Elliot's Trackside Diner 26

[Anonymous]

 Good Morning,

it is a fairly sunny day today here in northern Germany - I wish I could go for a walk, but I am to weak to move around much. So I will just open the window in our living room and watch the deer grazing in a little distance.

Chloe, even though breakfast time has passed, I feel like  having something to bite with my coffee - how about some bacon, scrambled eggs and toast?

Received a bit of bad news yesterday. My friend, who has helped us moving to this place, will be laid-off, as his company is folding up. He is my age, so he will face a hard time getting a job again. What a world! 

Official beginning of a rant!

When will the "Big Ones" realize, that the Chinese are not supporting our economy here? Are not buying anything here or even pay taxes here? Or is it just greed that kills all the jobs? This country is going down rapidly...

Official end of rant!

 I have now received a confirmation, that my loco is on its way from the UK - gives me something to look for to.

The other day, I posted a link to a series of videos about a bloke in UK, building a 10 mile "Train Set" from Barnstaple to Bideford in western England. James May has a car show on BBC, but has started a new show called "Toy Stories". The video comes in 6 installments and is fun to watch - 58 minutes well spent! And I just love his British accent - Petra tells me that he just sounds like me when I talk in English...

Well, in case you missed the link, here it is once more : Train Set

Have a pleasant day!

[LSWrr]

Good morning all,

Garry it works better if you make a derogatory Berkshire comment.   I would use one, but I can’t think of any.

Last night I had a few hours of MRR time; I have all the storage tracks installed for the roundhouse area and they are ready for the power leads.  With any luck I can get all the tracks powered and ready for scenery by the weekend.


Dorothy had a doctor’s appointment yesterday afternoon.  Her habit of walking on the cast has caused the wound to split open.  Doc had to scrape and clean the wound then bandage everything back up.  Dorothy has to clean and dress her foot twice daily from now until Friday to try and fix things up.  This is causing some minor grief since I just started this job I only earn 4 hours vacation time every 2 weeks, I can’t take 4 hours off twice a week or even once a week, I just don’t have the time built up.  It wouldn’t be so bad if she would keep the weight off her foot and we would only have to go the doctors twice a month.  The doctor’s office hours are rather inconvenient; 10:00 to 2:45.  Most of us “normal” people work during these times.

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning--

The chicken wing maneuvre is in play here---'Spring' wants his morning cuddle session

We are sunny and seeing a high of 12C today--right now it is 1C.

Doing some photo stuff today as well---got a couple of places to go to as well--

Garry, Lee: the only Berk thing i could think of was it doesn't steam enough---but--

Flo, i'll just have a coffee and a small fruit salad please----I'll be over at the RC for a bit

[GMTRacing]

Good Morning All, Pokes head in door sees T Stage is not waiting again and comes in. Coffee regular to go please. Long trip back to Sacremento when you're limited to switcher speeds. Glad the charges were dropped for "diverting" the diner the other night. I just flat missed the memo that the  monthly move had been approved by the moderators. At least the 30 day suspension didn't include not visiting the diner.

    The rain and most of the wind has stopped. Recaulking the slider seems to have stopped that water leak, now to get our errant carpenter to get after the minor roof leak before it becomes big. Busy, busy in the shop with preps for Savannah and Pocono (the same weekend) plus the VSCCA northern tech seminar here on Saturday so it's nuts. Shuffled a bunch of model train stuff I was doing for the museum back to the shed as my office is half full of drivers gear from the previous two road trips. It was easier when all they had was a helmet and gearbag. Now it's HANS devices (neck brace), radios, cameras, data acquisition systems - sheesh.

Jeff    good news on the feets. You need a break. Now if the health care people back off you might get a chance to rest.

Ulrich    Hope the house sale works, that would be sweet. Will you post an actual pic when the Loco arrives? Love to see the actual as delivered item.

Got the N scale track for the museum (PECO 55 flex) but didn't make it in last night - just too tired. With all the stuff happening and things going in 50 different directions I've been going home just whupped. At least busy is good - been on the other end and no w..k is much worse and more fatiguing so really I ought to just count my blessings and stifle - right?

