Hey all! What up?
For those wondering......The boy is good. We went and saw the doc today and he says that the staples can come out next week. He can't put weight on that knee yet, but he's bending it all over the place.
Ulrich, I used to be pretty handy with RTS, but it sounds like theres a few new changes. I don't remember those buttons. Guess maybe I should download the latest version and start playing. I used to love track planning.
galaxy We were, already, how shall I say, breaking the law and speeding ourselves, so if they were passing us like we were standing still, they had to be up there on the speed, and this is NOT the autobahn. There are set speed limits which most people drive 5 mph over anyway-for which the cops CAN give you a ticket for doing. 81 souht in these parts is far from smooth and flat like the autobahn {At least the parts my other half drove while over there}. The speeding is Ok to some extent if all traffic is going that fast, but not on a country stretch of hilly, curvy hiway, and the cutting in and out within inches is not necessary as there is plenty of room to change lanes. Had it been wet there would have been accidents.
We were, already, how shall I say, breaking the law and speeding ourselves, so if they were passing us like we were standing still, they had to be up there on the speed, and this is NOT the autobahn. There are set speed limits which most people drive 5 mph over anyway-for which the cops CAN give you a ticket for doing. 81 souht in these parts is far from smooth and flat like the autobahn {At least the parts my other half drove while over there}. The speeding is Ok to some extent if all traffic is going that fast, but not on a country stretch of hilly, curvy hiway, and the cutting in and out within inches is not necessary as there is plenty of room to change lanes. Had it been wet there would have been accidents.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Sir Madog Galaxy - Canadian snowbirds zooming past you, doing 90 mph and whisking in and out of lanes? Try the German Autobahn - we have no general speed limit
Galaxy - Canadian snowbirds zooming past you, doing 90 mph and whisking in and out of lanes? Try the German Autobahn - we have no general speed limit
Ulrich...my other half is the better driver of us, even though I used to race when I was younger and tend to have a very heavy lead foot myself.. My MIL is, indeed, German, and my other half spent every other summer over there in Germany untill the GIL {grandmother in law} died in 1992, and so has driven the autobahn.
Here, as I say in these here countryfied parts of the NE USA we don't much cotton to that stuff {USA country style accent poked fun at and exploited}.
There is a saying"If you are late, you have a timing problem, not a speed issue, and better off late than DEAD".
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
Good Evening (?)
Not even 1 am as I start to write this and both Petra and I are up. We can´t find the sleep we need - no wonder, as all our hopes and dreams went up in smoke. This just ain´t fair!
Janie, a midnight special for me please. Is Vinnie around, I´d like to talk to him about a job for Petra.
Morgan - RTS has a button called "Special". Click on it and select "Create benchwork". A new windows opens, and there is a button "colour" - click on it and you can change the color.
Well, off to bed I am, trying to find some sleep -
I see some good work.
Jerry .. I like the Transfer caboose a lot. Jeff the weathered DRGW box car looks great. Robby, I like your intermodal equipment.
Duke... WOW 2 days in a row! Keep it up!
Ulrich .. That's sad news. I keep hearing things are rough in Europe. Not good here in the USA either. We're here to encourage you, so keep on trying.
I'll finally show photos of my bakery. It is a "bread factory". It is mostly made from Walthers modular parts. I designed the buildings myself.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Hey guy's long time no talk right?
Urlich, best of luck for ya man. Wish there was something I could do to help you.
No updates on the ballasting work. May want to blame it on the rainy weather We got heavy rains and tornado warnings in my neck of the woods. Aw well, don't really care because of the long turkey day weekend.
If you can read this... thank a teacher. If you are reading this in english... thank a veteran
When in doubt. grab a hammer.
If it moves and isn't supposed to, get a hammer
If it doesn't move and is supposed to, get a hammer
If it's broken, get a hammer
If it can't be fixed with a hammer... DUCK TAPE!
Evening guys.
Busy day with odds and ends and took a new battery drill to my father for his B-day. He was thrilled. He dropped his old one and had it zip-stripped together and the battery was wearing out on it. He couldn;t make up his mind about getting a new one when we went to Scranton to Harbor Freight Tools on Sat...so I made up his mind for him!
Speaking of Scranton.
GMTRacing Galaxy - you must have been on 81 south, no? For some reason people drive like loons on the streach from Bingo to Scranton and it's too twisty and hilly for that nonsense.
