Elliot´s Trackside Diner May 2010

[Packer]

Evening Ya'll

I got the front end of my car taken apart (again) to get shorter control arms and spindles in so the tires quit hitting the lip of the fender. I have managed to make sure it'll work this time. I tested it by it by sticking a brake disc and a wheel on one side and jacking it up. Sure enough, it went into the fender. However it's been eventful so far to say the least. The head of one of the bolts for the brake bracket got stripped when trying to take it off, but I managed to get it off by forcing a smaller socket on it with a hammer and loosening it. The new power steering line has a piece where there is a threaded hole. I'll have to get a plug for that tommorow.

I forgot to apply anti-sieze lubercant to one of the spindles and sure enough, it's stuck. I've tried everything I could think ofl; except for putting in the spring and hammering because I haven't been able to get the spring in by myself. I'm tempted to take the control arm out and tie the spindle to a tree and the control arm to the drawbar of the truck uaing tie-down straps and pull.

Barry, It keeps skeeters away? I might have to try it...

Robby, I like the turntable idea.

Ulrich, Hope your mom will be alright

[howmus]

Evenin' folks!

Flo just a cup of decafe will do me fine.  I'll go sit in the back booth.  Hope the fire is going.

Finished digging out the "sport" garlic out of the garden today.  Hoping tomorrow afternoon to get out the rototiller and get it up and running for the season.  Should change the oil in it this year.  Actually I should change the oil in all my gas powered equipment while I am at it. 

Have to go to the regular doctors early tomorrow afternoon.  I should find out how the old body is doing on all the meds.  I hope he switches some things a bit to help with the gout problem......  I printed out the medical form for Scouting today.  I will have him fill it out and sign it in case I do end up being at Scout Camp this Summer.  He ahs always been nice enough to do the form without charging me more.  The I have a District Scout meeting I best attend tomorrow night.  Our new Council Executive will be attending and speaking with everyone there.  probably no modeling tomorrow.

Ulrich glad to hear your Mom will recover!  I am keeping you and your family in my prayers though!

We are under a Freeze warning here in the Finger Lakes tonight.  Talking mid 20s in some areas.  Glad I didn't plant any peppers or other sensitive vegies yet. 

Hope you all have a good evening!

73

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 Well I decided today that I'll be buying my nephew's '81 Dodge Van for $400, unless something better in that price range range comes along. The old Century is getting to the point that it's going to cost me a mega pile of money to fix. The tranny is making strange noises as well as shifting hard (kicking into gear really violently instead of shifting smoothly, the power pump is shot, the rack is going out and the engine is starting to burn oil. One thing I know about these high output engines is that when they start going downhill they don't last long. Also the chassis rail on the right side is splitting apart from about the rear of the catalytic converter to the rear sway bar. I had a problem with that before some years ago. The same chassis rail had cracked back by the muffler and ripped part of the sway bar loose, then the entire sway bar ripped loose from the bottom of the car and the rear of the car went into a skid that became a 360 followed by a 180. The adrenaline rush was better than you'd from any E ride at Disneyland but I have no desire to go through that again. The cops said the fact I kept it on the road was an absolute miracle! Now as for the van, it's been almost entirely rebuilt mechanically with the exception of the steering column and the gas tank. I can get both of those items for about $100 from the local bone yard. The body is in good shape but needs a paint job.

[blownout cylinder]

Ulrich:  Your mother is on our prayer list 

Packer

Barry, It keeps skeeters away? I might have to try it...

Nope. It did no such thing with me---mosquitoes just eat me up

[rvos1979]

Ulrich: My thoughts and prayers are with you.....

Worked on the layout some more today, got three more switches and track connecting them all fitted and spiked down, will fire up soldering iron and solder the joiners tomorrow morning.  Got a note stating I have a package in the apartment office, was too late to get it tonight, though, I think it's my order from Sergent Engineering.

Looks like I get to be a pallbearer for my grandmothers funeral on Wednesday, mom broke the news to me over the phone a while ago.  Thursday will be back out on the highway, now looking forward to it......

