the SPROG II, plugged in the power supply provided and connected the USB cable to my computer.  I downloaded the latest JMRI software (free) and fired it up.  The first locomotive I wanted to try was a Bachmann Berkshire I had equipped with a Soundtraxx DSD-101LC sound decoder.  The first screen allows you to identify the locomotive in a roster and allows you to query the locomotives installed DCC decoder.  The software quickly identified my decoder and I was ready to go.  I’m not going to bore you with the workings of the JMRI software, but the SPROG II allowed me to program the CVs and test the locomotive without touching the locomotive or connecting it to the layout!  I was able to run the locomotive forward and backward and test all the functions without my layout.  Did you catch the I DIDN”T HAVE TO PUT IT ON THE LAYOUT part?  I would recommend buying a set of roller bearing stationary test stands in conjunction with your test track if you want to program QSI equipped locomotives.  Some of the QSI sounds only operate while the locomotive is moving.

It was very nice not to have to move the locomotive between the layout and the programming track, better yet to sit upstairs at my workbench and test a locomotive without the trips up and down the stairs.

I’d give this product 5 out of 5 stars.

[Robby P.]

 Good late afternoon. 

 Got of from work this morning, and I've been non-stop.  Finally got home.  Did some window shopping, and some LHS shopping.  Now its time to watch some football.  I did get a email from Dell saying my computer has been shipped.  Of course its coming Fed Express and Not FedEx Ground .

 Ok a question.................... If I want to make my own buildings (nothing special).  How do you add the windows?????  Like cut the holes out??

[ns3010]

Evening all. Janie, I'll take a RBF, thanks.

Don't have time to hang around, because I have a game soon. But I should be able to make it in for a while tomorrow.

[Packers#1]

 Robby, on my King Furniture factory, I bought some door castings and cut out the opening for them. The same would work for window castings probably.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Trainman Sam

Hey, Jeff?  How about the catapult?  I don't see it?  I could fabricate one? LOL  Awesome Diner!  Do you have a place on your layout for it?  Or will the switcher just move it about once a month, as it does on the "prototype"?

 

Nope, no catapult. I had Vinny crunch it up into tiny pieces and burn it out back. I already have a spot for the diner. I just have to wait until I can work on the layout again.

[fec153]

Prayers for all.

If anyone is interested, O.J. Ed sent me the roster of the D&RG E me and I can send it to you.  The weather the last two days was perfect for bikers. mid to 60's to low 70's and plenty of sunshine. Today was not so good-dreary and low 70's with some sprinkles. Expect more rain tonight and early sunday. Hope all are well and warm.

Flip

 

[blownout cylinder]

Robby P.

 Ok a question.................... If I want to make my own buildings (nothing special).  How do you add the windows?????  Like cut the holes out??

Robby: The way I do mine is that I would drill/cut out a small hole that I can fit a nibbler in--basically a small scissor/cutter. I work my way around that hole until I get close to the outline of the window----the rest is taking needle files to the edges until they match the window frame---in my case---when I reach  that point I can usually just pop them in.

Sam:  I heard Vinnie say that he was going to see to it that no one be making, or bringing, any weapon of pie destruction into the diner anymore----

Good Evening

I just got home from doing some grocery shopping after the Saturday seminars-----tomorrow gonna be later--- So JimRC, you do on-call for an entire weekend--me be doing the weekend seminars----what's a weekend off?

Chloe, I'll be haviing a 32oz rib-eye steak with BBQ sauce and grilled asparugus and red/green peppers and baked potato with herbed sour cream as well as a coffee please----I'll be at the RC

[krump]

yippee !!!  I found the diner back.  long time since I was here.  greetings from BC everyone

[Packer]

Evening ya'll

Got the new o-rings for the injector in my car, turns out the old ones were tore up pretty bad. Hopefully now the milage will be where it's supposed to be. It's gotten less than 20 so far.

In MRR news, in cleaning of my workbench I found the Ice-machined GP18. I tested the unit to find all axles broke (one of the shops in pensacola replaces those for free), and realized my brass steps haven't arrived from "TJs model trains and things." Wonder what's taking, I ordered them before christmas...

Tom, what have been using to strip that articulated? I would think soaking it in can of carburetor cleaner (although I'm nore sure the engine would fit in the cans; the ones I have are gallon paint can sized) might work. I'm not sure what it'd do to solder or brass, but it sems to be safe for every kind of metal I've used it for; but plastic and maybe rubber wont last more than a few seconds in the stuff. I've soaked the winterization hatch etching of my F45 in is since it got CA all over it; although I think the hatch was actually stainless steel and not brass. Took off all the paint and the CA in a few hours. I've also cleaned out paint jars with the stuff. That or blasting of some sort, but that could eat the brass.

Jim, the UP rotary is way different than the athearn one. IIRC, the athearn one is a lima-built that would be steam powered. I've never bothered to mess with mine much more than installing a decoder. The blades spin by a series of rubber-band belts, and it pickes up power from one rail in the tender, and the other from the body so it's kind of finicky over rough track. Remind me to finish installing wipers so it can pick up power from both sides from all trucks.

[fec153]

Hey, Robby- Does that mean we have to leave our teeth at the door???

FOOLISH PHIL.