Galaxy - you must have been on 81 south, no? For some reason people drive like loons on the streach from Bingo to Scranton and it's too twisty and hilly for that nonsense.
Yep that be it. 81 south of Scranton down near teh Harrisburg area is even hillier and uppy-downy and twisty than the bingo-scranton stretch. It rides along a choppy ridge. And yep even B-S route is too much for high speed. Thank Goodness it was a dry day.
der5997 Galaxy: My apologies for the crazy driving snowbirds - just anxious to flee the coming cold I suppose - still no excuse for bone-headed driving. You didn't happen to notice the Province of the cars in question? I have a private hunch that they were from a large Province tot he north and east of Nova Scotia.
Galaxy: My apologies for the crazy driving snowbirds - just anxious to flee the coming cold I suppose - still no excuse for bone-headed driving. You didn't happen to notice the Province of the cars in question? I have a private hunch that they were from a large Province tot he north and east of Nova Scotia.
Yep. Noted teh plates. Ontario and Quebec were the noted plates of the Canadians who flew past us at about 90 MPH and cut in and out of {mild} traffic like they were in the city.
We expect it out of New Jersey plated vehicles, they are horrible drivers up here. {sorry New Jerseyites or New Jerseyans or people from NJ but its true}.
AS I said out here in the countryfied areas, we'uns don't cotton to much to cityfied driving. They's not IN the city no more. And hittin' a heiffer in the middle of the road...well lets jest say...'snot purdy!
Well, tired tonigt also did a lot of chores today. We's goin' Turkey buyin' in the mornin'.
So early to bed tonight!
have a great night
Hey guys
Got to go get my brothers rental car in a bit. The insurance of the lady who backed into him is paying for it. I found it funny how they said he was 15% at fault for not honking. She had allstate and my bro has USAA.
Lee, The 302 from a truck wouldn't work for the underdrive pulleys I have. I wasn't really looking for the block as much as the heads. Some of the 302 Explorers have the same heads as a Mustang Cobra with a 302. I'm probably gonna yank the mark 7 engine since it'll have a better cam than what I have now.
Chris, nice picture. When I was in Texas I saw a CNW D9, but the UP paint crews got a hold of it (patch) I have a pic of it someplace.
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.
Afternoon all! Just stopping in, I think I'll take the George Washington out for a spin tonight. Hopefully I can keep that cranky engine going long enough, I've got an infrequent bind soemwhere in her. And others seem to have pro blems keeping my coaches coupled, but they used to like me. And If I'm LUCKY, I can keep the Obs' radio antennae down. But I won't hold my breath on that one.
Ken: For the life of me, I cannot recall how to turn off that salmon background. but I have been looking in on it. If you've foufd the off switch, or Ulrich or anyone else who uses RTS, please remind me.
Amana?: The CNW comment: Yeah, there was a bit of that when I chased the 4449 with Dad. Thoiugh actually, we left the driving line alone and stopped in a Hobby Shop for a few minutes, and when we caught her again 20 minutes later after cutting to a small town via the interstate, there was NO ONE chasing her. People must have gotten discouraged by the front and/or they got what shots they wanted. We were the only people by the tracks who didn't live in or near that little town. (Have to look and see which one, little dot east of Michigan City).
Incidentally, that awas my one favorite thing about Twitter. They tweeted the twon they were just through, and I could pinpoint them on a map. (Well, the GPS software, but I didn't have internet to use their GPS)
I see someone is thrilled about the Nascar finish, I've stopped paying attention. Johnson? Meh.
On rolling carts: I had had a similar thought onece too, building a track for them so they wouldn't wander on me, but glad to see someone else tried and likes it.
Benchwork: The moduels NWR uses and I'm using are 2'x4' frames with 1/2 inch Ply and 1x4s for everything else. some of them have a crosspiece in the center (also 1x4), and there's one 5" from the short end. The legs (1x4s screwed together in an L shape) fit snug into there and are then screwed in for added support. We use simple hardware clamps (the squeeze tightner kind) to hold them togehter, a few early ones use screws and pegs, but the pegs just aren't worht the trouble.
