Elliot´s Trackside Diner DECEMBER 2010

[BRAKIE]

Good Morning All!

Not much to report from the land of Buckeyes on this 15 degree Wednesday morning other then I threw another log on the fire and cancelled my hobby shop trip due to the cold.Modeling wise yesterday I stated a note pad list of my freight  N Scale cars and locomotives.I been meaning to do this for weeks.

No plans for today so,I might set up a 3 track switching yard on the dining room table which brings me to Slate Creek..I am redesigning Slate Creek to more modern ISL design thoughts where less is definitely better.

I shall have a cup and look over the forum.

Have a good'un!

[howmus]

(Limps into diner, leans on counter...)  Howdy!

Zoe, I'll have the "Left over Rotisserie Chicken Salad" sandwich, potato chips, a cup of hot chocolate, and a couple of those Butterscotch toll house cookies for lunch.  I'll be in the back booth by the stove keeping warm......

Well (water well THAT is...), Granddaughters have left, and Grandpa is ready for a nap!  The one year old doesn't need any toys to keep her occupied.  She has a lot of fun pushing buttons these days.  Anything with a button is pushed, and she is upset when the button doesn't appear to do anything.  She shut off the TV (I have had my weekly quota of Dora the Explora) several times, and even turned it back on after trying several other buttons first.  My blood pressure machine was particularly fascinating as every time she pushed a button, something different happened.  So. she decided to run out into my office here, and by the time I caught up with her she had turned off my computer for me..........  She accomplished THAT by pushing the on/off button on the battery backup....  I restarted the computer after she left (with fingers crossed).  No damage!  When the other granddaughter and their Dad showed, we got our Thomas.  Emily has learned how to take apart Thomas as quickly as Livy can put it together, but she did properly park Thomas in the engine house for us.....  Livy finally gets up, runs through the kitchen and stands by the cellar door.  "Grandpa!  Come her, follow me!"  So she and the others got a quick tour of what is new on the layout.  Livy was not happy we couldn't run trains, but busied herself throwing turnouts (with permission of course).

I have promised the trains will be running by Christmas, so now I have a deadline!!! 

Better get busy with a few items that have to be done prior to the early Deacons Meeting tonight.  Tonight we pack the bags for the "shut-ins" and others before the meeting.  We will also be electing new officers tonight....  One more meeting and I turn the gavel over to the new Moderators!!!  Hopefully this will result in a bit more time to spend on the layout.

Later!

73

[Packer]

Hey guys. Flo, just a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows.

Just a quit stop after work and before school. At least this is the last week before finals. After that I'm gonna take a few days off work to get the goodies installed on my car. I was gifted a rear-end rebuild kit (new traction lock and clutch packs) with a 3.55 pinion gear. So that'll go into my car. I still have to get a throwout bearing and urethane bushings for the front. (all told I think it's around $60)

Maybe it's a good thing they didn't move the diner to Florida. It's 4pm now and the temps is 35. The weather guessers said it would snow yesterday, but it was clear all day. Today it's been cold and cloudy all day. There was supposed to be rain (while it was around 32; the radar showed a system moving this way with rain and snow) today, but nothing. Maybe the rain is disappearing before it hit the ground? But there are dark clouds on the horizon headed this way *crosses fingers for snow*

Lee, Chris, and Duke: Thanks for the help with the tank loading info. Chris, is it just me or does that flat look like it has 6-axle trucks?

Garry, Welcom back. I used to live by the same line in San Antonio. It was very busy back in the day (I was there between 92 and 96), but the last time I went there (June) there wasn't much going on.

[pcarrell]

Evening all!

Still fighting this nasty old cold!  I've had this thing for over a week!  Last night my sinus's were so plugged up I couldn't hardly sleep.  I'm wiped!

Prayers for those in need.  I'm outta here!

[blownout cylinder]

Welp, we got told our 'official' amount here was a total of 135cm--or 54" of new snow since Monday morning--on top of the 45cm we got on Sunday. To the north of us--in Lucan the amount is over 170cm--or 67"--or 5' 7" of new snow--right now they are sealed up tight--no way in or out...