See everyone later..... 

[LSWrr]

Rob, I think it’s about 1” I was doing a creek so I plastered the bottom, then painted it, then added crushed river pebbles, then started pouring the two part epoxy polyurethane.  I think I used a quart on each pour.  If I remember right my creek is 3 feet long and 1 foot wide.  I let each pour cure for 24 hours.
Randy, sorry for your loss, my Grandmother passed away the end of last month. It was comforting to see that only 2 of her friends visited the funeral home, to me it meant she outlived most of her peers.

Keith:http://www.circuitron.com/
http://www.rr-cirkits.com/
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches_peco.htm

Ulrich, prayers for your mother’s recovery.

[Anonymous]

 Good Afternoon,

 we are back from the hospital. Good news is, that my mother has woken up - the first step of a long way to recovery. She is so weak, so small all of a sudden!  Petra is now cooking up some meals for my father to heat up in the next days. We will be driving back tonight, but may go north again on Thursday and stay for the weekend.

Chloe, I´ll just have a mug o´ coffee, thank you.

Will be back here tonight.

Have a safe day!

 

[blownout cylinder]

Randy: Take care---

Good Morning--

Got those ol' winds and cold and rain---again for a few more days---

Well---the Strawberries be toast as well as the Asparagus up here--the frost basically done short work of them both. Some of the lilac bushes got nailed around here as well...

I'm going to start laying some more track allong the back acres of the layout---good thing the table we put together was placed away from the wall---otherwise I'd be using one of those things Ray just loves to use-- One misstep and ptooof! off with whatever---

Flo---i'll have a breakfast sammich and a coffee in a Great Northern Mug please----I'll be at the RC for a bit.

[TMarsh]

Good morning all. Two Excedrin Extra strength and a coffee please Thanks.

Got a little over an inch and a quarter rain last night. No severe storms, just some boomers and a light show.

Randy- Thoughts and pryers for you and your family on the loss of your Grandmother

Keith- Copied and pasted. Thanks for the recipe. Though I generally don't have trouble with fleas, mosquitoes, colds or intenstinal parasites because, I believe, I eat my share of Jalapenos, the recipe sounds quite tastey. I shall try it sometime. When? Who knows. But I will.

Ulrich- Great news about your Mother. Prayers continue.

Though I've decided how I'll extend the upper level at Gold Creek, I have yet to do it. Maybe this morn or this evening. Mom day today after unloading the truck at around 1030.

Well the Excedrin ain't workin yet, but it's only been about 40 minutes since it's application. Worked faster yesterday. Think I'll lay down and let it work. Close my eyes. Besides it's just a matter of time before Garry's SWAT team comes busting in here with flyswatters a flailing. And yes that bugs me too.

Have a Great Day!!!!

[GMTRacing]

Good Morning All,

   A regular and a coffee roll please Zoe. Didn't get in yesterday and by the time I got home I went straight to sleep. Got the first truck launched mid morning yesterday with a new driver a friend recommended. No issues there so far though Wisconsins a long way away.

   Second two rigs left this morning no trouble though Penske messed us around getting the second tractor (one we lease, the second we rent as needed until I hit the lottery and can get my own) so that wasn't in place until yesterday evening. We fly out tomorrow at 0 dark thirty. Thrashing on the rest of the stuff for next week none of which fortunately is being used this week. Still beats having a real job though.

Ulrich and Randy - you are in our prayers. Good news on your mom though Ulrich.

Jeff - what kind of van? And for the paint I have just one word. Weathering ! At least with your continuing foot issues the van should be easier to get in and out of.

   Glad to hear everyone else is making progress on their layouts. Hope to see some new photos soon Lee the turntable sounds good. For that matter, do they make a sound decoder for a turntable yet? It could get amusing if you model an armstrong type.

   Time to get back to it, We have my Lotus going back together, the Morgan to prep, a Lotus 6 with major handling issues and a Turner with a leaky back axel to cure so wish us luck. Catch y'all later, J.R.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

GMTRacing

Jeff - what kind of van? And for the paint I have just one word. Weathering ! At least with your continuing foot issues the van should be easier to get in and out of.