-Morgan
The forum won't let me delet this
"Don't take a wooden nickel,because it isn't worth a dime" by my Dad
"There are only 3 things you need out of life:A gentle grade,the wind in your face,and cinders in your hair.....But keep an eye on the water glass!" Jack Evans
Afternoon all
Ken On L Girder bench work. The layout building books I've read say that the vertical rib of the "L" stops the flat one on top from sagging....and yes, putting in risers is a sinch because there are all kinds of places on the vertical ribs to attach them. What Der said as well as you can put the girders at any angle and any distance apart from each other.
On L Girder bench work. The layout building books I've read say that the vertical rib of the "L" stops the flat one on top from sagging....and yes, putting in risers is a sinch because there are all kinds of places on the vertical ribs to attach them.
Ray and Garry You are awake! Something wrong? Time to fire up your Berkshire! Nothing wrong Ray, but Garry kind of read my mind. With Christmas coming and the movie Polar Express,I thought I would get a good bed of coals in the firebox,full tender of water,and a full bunker of coal so that the Berk would be ready to pull the Diner to our next stop. After all,the loco in the movie is a Berk.
You are awake! Something wrong?
Time to fire up your Berkshire!
JimCG enjoy your dinner (after the log sawing - hey, ask Duke for some tips on the best way to do that... It’s all in knowing how to do it.
enjoy your dinner (after the log sawing - hey, ask Duke for some tips on the best way to do that...
Well maybe in about 4-5yrs I will get to my 1,000th post
That’s about it
Best to all on sick call and those recovering
Talk to you later
Duke
Just a quick stop.
Ulrich......I hope it all works out. Its still bad here, and I laugh when the news says the economy is improving.
I've been working on a few cars this weekend, and here's the latest edition. Just a double stack. The trailers aren't very bad "weather" wise, and I gave the carrier a good dusting.
"Rust, whats not to love?"
J.R. - I wish I could say something positive about the situation, but it would take more than a miracle to sort out THAT mess. Frankly, I don´t know what to do to improve Petra´s and my situation. We can´t go on like this much longer.
I know that does not help, but I now I wish I could do it.
It appears that this is the end of my hopes and dreams.
Ulrich,
Sorry to hear the news. Sounds like your politicos are behaving like ours. It's easier to cut discretionary funding for worthwhile public projects like the TV station than it is to tackle the underlying causes of the budget crises. Hopefully if all projects are to be cut back like that, a public outcry will follow and funds will be restored. There are some things government is better able to do and non-commercial broadcasting here and abroad is one of them so long as the stations are truely independent. Let's hope you come out ok in the end. J.R.
Good Morning All!Not much to report other then I been having Internet problems and was off line Friday,Saturday and most of yesterday.The problem seems to be in their line some where..Not much modeling since I had to wait and wait and wait on the repair man who was suppose to have been here Saturday and arrived Sunday..
I did find out there isn't a thing on TV worth watching...What happen to TV? Everything is reality or boring.I shall have a cup and look over the forum.Have a Good'un!
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Good Afternoon,
the sun has set and I need something stronger than just a RBF to soothe my shattered nerves.
Thank you; Flo, for bringing me a !
This turns out to be a not so good day. To keep it short, the chance to get the necessary public funding for the TV station is close to zilch, as the budgets for this purpose have been reduced dramatically in the coming year. We need the public funding to finance most of the equipment purchases and operation costs - without these moneys, the project will most likely go down the drain, and with it, my job!
This puts me back where I am - too little to live, too much to die, as no other job is anywhere near in sight. Petra´s teaching job also ends end of this month and chances that she can continue are also pretty slim.
I will have again to shelf all my plans on getting into MRRing. Am I sad? That word does not describe the state I am in properly - I am shattered!
Definitely not a happy camper!
Good Morning All..Its cloudy and 62 here..got some rain with more on the way..just coffee please..Thank You..daughter-in-law went to hospital last nite but grand baby still isn't here..could be any time now..
John..wow looks like lots of modeling!..Looks great..
Jeff..nice weathering on "cookie box"..
I finaly finnished tranfer caboose..its kinda kit mangled freelance!!...most of the parts are B-man..cut down box car..frame from same with caboose steps added and hand rails from b-man engine..
I feel a nap coming on!...You all have a good one...Jerry
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe I'll have a hot bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar and a double order of sour dough toast this morning along with my Dark Roast Coffee in a FGLK mug, please and thank you!
Dark, gloomy, and gray outside this morning. I have to clean this pig pen I live in for the company (my sister from Indiana) on Wednesday. No MRR today.........