   Gotta run - I'll try to stop in later.   J.R.

[TMarsh]

(chuckling because he just realized he clicked a link titled "quick reply". Quick.) 

Good morning all. Boy is it hot out there. And humid! Oh boy you could cut it with a knife. Like Houston after a rain. Just kidding. I'm practicing. Just coffee please.

Today is my whole day off day...., as long as I didn't just jinx it.

I think I shall continue on the choo choo train set construction. I have determined that the MicroEngineering triple span bridge is the correct length and has an appropriate support setup to accommodate the angled track it spans. Perfect. Too bad I didn't get it yesterday. I'll have to wait for tomorrow or the weekend, or the money. Whichever comes last.

Ray- Or should we call you A.J. Sounds like J.R. may be interested in hiring you to drive.

DerJohn- Ah the surface of OSB. Good question. The surface is fairly smooth, but if you've seen a sheet painted, you notice the strands always show. But it is not much rougher than plywood. If you are covering with ground foam or plaster of some sort, be it from Paris or elsewhere, you should notice no difference in the amount used to cover. It is not a substitute, in my opinion, for plywood in every circumstance. But for many where direct weather contact is not necessary (even if painted, it is not fond of being exposed to the elements directly as it will begin to decay much, much sooner than even regular plywood), or a surface is not required to be sanded or seen or used cosmetically, I have no qualms about OSB. Others do and, as we are fond of saying here, that's fine, to each their own. Like I said, I haven't fallen through my floor yet and I doubt my trains will either. However, for my open rise under the hillside, when I cut my narrow arch, I used some old plywood because, well, old school thoughts about unsupported strength etc (I wasn‘t able to support the arc as well as I wanted due to the frame work without a maze of support armes), but Johnboy says he used it on his helix and no issues. Of course I am only using ¼ inch as a support for the 2" foam also. I don't know how thick he used.

Ulrich- First I want to make it clear I am not knocking the Chinese. We have the same issues here as you well know. Yes there is greed involved and I initially feel the same way. But no one, and I mean no one I know of, starts, or buys a business to just "make it". So on one hand I understand why they are constantly looking for ways to make profits higher, and in todays market, the extras are just niceties and unlike bread and milk, can be done without if not priced at least tolerable and the Chinese with their, annoying to the Unions, habit of working all day for next to nothing and not complaining because something that needs done is not their job, and doesn't expect to drain a company or push them over the edge of profitability because, well, they deserve it, looks pretty appealing especially with the way the Chinese government and it's business men work to bring industry too there country instead of push it away. It's not the Chinese fault at least over here. It's ours and ours alone. Just like Wal-mart. Those that don't like Wal-mart and blame them for destroying the mom and pop's. It's not Wal-marts fault. If no one shopped there, they wouldn't be so big and in every town. Then the Mom and Pop's would still be around. Maybe. It's our fault and we don't want to admit it. Just like a little kid, always looking for someone to blame we say, "it's their fault. not mine"

Lee- Women! I know what you mean. Your time didn't transfer? Or you took the buy. Oh wait, you were actually real fulltime Coast Guard weren't you. Or were you? Anyway, I'll keep Dorothy in my prayers to heal that wound and not be a stubborn woman about this thing.

Wow, this got long. I best sit down and let someone else get a word or two in, and get moving today.

Maybe I'll pick a room sometime today and begin Spring cleaning. We pick one room and do it before continuing until the house has been gone through. Sometimes this process takes three or four years, but it seems to work.

Have a Great Day!!!

[Robby P.]

 Good morning.  Its sunny, but they are calling for some SNO* showers tomorrow!!

 I got to get a car inspected this morning.  I hope it passes.  I'm worried about the tires, and breaks.  That will make or break the inspection.   

 My ACL hopper sold.  That will help out, well money wise.  I got the hoppers mailed to Canada yesterday.  It was going to be $22 to mail them, but then the post office lady measured the box.  Then it was $9.   Talk about a BIG difference. 

 NS.......Thanks for the comments.

