Extra strong coffee in a SUNNY SOUTHERN mug, please.
***J.R., now that is a nice thought, my wife working on my (N) layout. That's OK though, we have a good thing going: I work on her (HO) layout, she pays for the meds that are (hopefully) healing me.
***Wolfgang, outstanding layout pics. Only wish I could copy & paste a large version of that creek scene to leave on the wife's desktop/screen. Neat layout!!!
***Lee, if by freelance, you mean not prototypical, then both my wife's (HO) and my own (N) layouts would certainly qualify.
Painted the elevator access structure for the top of wife's hospital. Will glue it tonight and then check it off from the H.D.L..
Beautiful, sunny day here. Off to treat Cold Mountain's eye (a horse). Cheers! Rob
LSWrr Who in the diner is running a free lance layout?
Who in the diner is running a free lance layout?
ME!!!! No matter what your definition, I've got 'er covered! Toddland, where I'm king.
Well, running isn't quite right yet, but soon! Very soon! (I hope)
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.
Count me in. Freelance British steam.
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!
Afternoon fellow dinners.
Flo, Tuna Fish sandwich, small side salad and a beer please.
Just felt yucky today. I don't feel sick, but don't feel good either. Guess I need to try the anti snore strips again. Sleeping on the couch in the family room may be taking it's toll.
Car Front. Well the Road Runner battery sort of fits. Battery casing is to big for the battery box. So one side sits in the box and the other end is on top of the lip of the battery box. I have the + side sitting in the box so it does not touch the hood and weld it self to the hood. Will cut out the side of the box before I start driving it.
Gary More than likely you saw a new Dodge Challenger. Car in my aviator is a 69 Charger R/T, not te Cuda. Bigger picture of the Charger.
Here is the Cuda
House front. I am going to find a local attorney, I will just feel better.
I don't know if I read it here or on a web site some where. But I read most people abounded there homes before they are foreclosed on. Well, I am starting to understand why now. The worry and aggression of dealing with the banks just take a toll on your soul.
To be honest, only reason I am going to try to keep the house is because of the Irish Wolfhound. When she passes (she is 8 and that is old for a Wolfhound) I am ripping up my track, boxing my trains and I am out of here!
One of the reason Scott (face man for the online lawyer) said they may foreclose on me is because there equality in the house with me being here going on 20 years. Boy they will messing up there! Two houses in my complex have been on the market for a year now. Both are in better shape than my house. My in ground pool has a retaining wall that is leaning 80 degrees and that need's to be replaced or rip out the pool. Both will cost around $10,000.00. Then there is the termite damage. Support beams under the kitchen will need to be replaced, new sub floor and replaces the studs in the garage / kitchen wall Bet there another $10,000.00 plus. It is not causing a problem a this point, but sure won't pass a home inspection. Septic tank fingers have collapsed, Sue and I don't flush paper work so we don't have a problem but that will have to be fixed before they can resell the house.
Well, I am done for now. I might drop by later.
Ken
I hate Rust
David Parks I am the terror that flaps in the night!
Hey guys
Nother day of college, but at least my paper is DONE.
I don't think I posted the results of when I took the car to the track (1/8 mile) the other day. My best run was a 9.6 at 74mph, with an RT of .01 (still haven't came close to the .003 before I started driving manuals). It would have been better if my brother had gotten out of the car instead of riding shotgun. All I've done for my car is change out the mufflers, remove the cats, put in a tune, a Spec cltuch, and a Hurst shifter (I have to get used to speed-shifting with it)
Using the tuning software I have, I found out the engine runs a bit lean at the high end. The injectors were fully open, so I figure that means the facory pump just isn't adequate anymore. I bought a new Walbro one since it can pump more fuel than the factory one. I also found out (albiet the hard way, by having one tire spin) my traction-loc is wore out. Gonna run by a shop to see how much it'd be to replace the clutch packs and swap out the gears (I have a set of 3.55s in a box), since it bogs pretty badly with the stock 2.73.
As far as trains go, I've been trying to find some Kadees in my parts boxes to stick on the new cars (mostly RTR) since they already have metal wheels. Spray painted some weights for some of the unbuilt kits on my desk.
Rob, I was riding with about 5 other people who wanted to be home to catch the Nascar race. So there probably wasn't any time for that. The Cracker Barrel I went to was in Alabama. THey did have a bunch of antique stuff hanging on the walls.