So---the great dig out was today--we spent all day doing the actual work of claring out the driveway--remember neighbour with Power Wagon? He did all that and I went out back and cleared BBQ of snow and made us all a big rib dinner....heeheehee

They are already singing the song of doom for our area--as we could see another 'snowpocalypse' forming over the city---again...

[pcarrell]

Thats just a little bit of snow there BOC!

[tomikawaTT]

pcarrell

Thats just a little bit of snow there BOC!

Reminds me of the story of one of my high school classmates who went to Syracuse for her first semester of college.  She was a very slender young lady who was unusually susceptable to changes in temperature.

After final exams - and 176 inches of snow - she transferred back to New York City.  Graduated from Columbia a few years later.

Here in the Dessicated Desert, any time I want to see snow I can step out into the yard (in shirt sleeves) and look at Mount Charleston - thirty miles away, and close to two miles higher.  That's the way I like it; snow up there, me down here.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - two months before snow season)

[Anonymous]

Barry - those 25 cm we have here make me feel humble. Even that small amount us sufficient to create havoc on our roads. We had many a winter without that funny white stuff.

Chuck - I like your attitude on snow Good to see you here!

 

It´s back to bed for some more

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I did some decal work on two locos today. First the GP38-2 then one of the GP30's.

[blownout cylinder]

pcarrell

Thats just a little bit of snow there BOC!

Yep. Just a little. Our local paper, The London Free Press has a series of pix showing on their website. It is a bit ridiculous here...http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2010/12/08/16477581.html

[pcarrell]

Yeah BOC, thats some snow!  I'm with Chuck though.....the best snow is snow seen from a distance!  It's just freakin' cold around here, with a hint of snow.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I love snow - as long as it's not here.

[howmus]

(comes in singing....)  "So, since we've no place to go......  Let it......"  Evenin' folks!

Just got home from the party...  Deacon's annual Christmas Season bash after our last meeting of the year.  What?  Oh, just a cup of decaf for me Janie...

The host of the party greeted me at the door with a metal tree ornament....  an 0-4-0 steam Locomotive.  It is hanging here by my computer right now.  I have just one more meeting of the board to preside over and then I take the mandatory year off.  Actually my hearing is at the point where I will probably not go back on the active board again, but once ordained as a Deacon, you are always a Deacon!

I have to say, I am one of those nuts, ah, people who like snow.  Guess it has something to do with getting a phone call very early in the morning now and then saying, "No School!"  YES!

Hope you all stay warm and safe where ever you are, and this season, may the Bishop of Smyrna have your house on his route!

73

[der5997]

Good evening Diners:

Ken: thought you might be interested in this piece about job interviews. It's probably a time-limited article, so I hope it's still live. Best to open in a New Window.

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/10-myths-job-interviews-fiftyplus-3398873351.html

 

Chris: Congratulations on the Official Hoodie!

FWIW, Harbor Freight sells a "lightweight wheelchair" for around $40 US Dollars...you DO get what you pay for however.

....quite the difference between THAT and the $701 of the SX5!  The Invacare catalogue search engine claims no knowledge of the SL9000 active or inactive.....Thanks for this, I'll definitely get hold of a local in home care body and discuss the options. There's a pretty decent wheelchair and related dealer in Halifax (where my MIL got her present chair) - they may well have just what we think we're after.  The Timesaver - one half of it anyway has 5 turnouts, and in N Scale (which for track gauge is what Ulrich is dealing with) doesn't tale a whole lot of space.

 THAT said, Ulrich, it might be worth a look - the track run is, perforce, a tad longer than the tongue-in-cheek 10"!  Those cuts of cars do take up some real-estate after all.   I'd hazard a guess at 7" for the minimum radius BTW...and I think JR is thinking you are in true HO on this project, not HOn30  Your staging on the "getting near to it" plan would be a traverse?

 

Ray:

prior to the early Deacons Meeting tonight. 

....they would of course be a more lively bunch than the late Deacons!

 

PC: Hope you are able to shake that cold.  Rest and fluids - so why not take the Big (Lazy) Boy by corner booth, and I'll get Chloe to bring you the fluid of your choice.