1981 Dodge Companion van, the type with the big side windows. V8 powered (318 truck engine), heavy duty 3 speed automatic tranny and 2.5 ton drive axle. I'll get some pics later. It isn't on the road yet. Still needs a new steering column (old one has a bust shear pin) and it needs a gas tank. A JC Whitney fuel cell would also work.

[rvos1979]

Morning all.....

J.R., have you looked at the used truck market lately?  Right now, the market is flooded with low mileage tractors at reasonable prices, the tricky part is spec'ing something that will work for you.  I'm still waiting to see what my employer is going to get for new trucks, looks like it will either be Kenworth's T660 or T700, will have to wait until fall to see what they get.

On another trucking note, looks like a Werner driver coming out of MillerCoors in Milwaukee, WI, got lost and tried to take his 13'6" truck under a 12'6" bridge, and lost.  Made HLN news this morning.  Appears the beer was unhurt.....

See everyone later.... 

[Cederstrand]

Strong Italian Roast Coffee in an extra large  UNION PACIFIC  mug, please.

Have a good day y'all & post some layout pics when you have a chance. We look forward to them.

Rob

[GMTRacing]

Randy,

   Yes, I've been looking at the market but there are two thiongs going on. One is the market is lousy because it's difficult to get a loan and second I know too little about trucks and need to arrange for someone to look with me. We do know the owner of Truck Nation (a fellow racer) and he's offered to help but I'm really looking to decide if it's really the right decision. The trailer is a 53' Great Dane with air ride and lift gate but it doesn't weigh all that much. We'd still get a twin screw w/sleeper just cause they are safer and ride better. The other rig with the lease truck is actually owned by a customer and the third is a KW300 toter home with a 45' gooseneck that we double decked.

   Good that the beer was ok. When I did the Columbus IMSA street race they were directing traffic to the hall where we were to w..k on the cars and I almost did the same thing. It didn't look right so I stopped and checked before following the officers directions and lo and behold I didn't clear. I went around and found another route. The next year, we had a different truck driver and he didn't check. Peeled the trailer roof back 10ft before he got whoaed up. Last trip he did for us.   J.R.

[Blazzin]

  Ray... LOL.. Woot.. I finally got it!

Quote:  "Kieth, I will print out THAT recipe.  You said the photos had everything you needed to make the Chili, but you neglected to tell us when you add the Milk Bone.......

  I couldn't figure out what you meant.. I came across the pic..of... "Everything you need is in these two pics"

  Well no.. not the Milk Bone.. those are for the dogs. LOL.. on a side note.. it has taken me this long to even figure out why the dogs wait for Jeanne to come home.  She comes home.. and yes.. of course they love her.. but when she comes home.. she says to the dogs.. "HOw bout a treat?"... and those milk bones.. well they love em.

  But on another side note... my daughters boyfriend came by last night.. I offered him some soup. LOL.. he said "Sure~!" .. lol.. by this time Jeanne is smiling. 

  So I give him a bowl.. and he says.. "This is goooood~"  "Now what kind of meat did you use to get this flavor?" 

  And I say to Jeanne and him.. "This is the first time.. someone has gotten straight to the meat?"

  He replies.. "Chefs.. my whole family .. chefs everywhere" 

  I gave him a couple bowls worth in a tupperware bowl. and he replys..

  "My family is going to taste this..and like it, I dont' think this will last in my home"

  Then he continues.. and tells me.. he was in Ohio last summer.. and got a ton of  mosquitos bites and the works.   He would have loved to have had it last summer.

 

[Robby P.]

 Good morning.  Its raining, and maybe all week!!

 Here's a few shots of the "Rock" I'm working on.  I still got a lot to do.  I hope to finish it up tomorrow.