Robby, Sorry the NS job didn't work out for you. I pulled that BN car I bought from you out earlier. By any chance do you know what color you painted the couplers on it? I ask is becasue I think they may still be McHenrys.
Jeff, hope everything works out for you and your mom.
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.
I freelance. None of the railroads in my area met my desires, so I merged all three into one system.
Actually got some work done today. I'm currently between assignments (the easiest way to describe what I do is I'm a research contractor) and I find that I rarely get any hobby work done. Or anything else done. Its odd. I waste the weekdays. I get up in the morning, drop the girlfriend off at the Metro, and then have four or five ideas for what to do with my day. In the end, I do nothing 99% of the time and then when I'm waiting to pick her up, I lament wasting the day. Then the weekend comes and I actually have things to do. But I'm out of the house so the laundry still doesn't get done and no train work gets done.
Today I cut the plywood for my staging yard. Two 42" tracks. Not much but tests show it to be enough. My maximum train length is a hair over six feet. I predict no issues. And if issues arise, I'll simply adjust the train length down.
Ok Ken, as a very old MOPAR fan and the once proud owner of a 69 Charger that I sold about 30 years ago, I am very jealous. I tried to replace the Charger about 5 years ago and sticker shock just does not describe the feelings I had. That guy that got my charger got a steal.
I refuse to grow up!!!
Train MasterHas anybody heard from Jeff? I am getting worried about him.
He might be having problems moving around or at the doctors. (Personally I hope just mobility issues) A previous post said that he was in a lot of pain in his ankle. But I see what you mean. He's not been in for a couple days. Best wishes for him
Chicken dinner with all the extras, please.
Except for signage, the wife's (HO) hospital is finished. Started adding a few wee little folks here and there around her layout, too. At times, I may have sounded like an auto mechanic on a bad day. Sheesh, getting those things to stay where you want them can be quite challenging.
Rob
teen steam fan Train Master: Has anybody heard from Jeff? I am getting worried about him. He might be having problems moving around or at the doctors. (Personally I hope just mobility issues) A previous post said that he was in a lot of pain in his ankle. But I see what you mean. He's not been in for a couple days. Best wishes for him
Train Master: Has anybody heard from Jeff? I am getting worried about him.
Jeffrey is on a Vision Quest. If you don't know what that is, just look it up in relation to American Native People. They are usually a thing done before entering Manhood, but may be done at other times as well. His words were: "I may not be on for a day or a even a few days. I'll be on a vision quest to seek answers and put my mind at ease." I have been keeping him in my prayers that he may find the answers and the peace he seeks.......
Evenin' folks!
Flo, just a decaf for me.
I busied myself getting a couple of errands done and 2 loads of wash today. I also got some quality time in the train room. Made good progress on the workshop in the engine house. Need to make a couple of decisions about how much mess (sorry Fergie) I really want in there. None of the machines are being used so they would have swept and cleaned a bit. I will probably add a bit of sawdust in a few spots just to make it known it is a place of w*rk...
Created some scratch built items tonight, a stovepipe for the pot bellied stove and a pipe to carry wood chips from one machine outside. They both await installation at this time. Put in some more tools, the pot bellied stove, and a couple other items. Didn't get around to take any photos.....
Hope you all have a great night!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Good evening.
Ken ... I'm not real certain what I saw. The car passed me, and then I strated looking at it. I did not see the front. It was black, and it had striping on the fender just below the antenna such as in the picture in the link below. It was black. Perhaps it was this $628,000 Cuda. It had those stripes, but I can't imagine anyone driving a car worth so much money. ... http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/01/topten/source/10.htm
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Hey Flo, just coffee tonight, I will be at the counter with all the regulars.
Yesterday I got up enough energy to fix the the bobwire fence, I just hope that I found the spot where the horse has been escaping. Rob I hope you are enjoying this, becuase this is one city boy who would love to punch the guy that invented bobwire, the leather gloves work great for the hands but did nothing for my arms and legs, or my back (dont ask). I guess we will know in the morning if it worked. Afterwards I went up to the studio and cut enough lumber to assemble the next three modules, but by then I was weasing and the chest congestion was just to much.