 Der.......They came in the kit.  I guess I could have just added one to the store, and kept one for a later building.  I think Walthers sell's some kits thou.  I might have to look into them.  

[TMarsh]

J.R. Don't worry about getting locked up. Jeff's about fed up with the system and is arming himself bigtime and Ray is really getting the feel for the handling of the Yaris, so I think your stay in the pokey would only be brief.

Stifle? Nah. Helps break the stress a bit.  Count your blessings. Yes. Everyday. 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 Good morning. It's 52 and cloudy. The high will be 74 and it will be mostly cloudy.

I spent much of yesterday getting stuff boxed up to be sent out and getting a doc appointment out of the way. This morning I've already been out to the hospital to have blood drawn and at noon a Home Health nurse will show up to draw more. Maybe today I'll have some time to myself. I'll be going through the Athearn kits that I'm keeping and see which ones I'll be wanting to put together this weekend, provided someone else doesn't change my plans. I frequently find plans for my future that I don't know about to be somewhat disturbing.

[Anonymous]

 Good Afternoon,

I took a long snooze, which made me feel better, at least for a moment.

Chloe, or is it you, Zoe, I´ll have coffee and a cinnamon roll, please.

Todd - I agree, it is not the Chinese. They are just happy to make a living, and, after what I had seen during a visit in 2008, it is a fairly basic living on a much lower standard, as I am "enjoying" right now. They are not taking away our jobs, it is our own greed and/or our own consumer behavior to always want to get things "cheap", who take them away. It is also our government, who imposes high barriers for new businesses and taxes away all benefits from an enterprise. It is the same government who gives businesses a tax break if they close down their operation and lay off people. It is banks, who seek to make fortunes by investing into high risk stocks instead of financing an economy by lending money to businesses on a normal credit basis. It is ... the list is probably more than a mile long. I, for myself, have decided, that the little I can buy nowadays, will be spend locally and not globally.

Official end of rant no. 2 today!

Back to model railroading - I can hardly wait for my BR loco to arrive. Of course I will post pictures here - before and after I have added those user applied detail parts and my attempt at weathering the beast. Robby P. - can you just come over here for a few days to show me how it´s done, please? I have an airbrush, but do need a compressor....

[ns3010]

Morning all.

In case you didn't already figure it out, I didn't go to school today. I probably almost could have (one of those 'maybe, maybe not' things) but IDK. But I'm gonna have some homework and tests to make up. woo hoo...

I'll catch up later.

[AmanaMedic]

 Good morning, just a to-go bucket of coffee...

"I frequently find plans for my future that I don't know about to be somewhat disturbing." Gentlemen, the quote of the day...perhaps of the week!!  JEFF:

Have a good, SAFE day everybody...

Chris

[howmus]

Mornin' Everyone!

Zoe, I'll have an English Muffin with strawberry preserves along with a cup of dark roast coffee in a FGLK mug this morning.  I'll go sit in the front booth and enjoy watching the train movements outside.

There is a big yellow bright thing in the sky here in the Finger Lakes this morning.  Already up to 42°F and the weather guessers say this:  "Sunny with temperatures rising towards the low 50s. Winds WNW at 15 to 20 mph."  Looks like a nice day here today.

I have two major printings (envelopes) to get done and I am waiting on a couple changes in data to be able to do them.  I have a flier to get out for the NMRA Meet and just need the name of one of the railroads THAT will be open.  I will call the guy today and see if I can hear him over the phone...... 

The logging operation at the top of Bare Mountain is all set to be removed.  Everything is unhooked and ready.  Now I just need to find someone who can stop by and help me take it out.  My son was sick yesterday and took the day off from w*rk.  Usually he can leave home a few minutes early and stop by late afternoon on his way there.

Well!  I best get moving and see if I can get a few things done today.

Later!

73

[LSWrr]

Todd

I was Active Duty Coast Guard for 22 years and I retired.  The time didn’t carry over because of some act of congress that separates my military time from my civilian time because it wouldn’t be fair to those civilians that never served in the military (comment refrained).  If I hadn’t retired I could buy back my military time at about $21/month. 