 

That's pretty much it for me for today. We had another afternoon helping on the Community Art project for the Street-scaping.  The 80 small mosaics installation was finished this morning, and installation of the 6 large pieces begun.(Kris' is #3)  Won't be available for tomorrow or Friday - so that may be THAT for us. It depends how the rest of the install crew get on. I'll post some pics eventually.  Mrr-wise just a bit of progress on the fibre optics for the signal. Now I've got to find the bi-colour LED I had drilled out to take the fibre. I had it a day or two ago - now it's gone AWOL.  So I'm going to look for that a bit, and then call it a day. Good night all, and God Bless. Prayers for all in need of Healing, Comfort, Prosperity and Peace. 

 

 

[ns3010]

Evening all. Sorry I haven't been in, I've been sick the last couple days.

Well, I will no longer be on the Santa train this Saturday.

BUT, I will be helping out on the Toys For Tots train on the Morristown & Erie on Sunday. I was planning on going to donate and talk with a coordinator for a while to help me with a Theology paper.

Then, my dad said that he was talking with his friend, who is involved in many local TFT collections through the Military Transport Association, and he invited me to help out collecting toys on the train!

I'll be meeting the train somewhere about 8:30 (from where my dad said, it sounds like it'll be at Lake Junction. Then, we'll be deadheading all the way down the High Bridge Branch to the first pickup site at the Flanders Firehouse. After that, we'll be collecting at Sleepy's in Ledgewood and Morris Marine in Kenvil.

My dad said I would have to get off after that, but I'm trying to convince him to let me stay on till the last stop in Rockaway. At the same time, my parents will have to be in Denville for my brother's basketball game, and Denville is right next to Rockaway. So we'll have to see about the second part of the day.

The train will be NS 3010, ME 1775 (a camo painted boxcar used especially for this event), Ohio River, an ex-EL bay window caboose, and ME caboose 100. NYSW power will likely be added on for that part of the train on Saturday like it was last year. M&E power isn't used because its is needed for Whippany Railway Museum's Santa trains.

Unfortunately, the weather on Sunday isn't supposed to be too great...

Oh well, I'll be sure to come back with a full report and PLENTY of photos, despite the rain!

Well, I have school and practice tomorrow, so I better get going. Catch you guys later!

[howmus]

der5997

Ray:

prior to the early Deacons Meeting tonight. 

....they would of course be a more lively bunch than the late Deacons!

 

 

John....  Obviously you know little about the Presbyterian Church..........

ROFL!

[AmanaMedic]

Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood Evening,

VINCENT: Ya know...I'm not sure if THAT is a 4-wheel truck or 6-wheel on the armor hauler... I've looked at the photo dozens of times, and come up with both answers dozens of times. It was a badly back-lit grab shot, so I can't even make out the reporting marks to try and pin it down. I've got a hunch, somewhere on the vast inter-nets, is probably a de-classified TM (Technical Manual) detailing how to load tanks...might be worth looking for.

DER JOHN: Yup yup...it's an "unofficial official hoodie" since it has THAT one word THAT strikes fear in a public school administrator: "Lord" on it. I wonder if it had the "F-word" on it, if there would be as much wringing of the hands... (presumed, I never had more than a hint of a rumor to w**k with, so not enough to conduct an investigation).  I took a look through the Invacare site, been awhile since I've battled my way through it...thankfully! Try 9000 XT, 9000 SL, Tracer SX5 and Tracer EX2.

 

I'd best get back at it... I'm trying to hammer-out some content for THAT Editor today/tonight...so I won't have to deal with it tomorrow. Weather depending, I might be covering a wrestling meet tomorrow night...or I might just be sitting in my recliner with a glass of Maker's Mark... don't know yet.

Have a good night everybody, best wishes continue for all in need...regardless of the "need."

Chris

[tomikawaTT]

If the word Lord strikes some public official as improper, just remind him/her/YX/it that the British Parliament has a whole Houseful.

If King James hadn't bankrolled the most-used English translation of the Bible, would the Apostles have addressed Jesus as "Boss???"  As is, it sounds like a day at Buckingham Palace...