Best get at it as I see I only have 3 days to get it done....
Later!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Good morning. It's 67 and cloudy. The high will be 78 and tyhere's a 50% chance of rain.Well the job for this morning is laundry. However after that's done I'll be working on the layout some more and I might even make another attack on the closet and see what I can dig up as I go through the boxes of assorted model railroad stuff that are in there.
Good morning All,
34F and cloudy this morning with rain later and most of the week. It's already startng this morning in the shop between customers showing up hours earlier than we'd agreed, etc. No issues there just tough to schedule what you're doing that way. At least we're back up to normal strength with the new guy back from W.Va. and the unit room staffed again though he's on light duty til his collarbone heals (darned dirt bike!).
Chris - like Todd I use 1/4" underlayment but i used Luan cause it was cheaper (free in this case - left over from other projects). I glued the 2" foam to the luan. I used shelf brackets screwed to the wall on 16" more or less centers for the upper level where it was no more than 12" deep (around 6" depth on the straight areas). Where I had a swing bridge for access I used 3/4" ply over 2 x 4 framing for rigidity. If I had it to do over (and someday I will) I'd try the OSB as it is usually more stable season to season.
Well the next set of diversions have cropped up and I need to get tuit. CUL, J.R.
Good "warm" morning. The high will be 67 degrees, bu the high Friday will be 35 degrees!! What a drop off.
The plan today......Work in the basement some, and clean the house also. The MIL is coming in on Thanksgiving, and I have to have a clean house .
Todd..........That would be nice to see them in the Super Bowl, but the AFC is very tough this year!! Next week the Steelers have the Bills 2-7, so hopefully that's a win!!
Vincent......I sent you a PM.
Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
Good Morning! Biscuits and Gravy, (where I come from all biscuits and Gravy is sausage gravy. No need to specify) hash browns and three scrambled eggs. Put it all in a pile and put the gravy on top please. Coffee too thanks. Yes. Dark roast.
Today: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Last day for good temps for a while it looks. Tomorrow, 47 then in the 30’s. God has seen to it that the temps stay up so I can mud the drywall in Mom’s garage today. Some things you just can’t call luck. It’s the end of NOVEMBER for crying out loud and it’s 70’s.
Chris- Weeeeell now I have 2”extruded foam board on top, I have a “joist” every 12” on center….ish, AND the back board of the benchwork is screwed to the studs of the wall and the corner legs are 2 pieces screwed together at a 90. Yes it is seems very sturdy. Basically the OSB is just keeping the frame square and sturdy laterally. The peninsula is made the same way except does not have the foam on the upper level. This due to height requirements and grade percentages and space restrictions that just wouldn’t cooperate with each other any other way. Though not as sturdy, due mainly to the fact it extends 5 feet out from the layout as opposed to 14 and 21, it is as sturdy as any other form of construction would be and is plenty strong.. At least for this purpose. Yes you can shake it. But if I lift and shove on any layouts bench work I bet I can move that too. I doubt if it would hold up the house should it fall in, but it will definitely hold up my little world just fine. Yes I have sat on it. Knelt actually. Never underestimate the strength of the mighty 1X4! (don’t overestimate it either)
Ulrich- Too heavy? 1"X4" ? Are you using pine? I would use them on the outer edges to add support to keep the plywood from twisting and sagging. However using ½” ply and depending on how deep the layout is, I may forgo the “joists” so to speak. But I would definitely put a frame around it.
Well I’m gonna get a jump on things this morn. Last full day I have all week to work on Mom’s house. Once she is home I end up running around for her. Oh well, just about done anyway. I hope.
Does anyone else find the scrolling feature on the post box annoying. What I'm refering to is, I use the scroll button on my mouse. When I scroll down as I proof read and if I'm not veeerry careful and the thing reaches the bottom of the page, it resets and zips back to the top of the posting. Annoying.
Y’all have a Great Day now ya hear?!!!
Todd
Central Illinoyz
In order to keep my position as Master and Supreme Ruler of the House, I don't argue with my wife.
I'm a small town boy. A product of two people from even smaller towns. I don’t talk on topic….. I just talk.
Good Morning,
I made it to 8 home layouts that were on tour Saturday, I was just out of steam come Sunday to hit the 5 that were open in Cleveland, so I spent the day working in the train room and watching the Browns lose…. I have the turntable running smooth and most of the east end finished. I plan on a movie and some pictures this Sunday for the group.