[Robby P.]

 Well I got the car inspected, but it needs for tires!!!  Which equals $362.00!!!  Gotta come up with the money for that now.  Here in PA, they check you tires, and breaks along with the other things (lights, horn, etc...).  In NC they just checked the lights, and horns. 

 Ulrich......I would love to come over and show you.  Plus I need a vacation!!!  I will supply the air compressor .  

[Anonymous]

 Here in Germany, you have to turn in your car every two years for a thorough technical inspection. That includes tires, suspension, exhaust, steering, brakes, corrosion, lights etc. If you fail, you have two weeks time to get your car into shape, otherwise the police will knock at your door.

My 16 year old Merc is up to that next year... 

Well, to be fair, when you are zooming down the Autobahn at a speed of 125 mph, your car should better be perfect.

Btw, if any one of you should come to Germany, you are more than welcome to stay with us. Would really be nice meeting you! We could go  to Miniatur Wunderland and enjoy some spectacular train rides in and around Hamburg, take a harbor cruise, climb into a Russian submarine and visit an old Windjammer, go to Cuxhaven, where Chris´ ,  Jim´s and Barry´s ancestors probably have left Germany for the New World...

[TMarsh]

I think I will like the monthly move better. Won't have to keep an eye on the page count so much. Just the month. 

Ulrich- Are you sure you aren't speaking of the U.S.? Sounds like the same there as here. And by golly in the case of the Autobahn, the safety inspection is more for the other guy so, keep inspecting away. Over here, without and inspection, it'd be like a 125 mph junk yard on wheels.

Lee- After I posted, I remembered. I am almost sure I would agree with the idea, at least, of the comment you refrained from making. They had a choice. Serving the government is serving the government. Or something similar.

OK, now for the big show. Well, humor me a bit. Here is the latest look at the layout. Off screen to the right is just flat and pink with one set of tracks and a half laid team. I still have to continue the second level around and it will decline to first level height (thought it was I before E except after.... Never mind), on the section that hasn't been built. That will be the phase after next.

Here we have the runoff from the second level. I think, over the years they have laid tile and will exit the side of the hill and trickle down to the old stream bed below instead of the creek which would there used to be which would throw a kinker into my plans. Especially since I saw somewhere that clear nail polish makes for good trickle or wet rocks. I don't want a water fall type scene.

Here is my scratch built abutment and wings. The right wing had a bit of a gap, but realistically it can be modeled as a normal feature of an aged barrier with some dirt and foliage poking through.

Here it is mocked in place. Won't be attached until the plaster and color get added. I have the other side to do as well as the bents. I've attached the rails to the track for measuring. I hope all turns out well. This is kind of fun. I still like kits, but it's nice to know I can make something that isn't made in the right style, appearance or size.

All the news for now. Back downstairs I go. Unless of course I get one of those calls Jeff spoke of.

　

[Blazzin]

  Morning All~ 

  Todd.. nice.. to get up in the moring.. I look for Jeff's posts and pics.. and now I get up.. and see this~  I am impressed.

Now this is what I am talking about.. I love these small show and tells.  I neeed this.  I really do. 

  Todd.. you care to tell a brief.. ah.. year.. place.. terrain you're shootin for?   When someone posts a pic..

I blow it up.. and check out every detail.  Two buildings in front of the tower.. is that the train station? 

 And in front  of that building.. I see a nice color on the barn.. what color is that?

  On a small note.. I even saw .. whats under the table.

  Thanks for the pics.. I love it.  I needed some motivation.

  After the comment by Jim~   (Alvalance city.. lol.)  in which I really do appreciate it.  I had .. in the back of my mind.. thought Alvanche city was a bit much.  It wasn't only until Jim spoke up.. that little voice in the back of my head .. agreed.~    Then Jeanne says.. "Why don't you put the buidlings on the layout and see .. and really look at it"  ... well in so many words she said so~

  So.. in the past 3 days.. I've been cutting.. and cutting.. lol.. and I'm not there yet..  its gotta be just right~  Thanks Jim~  LOL.

 

[Blazzin]

  Jeff!