Today I got the wife to finaly go see a Dr. (she is who got me sick), and she is now on Anti-biotics, sreroids and, heavy duty cough syrup. I went up to the studio and worked for about 15 minutes and called my Dr. , so I have the same meds as the wife except for the cough syrup and I got a shot in the butt. After the surgery the needles and chemo and radiation, I realy hate going to the Dr.,s so I had been trying to get over this mess on my own. That probably was not the best idea.
Anyways I am hoping to start feeling well enough tomorrow to start back to work on the layout, it has taken so long to get back into the hobby and I dont want to lose sight of it again. Not only that but right now I have the wifes support, but last night she was looking at the track plans I was working on and started to question the size, she says that it was looking alot bigger than she thought I wanted and was wondering how much of my 100.00 dollar lowes gift card that she gave me for Christmas was left. I didnt tell her that I had gone over that and only have a little more than half of what I need.
Ken; Now I would not have put that big blower up thru the hood of such a beautiful car, and did I see something the other day about a "Daytona" ?
Rob; I just want to know why you are doing all the work and she gets the HO and your stuck with the little N stuff. LOL And I dont want to hear it about the killer bobwire.
Teen Steam Fan/ Train Master; Jeff posted a reply to me last night and had previosly posted that he was going on a Vision Quest and might be absent for a few days.
Ray; I love the detail work you are doing, I hope I can be half as good some day. There is an old furniture shop here in the mountains that I dont believe is working anymore, but the first time I saw it I was wondering what the pipe that was running up hill for about five hundred yards was for, being a cityboy it took a minute but the mechanical part of me relized that the pipe was picking up water from the creek and was being used to power the the tools in the shop, not electrical power but belt driven mechanical power. I have been thinking about some take on that on my layout.
Ok my short note has turned into a novel, so until tomorrow, everyone have a good night.
Ron
Decaf coffee, please.
***Ron, I've been an N scaler since boyhood. It has its own set of advantages and drawbacks. Only issue these days is my eyes are not what they once were, no thanks to sarcoidosis. As for my working on the wife's HO layout, I'm just thrilled she is so into this hobby. She's always been more of a tomboy with no interest in makeup and jewelry. She was practically born on horseback, even though she quit riding in recent years. BTW, we prefer 4-board fence for horses and usually leave barbed wire for cows. We're also big fans of no-climb-fencing. Vinyl would be great, but it is way to expensive. Yea, handling b-wire can be a real b. I understand well.
Time to hit the hay. Good night y'all. Rob
Good Morning Gang!
I missed out yesterday. I was too dang tired to do anything when I was finally at home. Just put on my fatigue gear and spend an hour on the sofa, watching the idiot box, before I hit the hay.
There are a lot of nitty-gritties which keep me quite busy. We are going to register the company next week, so I am still working on the financing of it. It will be one of those shoestring budget operations with a high chance of failing, but it will be our only chance to teach this bird how to fly. Still no answer from the bank, which I think is an answer already...
Janie, just a mug of coffee for me please.
Ron, I am new to N scale. Well not really new, but one first N scale layout I built over 30 years ago. The scale has progressed quite a lot since then, in terms of detail and quality. I still find it a little hard on my eyes, but it is the only way to go for me. In HO scale, those mini-modules, which will eventually make up my layout, would not be so mini any more - requiring a much more complex and heavier construction. Each module would be by far more expensive - too much for me.
Lee - I am not quite sure whether I am a freelancer or not. My locos and rolling stock follow JNR prototype (Japanese NAtional Railway), but my setting and theme is purely fictitious - is that freelancing? If so, then more or less all layouts would be "freelance" layouts, as only very few of us are actually "copying" real places.
My thoughts are with Jeff on his vision quest. May he find the answers he is looking for and the comfort for his soul he is so desperately needing!
Have a good one!
Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
Good Morning..
I have a little Spring making all kinds of comments and purring here..so I'll be trying to type around the little one...
It is going all the way up to 47F today before a big wind shows up and throws the temperature back down tomorrow...apparently it may be a little sunny this afternoon...
Today is getting some more groceries for the weekend on-call...and seeing as how it looks to be a full weekend of honey dos as well...I might just have enough time to peak in the window as i do all kinds of running around doing stuff...
Today I'll also see if some of the pics I took actually will come up without too much of th furrinesses that I think I may have overcome...heeheehee...