Chuck (Irreverently modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with a Shinto Shrine projected)

[BamaCSX83]

Good late evening y'all.  Not a whole lot for me, just checking in on things before heading off to bed.  I've had a good past couple of days, although sleep hasn't exactly come to me as it should have. 

CNCharlie: My condolences to you about your mom, I know that its last, but they are offered nonetheless

Well guess I'll head off to bed, low down here is supposed to be 19, I know that's nothing for a lot of y'all above the mason-dixon line, but down here, that's COLD!

[sunsetbeachry]

All of a sudden I lost the page. If it shows up AW WELL. Been w**king p/t designing new paths for the next generation of comp.,pay is great but my head hurts.Rain with a little sun 40'sand50's no snow have to drive about 125miles and thank goodness can't see it from here. I HATE SNOW.RR is getting dusty,cars are being built,engines are being purchesed and sometimes I have time to read the mags that pile up in my office. Kathy has been gone over a year now and I'm feeling better about it all. Can you imagine that this 73 yr. old man has a live inn housekeeper that is only 38.....Dirty Old Man strikes again LOL .....Read some back pages today and I sure do miss hearing from and about yu'll. Got to go 21:35 here the waves are crashing on the beach that will put me to sleep tonight. If I don't get time later Merry Christmass to All and To All a Goodnite    GOD BLESS ALL    chuck

[wetidlerjr]

 

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

  

 

[Anonymous]

Lunchtime in Germany!

Zoe, I´ll have a burger and fries, and a glass of Ed´s OJ to wash it down, please!

Woke up late this morning, after being up at and around midnight again. Mother Nature has added some more of the white stuff, but nothing like the dose Barry is getting.

I found a new hobby - drawing locos and rolling stock in WinRail - it´s fun. Too bad it is not a high resolution tool, so the drawings get a little to "pixely".

Did this this morning:

I will try my hand at a Big Boy or a Challenger soon!

I also played a little with the 2-D view, which I am starting to like very much:

I am getting closer to building this layout - the initial investment is a small one, just two turnouts, some lengths of flex-track and ground throws is all I need to get started. I am still searching for a turntable kit, but none of the ones I´d like to have are available in Germany. Need to order them in the US, which brings up the issue of the missing credit card again

Have a safe day!

[LSWrr]

Good Morning,

Well the weather took a turn for the worse yesterday. Between noon and 1500 we received 10”+ of snow.  Just in downtown.  Some people in the building left at 1600 and didn’t get home until 2100 last night.  I only had to drive 10 miles on the interstate but it took over an hour.  There were no accidents in my lanes just so much snow the plows didn’t have a chance to do anything so traffic crawled out of town at 2.5 mph.  Once I got about 5 miles away from downtown everything was fine.  This morning I pulled onto the interstate and traffic was backed up for 10 miles due to an overturned vehicle.

 

Last night at the club we ran some of the members older locomotives; A Revel 1959 0-6-0 with smoke and a 1990 Bachmann Niagara.  Both units had smoke, but the little 0-6-0 was double the weight of the Niagara and came with a brass funnel for the smoke fluid.  It’s cool that some of the older locomotives still run and brings back some memories.

 

Ulrich, I’m going to go to a friend and take a picture of his under tree layout he built.  I think its 24” x 24” and he made it for his store window.  Busy little layout and not a straight section of track except for the 2 industrial sidings.

 

Jeff, I’m loading some gondolas with snow for your front lawn!  I don’t want you to feel left out in the warmth…

[Wisconsin Railfan]

Good Morning Folks!

Cup of coffee please.

Have a great day all!

Steven

[Robby P.]

 Good morning.

 First thing I found this morning was the cats knocked over the Christmas tree.   I have no idea what the cats do at night.   I guess stuff they aren't suppose to do!!

 The weather guessers are saying that we are suppose to get a BAD snow storm coming in late this weekend.    5+ inches for us, and thats at the tail end of it.   The higher north counties are suppose to get slammed.......So you NY guys, and more East guys...Its coming.

 Lets see...........A trip to the post office, and a trip to the LHS.    I finished up a boxcar yesterday, and laid some track on the one table.  I even painted the table legs black.    Now with the snow coming, I guess I will get some more work done.