  What are you planning on doing with this baby? 

  General weathering?  And if so.. what colors for this brown? 

  Also.. if not general stuff.. any chop stuff.. like removing a catwalk.. or lowering it?

  I think I've heard you mention something about that before.. and if you did.. what is the correct height of a wheel to car?

  thx

 

[Cox 47]

Afternoon all..Its partly cloudy and 63 here...I'll have a cheese burger and RBF please..Thank You..Not doing much on layout today just to nice outside..I got the 100 N scale figures that I bid in on Ebay..They look better than I had hoped...I finnished this up yesterday..I call it shade tree fix-it man...

 

 

You all have a good one..Jerry

 

 

[TMarsh]

MAIDEN VOYAGE (at least a little bit) A SUCCESS!!! I need to work on the coupler height ( I knew that. Just kept putting it off) because now that I come off an upward incline, the loco disconnects from the cars. Small issue in the model world. BIG issue in real life. The car couplers are TALGO and slightly bent with loose coupler pockets. Repairs now must take place instead of when I get ‘round to it.

Keith- Funny you should ask. Better sit down and have another cup of coffee for this one.

 My railroad is what I call S. double D.F. That's Super Duper Dillywhopin' Freelance. It has no official name yet. The timeframe is current, and the area is kinda sorta southern central U.S. Northeast to east Texas, probably because the terrain varies there with no mountains, but hills. One of the most beautiful areas in the country so, if things don't turn out well I may have to change locals. It is a shortline based railway that uses the name Texas and Pacific as if the T&P never went away, so to speak. I have tunnels, but then again, the T&P doesn't exist anymore anyway so I can have them. The group of buildings with the water tower you see is the town of Gold Creek. And yes the end structure is the station. The upper most tier is the Post Office/ General store/Bar. (anyone around central Texas will recognize the place, hopefully, when completed. There will be a dance hall on the area between the water tower and the building. To the right of the water tower and on a tier by itself will be a house that is a B&B called The Overlook Inn Bed &Breakfast. On the second level where you see the wooden water tower and the 4-4-0 and cars, to about were the barn is will be the original town of Gold Creek. The name of the creek I am modeling but over the years turned into little more than a soggy ditch through town, so they laid tile and a culvert to take the water to the lower part of Gold Creek that is in the pictures of today. Now a restored Tourist Trap Town, you can go wander through the place and spend lots of money. They have a restored 4-4-0 that takes weekly tourist trips so you can experience the wonders of steam riding and old overland coach. Just like over 100 years ago. Traveling on around there is an elevator and another small un named town. Further progress with the addition of bench work will have a small local packing plant- they still haul cattle by rail in my world by the way- A beer distributorship, a railroad yard and hopefully roundhouse, don't know for sure but I want one, at least two other passenger stations and 3 maybe four more towns, that neither have names nor planned industries. I'll take it as it comes. Many people would shudder to hear my plans and propositions, but that's why I refer to it as Toddland (of which I'm king).

'Tis good to be king.

[TMarsh]

Oh sorry, I'll have to go down and look at the barn again and try and remember what I did.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Blazzin

Jeff!

  What are you planning on doing with this baby? 

It's already going to another home.

[Packers#1]

 hey folks. didn't have much time yesterday because of homework, a soccer reffing meeting, and rugby practice, where I worked my tail off. my shoulder started hurting a bit but it's still fine. If this wasn't the last game of the season I'd be more conservative with it, but there is no more season after friday until next December (except for a scrimmage maybe, if my coach gets it set up). I also got a number of more bumps/bruises, but nothin a day or two can't fix haha.

[blownout cylinder]

Sawyer: Sounds like a typical day at Rugby! lol! I've had a few days like that from just playing regular football let alone Rugby--

We got back back with all kinds of interesting things---a few examples of such--hopper reuse-

an old roller/compactor

A couple of inside shots

I'm still going through stuff-----

[GMTRacing]

Wow - I love that compactor. Automobile based?