Ken, nice track plans. I only drew my mainlines on the computer then transferred the lines to the bench work, and then I started building my buildings to see 1:1 how they would look. You have a more complex mainline than me, looks like it will be an interesting layout. Check out my progress pictures for 2008, I made a drop leaf (like on the end of a bar) and so far it’s worked great.OzarkBelt, welcome back!
Galaxy, congratulations on the 2,000!
Jerry, happy belated birthday!
Todd, I thought the oil in fried foods lubricated your arteries and made the blood flow faster and your heart work more efficiently; hum, maybe that’s my problem, LOL.
Vincent, a 302 is a 302 (5.0L) right? Did you look for an F-150 in the scrap yard?
BM1 Lee Soule USCG (ret) L.S.&W Railroad Serving the Lower Great Lakes
Good Morning
I am running late this morning, as I did not sleep well last night. Got up at 1 am and could not find my sleep again before 4 am. Now I overslept
Janie, just a strong coffee, please.
Ken - I have been toying with a few ideas so far, but nothing presentable yet, which will take a while for me to elaborate. My idea is to basically have a once around the room design with a big peninsula in the middle acting as a "scenery stage". A big yard and station on the left wall, and some industries "scattered" along the main on the other parts of the layout. The mine operation I want to put on hill in the peninsula, with a branch line connecting it to the Yard/station on the left wall. Again, I need some time to get my thinking right, before I can draw it.
Regarding my benchwork, I found out that using 1 by 4´s as the "spine" will make it too heavy to be manageable. I am planning to use 1/2 plywood instead.
CUL
Well (shallow, rusty, non-potable), the Onion Pacific has seen fit to run the UP 1995 (CNW Heritage unit) on the East-West mainline tonight. It's on MPRCB, or Manifest, Proviso to Council Bluffs. The Northwestern called it PRCBA. It's holding at Brophy, just outside of Clinton. The bastages in Omaha ran her through a few nights ago on MCBPR...again well after dark.
She hasn't been out this way for many, many months. Nice to hear she's back on a regular basis...NOT NICE to hear she's back in the dead of night!!!
Fortunately, I have seen her in full daylight. I managed to catch her on the first run July 16th, 2006. Rerun and I caught her on a crew change in Clinton, and chased her back to Clarence. I was dismayed at the azzzzzzzzclown behavior of many railfans, including the then-president of the CNW Hysterical Society. In particular, the rudeness in the photo line at Clinton, and the road rage/stupid driving on Hwy. 30.
For the first run, Uncle Pete saw fit to put "the dynamic duo" CNW 8701 and CNW 8646 with her, the last two Dash-9 locos left un-patched.
TODD: Yer using 1/4" on 1x4s??? Hmmmmmmmmmm. See, now I gotta re-think my re-thinking about re-thinking about THAT! I've been debating between 1/4" and 1/2" plywood. If the 1/4" is w**king for you...I may go back to THAT line of thinking.
Chris
The Cedar cRapids Industrial Branch: Proudly Shipping Yesterday's CrunchBerries Tomorrow!
Hey guys.Been busy the last few days.
Saturday I went to Pensacola to root around in the junkyard. Didn't find a 5.0 powered explorer to pull heads off of. I found an explorer (GT40) upper and lower intake for sale on the web over there that someone had already removed for about the same price as they would have been from a junkyard. Picked up a few small bit and pieces (switches, bubls, and other electrical stuff) while in the junkyards.
After work today, I got several of the little bits and pieces installed. Managed to get the power locks, dome light, trunk lights to work. Also got license plate light bulb covers on my car. The old ones were cracked. Also noticed It's still leaking coolant. Looks like the water pump gasket is shot. Not really looking foward to that. It's a slow leak though. I am thinking of replacing the stock engine with a modified one. My father suggested pulling a Lincoln mark 7 engine becasue they had better cams and would give me a 302 block to modify and build up until I replace the engine.
The only train related thing I did was buy some #72 drill bits for those SV handrails.
I got my schedule for next week and I work thanksgiving. Family said they'd hold the turkey until dinner. At least I get time and a half for those 7 hours. So that's $13.13 for those 7 hours, but $8.75 normally. There isn't a whole lot here, just service industries, aerospace, or military. Can't really join the military (although I want to).