 I will pop back in later.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 28 and mostly clear. The high will be 57 and mostly sunny.

I got decal work done on two locos yesterday, the new GP38-2 and one of the GP30's. I still have quite a bit of stuff that has to go. Some will be sold and some will be given away. Interested parties can find out which applies via PM. In the current lot I still have:

BLI sound module. This hooks up to a DC power pack and the track. It has buttons for a horn and a bell. Works with BLI DCC Quantum sound locos on a DC layout.

Atlas 9" plate girder bridge with NS track. A separate track section from another bridge is included.

Bachmann EZ-Command control station with power pack. No track connector wires or instructions. Instructions can be found online.

Bachmann Santa Fe wide vision caboose.

Mehano NS curve track. 12 sections, 18" radius.

[TMarsh]

Good Morning! Coffee please, lots of coffee thank you.

Settle in for a long one boys or skip over. I’ll tell you up front so you can skip accordingly, there is nothing train related in the following after the first paragraph.

The crossing is open. No pictures did I get. Mainly because there was a timing issue. When they had something going on, I wasn’t around. And on the time or two they did, and I had my camera, they would wait until I had to leave to start. Or so it seemed. Then when there was something, I didn't have my camera.  Besides, the video that was posted here a little while ago pretty much was what went on. Never did see the guys putting the links on the tie downs though.

I’m tired, very tired of filling dumpsters at Mom’s place. So far, if my count is right, (it would be shy if anything) to date this will be the third 20 yard dumpster, a 15 yard and a 10 yard. I spent the last two days tearing out walls and paneling and hauling up to the dumpster. The dumpster is almost full and last night as I was leaving, I looked back in the basement to marvel at what I’ve done over the lastt three days, only to say to myself, it looks like you’ve done nothing. Where did all that stuff I hauled out come from because it’s still here. I may need another dumpster. I’ve been moving her out of this house for four years. She is still not out. Close, but there is still stuff to get out.

Mom get’s out of the horse piddle Friday. Let’s hope she at least makes it in the door this time before we have to call to have her taken back. I don’t know what to do with her. When she is here she needs 24 hour attention and that is impossible with us having, not choosing too, but having to work. Plus, her house comes to a grinding halt by taking care of her, (which I truly do not mind, but it is a fact it only prolongs the process of house disposal).

Check this out Der, Brenda did get her a…. not a wheelchair, a…. transport chair I think it’s called. Looks like a wheelchair but has 4 small wheels instead of the two large and two small. She got it at Walgreens for $100. However it just went on sale I guess she said so she will check on getting some money back. It’s not good as a wheel chair unless they have pretty strong legs to pull themselves around on carpet. But pretty good on hard floors and especially if you are going to do the pushing.

I drew my own name for Secret Santa at the restaurant. I didn’t look until after she had scooted around like a little kid having people draw names. Oh well. Looks like I’ll get a good gift. $20 limit so that gets me right at the price of my caboose. (which I did get and quickly and in perfect condition I might say. $15 well spent dollars) I’ll wrap that up and give it to me. Perfect. I’m not all that fond of Secret Santa anyway. Usually I draw a name of someone I just know, and I get them a gift, but not for the ones I’d call friends. Seems odd. I don’t buy friends gifts either. The list would be too long and I’d spend all year paying it off.

OH! GREAT NEWS!!!!! The Bank holding the mortgage called Monday I guess. They are going to, in their words, pay off our present 30 year 8.6% mortgage, reissue a 15year at 4.31% mortgage, saving us……about $300 dollars a month. AND if we continue paying as we are now, we will have the house paid in 8 years 9 months and $200. No closing costs, no nothing. Just resign the papers. If it’s allright with us of course. Silly question.  This because those government boosted refi’s is not getting the response they should be and the gov ain’t too happy with the banks not doing what they are supposed to do. So now they are contacting the customers instead of waiting for the customers to contact them . They claim they (the customers)  hear the banks are getting tougher and they won’t qualify so they don’t try. Because of the big numbers, we are a token gimme for the bank and a boost to the numbers they can show the feds. Mortgage length cut by 50%, interest cut 50%...ish, and monthly payment reduced by about 30%. The mortgage term is actually a wash because we are already 15 years into it, but on paper it is a 30 year mortgage and we now only have a 15 so, they did cut our mortgage in half. One of those looks good on paper things. But I don‘t care how THEY look at it it‘s three HUNDRED dollars a month more towards principle so they can call it pig feed if they want.