[Cox 47]

Good morning..Its cloudy and 65 here after a stormy nite..I'll have coffee and a sweet roll please..Not much going on Pearl street this morning..gonna slip into back booth and see who drops in..you all have a good one..Jerry

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe I'll have a short stack of buttermilk pancakes with NYS maple syrup and a pot of dark roast coffee in a FGLK mug please.  I'll be in the front booth watching the switching going on outside.

Sheesh!  I started this over an hour ago.  Got 15 or so emails THAT I had to attend to right away.  The deadline for the MLK Scholarship Dinner was Monday, and we are finding a lot of people are almost ready to put there reservations in the mail......... 

I have a Dr. appointment this afternoon, my 6th. month check up, so I'll know how my blood work is doing by this evening.  Then I have a voluntarily mandatory Scout Roundtable to attend this evening.  Probably time I showed up to one anyway......  Doesn't look I will get much done on the layout today.  I am still waiting for some items to show up at the LHS.

[edit] Duh!  I don't have Roundtable tonight, THAT is tomorrow night.......  For some reason I was thinking today is Wednesday......  I do have the Doctor's appointment today though. 

Hope you all are having a great day!

73

[blownout cylinder]

Let's see---I have cardiac rehab too go to today--then there is a diabetes specialist to see tomorrow followed by another diabetes/cardiac specialist to see Thursday------I hope I got everyone figured out there----

I got my sick leave all figured out---and that was a good thing as well---

Gotta get more exercise in---have a good one people!!

[howmus]

blownout cylinder

Let's see---I have cardiac rehab too go to today--then there is a diabetes specialist to see tomorrow followed by another diabetes/cardiac specialist to see Thursday------I hope I got everyone figured out there----

 

Ya know Barry, sometimes I think if it weren't for doctors appointments, I wouldn't have any social life at all.......  You take care of yourself!

73

[Blazzin]

   Rob...***Keith, why did you have to go remind me of all those little "details" that will be required once my wife's town structures are in place!?! The work never ends, does it

 So true my friend.  "The work never ends."   Good thing I'm gonna pave the way for ya.

  But for a second.. all of you~  Where do you draw the line?  Let me see if I can put this into words...lol.

  Now when I was a printer.. a HOT press.. was just like a HOT tracks.  If you saw a red light.. it was a Hot press.. and you didn't work on the press without taking out a "safety' .. green light.  But for the most part.. it was always.. most of the time.. a HOT press.

  So, in reference to a Hot Track.. I see a red light at best.. representing a Hot Track with very few times it would / could read green.  In fact my layout is pulling off the main.. so.. I guess the mains are basically RED lights.

  Moving 'crossing guards'.. whY?  The cars don't move.. and to me.. the only time you might really look at the particular point in time is the time when a train is crossing over the streets.. thus.. just like the red light.. on a hot main.. I see a crossing guard railing.. in the down position... most of the time... since the cars don't move.  Street lights.. oh yeah.. if you want to run the trains with the lights out. .. and you're in the dark. lol. 

  The only reason why I wanted to go passive fiber optic was to .. well when you turn off everything... you end up with people at home.. with lights on.. slowly dimming.. as my Malibu solar lighting set is lossing energy.  For that matter.. maybe I should check the actual voltage/current / specs of the Solar Malibu lighting.. and see if I can't run a low voltage / current from the lighting system to the streetlights.. but still go with the fiber optics for the house.  I just want to make this easy.. can't anyone see this?... lol. 

  This is what I don't want.  I don't want a bunch of electical nightmares .. hooked up to the house electricity..  just waiting to catch fire.  I'd rather hook it up to the solar lights...and sleep tight... than sleep light.

  I'm sure I could give a few more examples.. but its more of a .."What am I getting at?"

  I guess I am trying to decide what is important to me.

I'd rather place more effort on running trains.. and a working layout.. than to use time and money on things.. that have less of a priority for me.

  But anyways.. I find myself making decisions.. or least trying to weigh in on each aspects of a working layout. 