Ken and Robby, check PMs
Robby, CSX doesn't seem to care about how there engines look or how there track is.
John, why you gotta patch a BN loco on me?
Galaxy. The only white christmas in florida is from the sand. Although it snowed for about an hour last year an hour away.
(flings door open) WHO wrote this on my T-shirt??!! And how did it happen and me not notice? I was asked to leave Walmart. Robby- Start buying the potato chips. I think the Steelers will be in the Super Bowl against the Packers. Should prove to be interesting conversations between you and Sawyer. I’m getting a bag of chips, no, a bag of peanuts in the shell and a reserved seat in the booth to watch. Ulrich- I use 1X4’s (United States size) for the bench work. Legs and all, with ¼”OSB for the surface with 2” foam board on top of that. Sturdy? Yes it is. Also relatively inexpensive and easy to build. Ken- I want to make it perfectly clear. I was not criticizing the size of the yard. I don’t think you took it that way, but juuuust in case, I want you to know I was just commenting on my personal preference. See, switching is not my favorite aspect. At least yet. If someone has need or desire for a large yard, have at it. Myself, I like the looks of a large yard yes, but personally I’d rather use the space for something else. That’s me. Not necessarily you or anyone else. I have a yard planned, just not that big. Again, that's me.
(flings door open) WHO wrote this on my T-shirt??!! And how did it happen and me not notice? I was asked to leave Walmart.
Robby- Start buying the potato chips. I think the Steelers will be in the Super Bowl against the Packers. Should prove to be interesting conversations between you and Sawyer. I’m getting a bag of chips, no, a bag of peanuts in the shell and a reserved seat in the booth to watch.
Ulrich- I use 1X4’s (United States size) for the bench work. Legs and all, with ¼”OSB for the surface with 2” foam board on top of that. Sturdy? Yes it is. Also relatively inexpensive and easy to build.
Ken- I want to make it perfectly clear. I was not criticizing the size of the yard. I don’t think you took it that way, but juuuust in case, I want you to know I was just commenting on my personal preference. See, switching is not my favorite aspect. At least yet. If someone has need or desire for a large yard, have at it. Myself, I like the looks of a large yard yes, but personally I’d rather use the space for something else. That’s me. Not necessarily you or anyone else. I have a yard planned, just not that big. Again, that's me.
Installing the back door was a b***h, oops sorry (it was THAT bad) I mean bear, like I’ve never experienced before. Mr Murphy was there and decided to help. A lot. Trying to rush so I could get into Springfield to See Mom definitely didn’t help. 3hours and it still isn't perfectly square. I decided close enough. They may not notice I hope.
I think I’ll retire to my bed chamber early.
By the way, I brought the circular saw home. One tool no longer required. YES!
PFTIN.
Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood Evening People, bucket of apple cider please...and thank-ya.
First, a belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to JERRY, hope you had a good day sir, and many more to come.
'Twas yet another busy weekend in the eight ball house... I installed a replacement sconce light, replacing an antique THAT has out-lived its functionality. To do so involved cutting and chisel w**k so as to make a hole in the plaster/lathe big enough to fit the outlet box. New light looks good, functions well, Wife is happy.
Today was the feature on the Cowboy Church. Other than the Southern Gospel music and one or two guys wearing cowboy boots...I'm (still) a bit lost on what is/was so "Cowboy" about it. Seems a lot like another non-denominational church I covered a few months ago. The difference: the other church does rock music and people wear flip-flops... Gonna be tough to make something out of this one.
Tomorrow is "The Battle of Ireland Avenue" at the monthly school board meeting. I've got a school board president vs. a mayor/pastor. Should be an "interesting" meeting. I'm considering taking bets on which guy will cave.
CUDA KEN: Man....your trackplans are making me jealous. I would all but KILL for a yard like THAT. Maybe if I took over the entire upstairs.............nah, THAT would mean forcing the king size bed back downstairs....NOT happening! I might have missed what the "bad news" was...hope whatever it is/was is something you can get through quickly!
ULRICH: Welcome back to the world of the w**king! Very glad things are finally turning around for you!! Your latest trackplan has me...again...re-thinking my re-thinking on my re-thought trackplanning thinking!!!
JIM: Don't even get me started on docs who don't answer their pager/phone/cellphone...