Brenda’s company Christmas party is this evening so it will be a early quit day to get cleaned up. I didn’t shower last night and my feet stink. Yeah I know, need real leather. I do on my “cowboy” boots I wear daily, (feet and back won’t let me wear sneakers any more for any length of time)and my Wolverines are real leather. Just they have a Gortex lining, and that’s all it takes for the feet odor to make an appearance.

Don’t you miss some of the things I talk about?

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

[galaxy]

Morning

Off o pick up MOH's paycheck and do some shopping at lowes. Havet o get more Bright daylight CFL's as we burned out two today. the old yellow ones just don't do it. ANd we get teh bright daylight bulbs as they are supposed to be full spectrum daylight to help me with my seasonal depression.

Also to get a new board for the table top tree layout and to get rebar for the reflector posts.{they act as stakes to put the reflector posts over.} so the &$@@# slow plow knows where the driveway is when he plows.

Fa la la la la la la.

Had some sun yesterday so half the snpw seems to have melted off.

But RObby P. Has been so kind to rub it in and forewarned us we are getting more I guess....I know will be very cold here like in Feb then whole next week. WE are already putting Non-toxic RV h2o system antifreeeze in the shower drain so it won't freeze on us and it's only begining of Dec!!

Only 16 more days of shopping til Xmas! Have you got all your shopping done? We only need to find something for the MIL and we are set, we don't think we will find for the FIL this year, don't know what to get him. GOt my father a sweater, but FIL likes insulated flannel shirts...perhaps a new one of those would be good. MIL is good for a good book, but she is not so well at reading these days, health is so poor. FIL and MIL will take care of all our xmas shopping!! ALL other was done before TG day!!!! I get trains for xmas WHOO HOO! and MOH gets trains for xmas WHOO HOO!

WEll, I should go an look over the forum before we go.

Stop on over to my "Uses for Matte Medium" thread and tell me what all you use Matte Medium for. According to it's directions it makes for a  matte finish to painted things and is good for decopage. I see here on the forum seems like everyone uses it for everything but building a loco out of it. SO stop over and tell me what you use it for! I'm curious and wondering if I should buy a bottle and what to do with it when I do! Tx.

HAve agreat day

 

 

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe I'll have a breakfast Bagel w/ cheese and my cup of dark roast coffee.  I'll be over at the Rivit Counter for a bit.

Good to see some folks here THAT haven't been in for a while.  Hope you continue to stop by now and then!

I slept in this morning to catch up on some short nights over the past week.  Today I will be getting the few decorations I use out and up.  Have a couple wreaths sitting on the porch from the Boy Scout Troop I was with for many years.  They will be put up on the railings of the front deck.  Then I have lighting (just LED Candles) for all the windows THAT face the streets (I live on a corner).  I probably should start thinking about updating and printing out my Christmas Cards if time permits before going to a Scout committee meeting tonight.

My son may stop by and help empty out the back of the truck.  It is full of stuff he has borrowed over the last few months.......  He needs to truck this weekend to go kill a tree in honor of the baby Jesus....  I stopped doing THAT after my wife died as it was full of too many memories...  Now I go and enjoy theirs!  I have have passed on to my sons the many hand made ornaments made by their Mother so they can still be enjoyed and keep the memories alive.

Galaxy, for full spectrum, daylight, CFLs, you might want to try here: Blue Max  They have an amazing CRI rating of 93+ and are recommended for Seasonal Depression...... I found the place from a Photography Forum I have visited.

Hope everyone has a great day!

73

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Galaxy: For the lighting over my layout I use four 23 watt (100 watt incandescent) Daylight CFL's. They are rated at 6500 kelvin and last for 8,000 hours.