Elliot´s Trackside Diner DECEMBER 2010

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!  (It is still morning I think here in the Finger Lakes.)  (Well it was when I started this.....)

Zoe, couple eggs scrambled, side order of bacon, and some of that wonderful sourdough toast you have to go along a a cup of your best dark roast coffee.

Robby, congrats on the anniversary.  Oh, and ignore Barry.....  Go for the record instead....

Der, I love the paperweight!  Thanks for the photo of the old electric motor it has been added to my collection ideas for later....  My Father was somewhat of an innovator on the farm.  He was always doing things that everyone else said couldn't be done.  We were the first farm in the North East to have a Milking Parlor.  My dad had an old wood silo packed up and moved by a huge crane from one side of the barn to the other.  Close to 200 farmers showed up to see what they thought was going to be the disaster of the century at the Howard Farm.....  They left disappointed as it was moved, bolted in place, and everything packed up without incident.  My dad got tired of the old silage blower clogging up from time to time, so at an auction he was at, he bid on and got a 70' farm elevator hand made by an inventor (the guy invented the silo unloader).  It weighed in at over 10 tons and was almost perfectly counterbalanced with a huge slab of concrete.  OK, all that was just to tell you that the elevator was only missing an electric motor large enough to handle the size of the monster while set up against the silo which was 57' tall.....  (We had more than one car drive into the ditch in the road out front eyeballing this thing.  I'll leave the story of how my dad got this thing from the other side of Rochester to our farm (about 80 miles) for another time.  He managed to find a 5 Hp industrial motor from the late 1920's to do the job.  It did!  This sucker weighed over 300lbs.  We moved it in place using the bucket loader on the tractor. The 2 of us couldn't budge it by hand.

OK, I seem to have written a book....

Yesterday I tackled The Closet!  You know the one by the bathroom that has all the towels, sheets, cleaning supplies, old light bulbs, and stuff like THAT.  Fibber McGee had one of them......  Amazing what I found (hasn't been cleaned in 20 years or so...) Lots of old polish and cleaning stuff bought at stores that went out of business, oh, 25 years ago.  Threadbare towels I was saving for some reason, and old sheets no longer of use to anyone....  The small dumpster from the trash company is filled.  just got emptied last Tuesday.....

Oh, Todd, I think a couple glasses of wine works the same magic.........

Later!

73

[CNCharlie]

Good Morning from Winterpeg!

It is a rather frosty day here with a windchill of -33C but it is sunny and of course it is a dry cold.

Robby, yes I would certainly agree with Galaxy, take your wife, Jessica isn't it?, out for a nice meal. Has always worked for me and we are headed for year #29. Oh, and shiny, sparkly things are also good but if your budget doesn't allow, flowers are always well recieved, especially roses.

Well we are off for lunch out with friends shortly, so will say have a good day everyone.

CN Charlie

[teen steam fan]

Hey guys, snow's melting fast in Illinois. 

Just placed an order from Walthers of some parts I need for modifying a model I have of Main Street Station from Disney. Nice station and it has all the provisions for an interior, but I need to patch some holes and fill in some windows. Lost a few of the frames over time. Covered up some of the tops of the towers with Spackle and will paint them tomorrow or during New Years eve. Aw well, not much I can do until I get that order. Hopefully it gets delivered to the door instead of getting THROWN up the driveway by the mail woman. How hard is it to drive up to a house and set a package somewhere where people can see it?

[Robby P.]

 Thanks for the happy anniversary!!!

 We didn't do much but did do some window shopping.   Went by and got her favorite pizza, and we will cook a apple pie.  Then call it a day!!

 Maybe later I can see if I can find a "gift" for me on MB Klein website.

 Have a good evening guys!!

[GMTRacing]

Time to head on out for home. Early and all.

Ray - We scanned the photos to PDF format. If you want, I can forward the files to you if you think it'd be helpful. Let me know.   J.R.

[cudaken]

 Flo, is on me tonight!

 Talk about the Luck of the Irish!

 Today I sat down and sent out some resume, first time scenes I lost my new job last Wednesday. With New Year's coming did not think I would get any action on them this year. Low and behold the first ad I found was running a Mattress Store. I can do that, did it for 4 years. Fired off the E mail and went on.

 45 minutes later the phone rang, guess who? Yep Matters Solutions, now I think my resume looks pretty good, but 45 minutes?  I have a interview Friday at 10:00 AM.