I'll dip my toe into the Wally's World discussion. I obtained a number of items at Theisen's, a Farm and Fleet kinda chain. Tools for the light installation and tools for the Wife's refurbishment of the former bedroom into her new studio. The tools were all "made in China." A pack of razor blades, for a Chinese-made scraper...were "proudly made in the USA." People rag on Wally's World for "cheap crap made in China," but Target, Sears, Theisen's, Menard's, Lowe's, Home Despot, etc. aren't much different. The Wife gets much of our groceries from Wally...typically lower prices than Hy-Vee, much much much lower than Family Foods or Gary's (in Mt. Vernon). Thanks to the continued de-valuation of the dollar and the resulting inflation...we'll get what we can get the cheapest, wherever the cheapest may be. If THAT be Wally's World...so be it. If THAT be Family Foods, GREAT! For us...it's all about the bottom line: the most for the least.
Speaking of the Wife...Rerun and I have to change our ways...at least for about a week. The Wife is taking a week off starting Wednesday, which means she'll be home...all...day...long. This will require much adjustment to Rerun's schedule and our daily "bachelor's pad" lifestyle!!! We tend to "clean up our act" shortly before her return in the evening... Maintains harmony THAT way...
In other news, I was thwarted in attempting to "wow" her this evening. Last year, I dug out some O-27 track from my childhood and put a circle of it around the Christmas Tree along with the train set I got for Christmas when I was 2 or 3. She loved it. Said she'd always wanted a train around the tree. I said, "gee, only took her six years to tell me this!" Anyhow, THIS year, she wants it actually run. For the life of me, I can NOT find the insulating pins. Thwart No. 1. Thwart No. 2, I was going to use a longer table, run more track, rehabilitate a Plasticville House, do a little scenicing, etc. Uh uh...the longer table isn't wide enough. Thwart No. 3, IF I can find the correct insulating pins for 1971-1972 vintage tubular track...I'm wondering if the locomotive will even move, or if decades of damp basement storage hasn't rendered it's guts into rust.
*sigh*
I'm gonna have a seat at the RC, ponder these great questions, and see who-else makes it in this chilly pre-winter's eve...
Hi gang! Too many pages to catch up. I had a whole bunch of replies building in WORD, but their "best before " date passed. Looks like the food and drinks are on me - I'll have a glass of the Sober Island Winery Rhubarb and Elderberry 2008 please Chloe.
Happy (Belated) 63rd. Jerry Hope it was all you expected!
Galaxy: My apologies for the crazy driving snowbirds - just anxious to flee the coming cold I suppose - still no excuse for bone-headed driving. You didn't happen to notice the Province of the cars in question? I have a private hunch that they were from a large Province tot he north and east of Nova Scotia. Your talk of the Christmas Tree layout made me get out my test track / Programing track that's more or less an oval on a bit of hardboard. (back of a chalk board IIRC) I had to tweak the track a bit as I threw it together, which didn't matter too much for programming, but for continuous running there were serious glitches. These have been taken in hand yesterday and today - so I've now broken in two locos in DC mode ready for when I can get decoders for them (waiting for funds to do that...
Ken: On L Girder bench work. The layout building books I've read say that the vertical rib of the "L" stops the flat one on top from sagging....and yes, putting in risers is a sinch because there are all kinds of places on the vertical ribs to attach them.
One of the two locos I was breaking ( an Atlas GP7) in will have the shell of this loco -..that's the one that the rear coupler broke off - and I couldn't get the sill unit replacement for the longest time. Well, in the mean time I put a different shell on the mechanism so I'd have the loco "in srevice"
.......so now I've got the sill unit, I've been busy painting the handrails, and today bit a long outstanding bullet and did some weathering (Thanks RobbyP for all the weathering tips). I tried first on some car shells, just fade to see how that went - and then some grime. General conclusion so far is that I need a better air brush to really get the effects like those stripes of spray from the wheels up the ends of cars. In a rush-to-publish here are the bodies....I've done the trucks for a couple (the other two were just shells, ) and I did the loco as well, but that's still drying in the spray booth. I'm going to see if I can get some of those rusty streaks on the cars, needs a pretty fine paint brush by the look of things. Anyway, that, and life in general has kept me from saying much here for some days.
Time to get some Goodnight all, and God Bless. Prayers again for all in need of Healing, Comfort, Prosperity and Peace. Johnboy, with all that cold, this one's for you!
"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.