[Blazzin]

  Yo Robby!  Don't think I'm not watchin~

  This is a must.. I gotta get me one of these..lol.  I can see how useful it could be~

  So let me guess.. you do one side.. then turn.. start on the other side~!  Sure beats

trying to handle it.

I can't wait til I get to weathering cars.. I bet thats very rewarding.  And then I'm gonna

bother you and Jeff.

[Robby P.]

Keith........That cup/turn table works real good.    It does make it a lot easier.  I think it does give a even coat, and you don't really have to touch the car.   The track is just screwed into the turn table.  

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Robby ... I can hardly wait to see you try to line up your turntable with the roundhouse.

Todd .. I hope the headache is gone now. As for a swat team for insects, perhaps you can simply tell them to buzz off.

Randy .... Do you drive mostly in Wisconsin, all over, or dedicated routes? Ever in this area?

On the layout, I am currently laying track.  

 

[Blazzin]

  Lee,  I thank you for those links.. good reading.  Whew~

  Todd.. Jeanne and I laughed.. cuz we were talking about 'Sending it to someone'  lol.  I said.. "WEll~, maybe Jeff or Todd .. yeah.. Todd.. freeze it and send it."  "You think it would leak?" 

  Jeff, I got up this morning.. wondering if I was going to see some weathering going on.~

Ulrich.. I don't need to remind you how precious time is.. I know I call up my mom.. and tell her how I feel for her.. and I really dont' have much to say to her.. but I just wanted to hear her voice.  I tell her straight out, there will be a time I want to talk to you.. and hear your voice.. but won't be able to.

[Anonymous]

 Petra and are back "home". I left with mixed feelings - all I can say is, that I am deeply worried about my parents. I just cannot imagine a world without them.

 Petra is right now preparing a very light meal- both of us are just too tired for anything today. We got stuck for about an hor in this one:

 

It is a tunnel crossing of the Elbe river in Hamburg. I just hate to get stuck in a tunnel. Petra got really nervous, as she was driving. She does not like to drive our old Merc.

Well, I´ll be off - see you all tomorrow (or tonight, should I wake up again!

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 Went to see the foot doc this morning. Left foot is almost completely healed. X-rays of the right foot show that the infection is gone. The  Charcot is still there, nothing will change that. They also removed my iv line while I was there. What a relief that was. Got a couple of reminders on the way there why I need to get some new transport. The tranny kicked out between gears a couple of times then slammed into gear hard enough for me to really feel the jolt. One day it'll do that and I'll probably see pieces of the tranny on the road behind me. The steering rack is leaking like a sieve. I'm having to put fluid in it every time before I go someplace and trips to Alexandria are out of the question. There's also a questionable tapping in the top of the engine. The injectors need replacing and that's $600 just fir the injectors. That doesn't include the other pieces needed like seals and gaskets. Moreover, the brakes are starting to fade again. So when I got out of the docs office I went to my money tree and plucked off four $100 and some $20 bills. Later I'll go over and tell my nephew to get his stuff out of MY van. All I have to do is sign the title and bill of sale and there's a notary right across the road.

 

 

 

 

[Blazzin]

  Randy.. if there is one thing.. I really like aside from Model Railroading.. is trucks.  I just might have to do a photo shoot of all my N Scale  trucks.  All kinds, some very custom.. down to even having ..yes.. oh.. I won't tell ya.. I'll just show one. ... or two.. lol.  Hold on..~

  Ok.. two of my top 10... well I like em..

And...~  Low and behold .. a one of a kind.

Now who can tell me.. what kind of truck this is?

  Lurkers in the dinner.. here's your time to speak up.

I would guess. only a few know this truck.  Care to guess?  Need a hint?

[Packers#1]

Robby, sweet lookin workstation. that hopper is looking good too! Jeff, looks like a nice van, but you might want to give it a new paint job. Keith, you got me stumped. Well, I ain't stressin bout school much anymore, but next week is going to be rather interesting...

[bjdukert]

Keith  

Now who can tell me.. what kind of truck this is?

   Could be the new moon rover.

Best to all on sick call and those recovering

Talk to you later

Duke