 Now here is the best part! The new store they are opening is in EDWARDSVILLE IL, the same town I was going to be working in. Again only a 6 mile drive!

 The owner knows I worked for Mattress Giant (whole reason they called) and asked if I knew Joe Todd, and I said yes. Asked what Joe would say about me? As luck would have it Joe is on my personal references list all ready!

 Then I had a panic attack, none of my dress pants where pressed! Hit the inter net and found a dry cleaner that does in store pressing. I had 35 minutes to get there, made it and have freshly pressed pants ready to go!

 While I still like to get out of sales, I rather sell mattress than furniture . Plus with it being still only 6 miles from the house it will make the longer hours more easier to live with. I am expecting something in the 50 hour range. 

 Lee I sent you the E Mail and PM as well. looking forward to speaking with you.

 Todd Here is a link to the Tab site.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3VvDoq-wyY&feature=player_embedded

 Maybe you will understand why I am a little confused. Plus I cannot play the guitar out here in the garage, no room behind the desk.

 See you all later!

 Lucky Ken

 

Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

 

[cudaken]

 OK Todd I picked a bad example on that one. That one is not lead, and I understand it. I will pick out another one latter.

       Ken

[blownout cylinder]

Found an interesting one though...perceived scales and pitch..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ne6tB2KiZuk

[blownout cylinder]

Congratulations KEN!! Good luck!!

Guitar tablature anyone? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK8_Lqi0GCc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olP39XzK2T0&feature=related

[ns3010]

Evening all.

Sorry I haven't been in- I've been busy. I actually got some more modeling done, then there was hockey, and I stayed at a friends house last night.

I have to leave for a game in less than an hour, so I can't stay and talk. I'll try and make it in tonight when I get home.

Catch ya later!

[howmus]

Evenin' folks!

Flo, I'll just have a cup of hot cocoa for the moment.  I'll be in the back warming up by the stove.

Hey, temperature around these parts got all the way up to 38°F today/.  First time it has been above freezing outside in 16 days!  "We're havin' a Heat Wave.....  Tropical Heat Wave....." 

Ken, nice to hear good news from you!  Hope you have a great interview, get the job, and love it!  You are in my prayers!

J. R., check your conversations.......

I have spent most of the day finishing up some year end obligations, running errands, and in general not getting a whole lot done.  A couple of us are w*rkig on a mid January NMRA Meet which is a combined meet between two neighboring divisions here in Central NY.  This should turn out to be great as it is just not coming together......  Either THAT or we will finally get everything done for it and there will be one of those major January, ah, you know, events involving major amounts of white, cold stuff and it will get canceled........

Thinking about disappearing onto the lwoer extremities of my house (where the layout is) for a couple hours.....

Later!

73

 

[Packer]

Hey guys

Been kind of busy doing all sorts of small jobs. Right now I'm monkeying with a computer chip writer for my car. I haven't really done much to the car that would justify it (only exhaust as the power adders) but every little bit helps. Still need to buy a firewall clutch adjuster.

I have played with trains a little bit. Took out the MKT hopper and managed to fix it up. I tried an experiment with a silver sharpie by hitting the roofwalk with it and hoping to get the raised portions to be silver. The sharpie flowed a bit too much for it.

Ken, Good to hear on that one.

Robby, Happy Anniversery.

Ray, Your workshop pieces are very nice.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Ken: Good to hear about the job possibility.

 

Had some things to do this morning, none of them related to the layout then my father came by and picked me up to go with him to a boat repair place out near Toledo Bend on the other side of Toro. We had to take some parts out there and check on the progress of his boat as well. It's a 1971 Lone Star 16' V-bottom double hull ski boat. Right now it's basically just a hull with the deck and control station. It originally had an Evinrude 75 on it but that locked up long ago from lack of use. He's having an Evinrude 90 rebuilt for it. The mechanic working on it was preparing to set the timing on it when we got there. The boat still needs gas tanks, steering cables, electrical work, seats, motor control, etc, etc, etc. It was after 2 pm when we got back so we heated the last of the General Sherman's stew my mother had cooked up earlier in the week. Good stuff but man the tomatoes are working on me. I like them but they don't like me. I used to be able to eat them if they were cooked but not any more. My reaction to them has gotten worse in recent months and it's looking like I'll have to put them on my do-not-eat list right up there with bananas, cherries and avocados. I finally got home around 4 pm. Just finished getting a Life-Like coal tipple boxed up for a friend of mine and it looks like that will be the last thing I'll be doing today.