Todd - does the transition uncouple the cars from the locomotive?  I had a lot of that two layouts ago and it was the lack of a smooth transition from the incline to the flat section at the top. Eventually I had to pull the track and sand a smooth radius into the sub bed at the top of the hill. It was worse with the 6 axel diesel and freight cars and funny with the 4-8-4 steamer which would wheelie off the top and land on its' side. No end of coupler work would fix it though the old school horn hooks came close. Good Luck,   J.R.

[ns3010]

Evening all.

Well, actually made some use of my day. Got caught up on homework and got my room cleaned.

I also did some work on my new website, since Google got rid of my old one, and I was unhappy with Webs. What do you guys think? I still have a lot to do, but it's semi-presentable. I'm also working on a railfanning site, but that's not quite presentable yet.

Chris, sounds like a very, uh, 'exciting' class! And very nice priests! The priest at my church scares me... He's a grumpy old man, who doesn't exactly seem ''priest-like!'' lol
And I forgot to mention, she didn't kick me out of class. I walked into the room on my way to lunch, while she had a class, told her, and then she kicked me out.

Bama, congrats on the promotion!

Ulrich, sorry to hear about your friend.

I see there's talk of inspecting cars. According to the driver's manual they gave us in Driver's Ed, new cars (made after 2000) need to be inspected every four years, older cars (pre-2000) are every two years. The inspection includes brakes, steering, lights, tires, horn, wipers, and blinkers.

I'll finish catching up later.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 Well the old Apple IIe system I picked up today is in about the condition I thought it would be. The main board is toast but the peripheral cards still work. They can be used as spares for the Apple IIe in my closet. Of the two disk drives that were with it one is operational, giving me a total of 5 operational Apple drives. It was well worth the trouble to go get it. Finding those parts on the market can be like searching for hens teeth. And yes, I do still use the system periodically.

[AmanaMedic]

ns3010

The priest at my church scares me... He's a grumpy old man, who doesn't exactly seem ''priest-like!'' lol

We had one like THAT in my elementary school days, Fr. Collins. A very scary old man... Funny thing, he used Seagram's 7 instead of altar wine... I discovered THAT during my conscription days as an altar boy. When I say "conscription," I mean it...we wuz drafted! Inducted! Deducted! Inspected! None rejected!

Good evening, ladies... double cheeseburger basket with a large, very large Cherry RC Cola please 'n thank-you!

JOE: The website looks good to me...but then I'm not exactly web-savvy. I had a freebie website several years ago for my fire engines. Went to update it one day...*POOF!* Gone. Seems the whole website provider had vanished. Oh well.I guess I got what I paid for...

SAWYER: Glad you've survived rugby with only a few bruises (more or less...)!

THE KING OF TODDLAND: Wow! THAT bridge abutment looks great! The whole TODDLAND progress looks great... I'm officially jealous now. I'm hoping to get back into the RR room to advance the paint re-do in the next week or so. Maybe, just maybe I'll be able to get some lumber out of the next paycheck. 

JERRY: Nice little scene you've got going there. THAT's in N-sane scale right? Yikes!

 

All this talk of vehicle inspections has me wondering a little bit. I remember back in the 70s and 80s in Iowa, you had to have an inspection sticker. I'm not sure when they quit doing THAT, but I know I've never had to suffer through one, and I haven't seen those stickers since at least the mid-80s. Hmmmmmmmm. THAT might explain some of the junkers out on the road...

On THAT note...I'll yield the floor,

 

Chris

[blownout cylinder]

GMTRacing

Wow - I love that compactor. Automobile based?

From what I gather not necessarily made from an automobile but dang close to it. The dealer's place we came across has stuff in it from all over N.A.---in this case it was found at a reclamation yard near someplace in AZ. He said --as he showed me---that the only name they came across on it was at the back---AXIOM. This dealer thinks it was last used sometime in the 1960's and sat ever since--

It still runs too----

[Cederstrand]

1/2 Reg & 1/2 Decaf coffee in a  SOUTHERN  mug, please & thanks.

Some really neat pics being posted I see. Keep it up folks.

Haven't had time for any MRRing fun lately, other than thinking about it. Too much farm & Inlaw stuff going on.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Rob