[Anonymous]

Yawn!

It is 1.30 am and again, a sleepless night. I really got trapped by those panic attacks, which force me to stay home, not being able to set a foot outside the door without my heart rate sky-rocketing.

Janie, just a mug of hot & sweet chocolate, please, but hold the rum!

Robby - a belated happy anniversary! Petra and I had our 27th anniversary this year, and my parents are going for their 60th coming year!

Ken - aren´t you a lucky one!

As the year´s ending rapidly, time to think of those people, who have to spend the New Year´s Eve far away from their loved ones.

Here is to our boys and girls in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia, Darfur and off the coast of Somalia & Lebanon.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Bout to slip onto page two here. BUMP!

[ns3010]

Morning all.

Game didn't go very well. We lost 5-3. But I played pretty well (for me).

Ken, hope you get the job and it turns out well.

Well, it is beyond late, so I better head out. Night...

[wetidlerjr]

 

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

Have a safe New Year's Eve !

 

[cudaken]

 Morning Folks!

 Yawn, see what you started Ulrich! Flo, big mug of Coffee with cream and sweet and low please.

 I did not sleep worth a darn last night, I wonder why? Kept dream about the coming job interview and what I will say.  Sure hope I don't blow it, but I normally do pretty good in faces to faces interviews.

 They are opening the new store in February, I am guessing so they can cash in on President Day sale, with tax refunds it is a big Bedding day. So I have that going for me, I will be able to hit the floor running. Just need to brush up on some of there bedding specks.

 Well, I am out of things to say right now and need to hit Mattress Solutions Web site again be for the interview.

 Talk at you all later!

 Wish me luck, Ken

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning...

Ken: You and Ulrich both? Dang, I thought it was just me... Only got 3 hours this morning. Audrey and I were both up at 4:30am this morning...

Well, it is now 36F going to a high of 47F today. In the rain and dull dull dull...

Off to get some stuff done before tonight....have a good one....

 

[Robby P.]

 Good morning.

 Well it looks like we have the same weather as Barry.   50 degrees, and rain.  I guess that's better than snow. 

 Not much planned for me today.  Fool around in the basement some, and see what needs done around the house.

 Have a good morning.

[LSWrr]

Good morning and Happy New Year’s Eve!

I went to pay my final respects to Dean Freytag last night.

I’m heading out to buy a mattress for the impending visit of my daughter and her new boyfriend this week.  Actually I’m going to replace my mattress and provide my old one to the guest bedroom.  No sense in having a $300 mattress and not using it every day.

I hope to replace all the turnouts in Fox Creek Jct this afternoon and take a bunch of pictures of the layout to finish off my 2010 construction album on my web site.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 69° and cloudy. The high will be around 71° and there's a 60% chance of strong thunderstorms.

I spent some time this morning working on this old trainset gondola. I can't find a manufacturers name on it but I suspect that it was made by AHM or Life-Like.



The work involved getting it properly weighted without the weight showing and converting it from truck mounted couplers to body mounted couplers. It would have been far easier to just slip knuckle couplers into the truck mounted coupler boxes but where's the fun in that. I had to find something to use as a shim between the car body and the coupler boxes. A couple of Bachmann coupler pocket covers worked quite well for this. So after some grinding work with the Dremel and the application of some super glue (got more on my fingers than I did on the car) I got the coupler boxes mounted. After the glue was dry I installed a knuckle coupler in each box and put on the cover and secured each cover with a couple of drops of super glue being careful not to get it in the coupler boxes. After nearly thirty minutes of work I rechecked the coupler height just to be sure. It's right on the mark. The car body has a tendency to rock, a typical problem with snap in trucks. Maybe someday I'll convert it to screw mounted trucks but I can safely say that it won't be THIS year.

[GMTRacing]

Good morning All,

    26F outside and fully overcast i.e. grey skies. Back in the shop this morning to do some year end paperw..k and get ready for next week when we need to hit the ground running. I do plan on spending at least another day in the basement getting ready to put up wall covering - just haven't decided whether it'll be sheetrock or hard board yet. The hardboard is easier to handle and put up, the sheetrock is easier to tape and sand and takes paint better. Which leads to the next conumdrum - to paint or buy a backdrop? add to the equation the fact that I'm best at painting runs and drips and you have the picture.

Jeff - ok so how do you superglue the coupler covers without getting it on the coupler? Last few times i've tried I ended up with solid pivots. Even using a toothpick to apply the superglue didn't do. It wicked right into the center.

Catch y'all later, J.R.

[Anonymous]

It is past 4 pm on this side of the Big Pond and it is slowly getting dark. The count down has begun...

Today´s the first "warm" day since the end of November. It is 36 F outside and snow and ice are melting away rapidly. I hope it stays for a few days, so road conditions improve in the new year.

Health & prosperity to all of you!

CU next year!

[TMarsh]

Good Morning! Biscuits and gravy please. Thank you. You know every time I type the word coffee, (except just then) it comes out coffe at first.

Looks like a good portion of us were restless last night. Me too.

Today: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 63. Breezy, with a south wind between 18 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Tonight: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 9pm, then a chance of showers between 9pm and midnight. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 25.

Almost like spring. Except for that 25 degrees thing.

Ahem- It’s ONE glass of wine fellas. ONE. Don’t know if it’s the alcohol content or the taste that has them limit it to one. HEY! Here’s a thought. Prescriptions! Insurance, Medicare…. See where I’m going with this? Oh yeah. It would be the same problem as with the prescription snow blower of last year. “Over the counter”.

Ken- Great news about the job. Good luck this morning. Actually, if you understand the tab you linked too, you should understand tab. Lead is no different. Like music notes on a staff, a note is a note and it doesn’t make a difference if it’s lead or backup. Usually with lead there are just more individual notes played. Assuming that’s the type of lead are referring to. It usually is.  Best way I can think to show how it works is, play a scale, any scale. For each note you strike, write the fret number you pressed on the corresponding string you struck. Bottom string on the tab is the top string on the guitar, or the low E. (or whatever you may have it tuned too of course.) Do not stack the numbers, but place them after each other just like you’d write 1 2 3 4, except every couple of numbers or so will stair step up the scale. Now go back and play those numbers as you just did to make the tab and you’ll see how it works. Again, like I said the problem I have with it is, in most sites the actual music is not included. Therefore you do not know when to rest, hold, the count of the note etc. There are certain symbols that are used with professionally written tabs, but I don’t see them much on the free tab sites.

Welp, I’ve run out of year to get all done that needs to be done. Again. Looks like yet another unfinished project. I'm hope to maybe today I’ll get in the train room and work a bit more on the bench work addition. Hopefully.

Y’all have a Great Day now ya hear?!!!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

GMTRacing

Jeff - ok so how do you superglue the coupler covers without getting it on the coupler? Last few times i've tried I ended up with solid pivots. Even using a toothpick to apply the superglue didn't do. It wicked right into the center.

I turn the car on it's side and apply a small amount of the super glue to the lower-most seam on the coupler box cover. Gravity keeps it out of the box. When it's dry I turn the car up on it's opposite side and do the other seam.

 

I was quite sure the car was made by AHM. I had one in Milwaukee Road paint when I was a kid. I went to an AHM site and guess what I found! Scroll down to #5299-E.

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe, lots of coffee (Todd, it usually comes out cofee for me....) and a bowl of hot cream of wheat w/ brown sugar for me today.

A very pleasant last day of 2010 to each of you and may 2011 be a better year as well.

Speaking of prescriptions, I gotta get myself down to the drug store and pick up one for a small tube of stuff for my psoriasis.  Co-pay will be a lot more tomorrow and the stuff is now costing over $500 (retail).......

Best get moving.

Later!

73

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Happy New Years.

Where will I find the diner in January? Gulf Coast would be nice.

We're about to leave Michigan. Not the best trip this time. Shelley and I were zombies due to flu and colds. Cancelled just about all our plans. Yesterday, our grandson here had surgery and it went well.

About to leave for Cincinnati for the weekend.

I will read your posts better when we get home.

I have some photos in my photobucket account for WPF.

 

[BRAKIE]

Good Morning All!

Not much to report from the land of Buckeyes on this New Years Eve other then 2010 went by quickly..No modeling yesterday but,I did get a unused chest of draws moved and the Slate Creek project is nearing construction start date.Yesterday NS must have ran 60-70 trains because there was one blowing every 20-30 minutes.To bad it was rainy and cold.Today they seem slow.

I shall have a cup and look over da forum.

Have a good'un!

[ns3010]

Afternoon all.

Didn't realize I got TOP last night, so I guess it's on me.

Can't stay because we're getting ready to head down the shore for the weekend. I'll be back in later.