Flo, i'll have a stack of blueberry pancakes with real Maple Syrup as well as a large 50 cup urn of some of that strong rebooted coffee please...I'll be at the RC for now...
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Good Morning Folks!
Tall glass of sweet tea please.
WOW! the sun and warmer temps have arrived! have a great day all!
Steven
Good Morning,
Freelance: my layout the Lake Shore and Western model railroad is a free-lanced railroad (not an exact duplicate of a particular railroad), but inspired by the trackage rights of the former Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad. I have several blank HO-Scale billboards and I would like to print a billboard of each modelers free lance road. If you could send me an email with your logo as an attachment to: lswrr@ameritech.net with what you want the billboard to say I would appreciate it. A few have already sent me some material and I hope to use this long weekend to put together the billboards.
If you want to know what is going on with this idea shoot me a PM or email and I’ll let you in on my dirty little secret. www.trainworld.com is selling the U.S. Postal billboards for $1 each. I’ll be formatting the advertisements to fit these and the personalized advertisements will be returned to their respective owners, if members of the group want a copy I’ll leave it to the modelers to re-distribute their billboard ads.
BM1 Lee Soule USCG (ret) L.S.&W Railroad Serving the Lower Great Lakes
The ice is melting; this is great because I can see my driveway and the roads are nice and dry. It’s bad because the ice is melting off the lake and we are losing our protection from Lake Effect Snow storms. Mid to upper 50’s today and tomorrow. These means I’ll have to pick up the backyard, the dog will be happy….
Good warm morning. The high will be about 60 degrees. I think we are going to be spoiled with this weather!!
Tonight I start Wally World. I'm kinda excited about it. Starting a new job feels like going to a new school. Everybody kinda stares at you. My shift is from 10:00pm to 6:30 am. Thursday - Sunday. So I have off Monday - well till 10:00pm Thursday. Its hard to start back to third shift. The first few days you are a zombie.
Gotta run by the library and take it easy today.
Vincent........I just used a mix of weathered powders. Just a mix of browns, and dullcote. The couplers are the ones that came with the car.
"Rust, whats not to love?"
Good Morning All,
It's already above 32F and soon I'll be complaining about the heat. Still scrambling in the shop as the first rig leaves Sunday and the next a week later. I start out Monday for Florida via Infinion Raceway in Ca (don't ask) so I will be out of the loop a week and a half or so. It all ramps up in a hurry.
I can sympathize with the barbed wire. In the San Jouquin valley there were so few trees, all the fields and pastures were ringed with that stuff and you quickly learn to avoid it or deal with it or suffer the consequences. Not to mention the electrified stuff. Here in New England we have stone walls and Robs' wooden fences - much easier to live with.
Robby - I used to stand rotating watches and can tell you it's important to w..k out when you'll sleep in advance. W..king at Cheeseborough Ponds I had second then third shift and once I got into a routine it went fine. The deal with third shift is if you decide to sleep after the shift ends is not to let people decide since you're home and it's daytime that you are available for whatever when you need to sleep.
Ray - you'll also need a stock rack, machinists tool box (I always fancied one of the old oak or walnut ones) and a barrel for scrap (waste not want not). Don't forget to stain the floor in line with the lathe chuck and other oily stuff that rotates. Even the clean shops had oil stains everywhere from cutting fluid and shaft lube drips. With a little effort, you can turn this project into a lifetime of w..k.
Gotta run, coffees up on the rivet counter and I gotta scoot. CUL, J.R.
Good Morning!! Coffee with steak and eggs and hash browns please. Thank you. Gonna be another good day with a high of 61F. Gloomy out but of an acceptable 44F temp now. For the middle of February….I’ll take it. Freelancing and how it relates to Toddland(of which I'm king)- I decided to model, a few years ago, the Texas and Pacific. I acquired several cars and had this grand idea for what I wanted to do. However, my wants and druthers caused problems if I was really gonna have what I want in a mini world. I wanted to have it set in the mid seventies. It was my favorite decade that I grew up in, and I was old enough to remember and realize the things going on around me. Being young and all it naturally was a great time. Born in ‘62, I don’t recall much about the sixties other than I was there. I remember trains and trucks, things I don’t about the sixties. Well anyway, the T&P wasn’t really around into then but it was close enough that I could probably squeak by, by saying there were a few things left over, being as how not all the painting was complete. Then it became tougher with some other things I liked. And I like modern, and I like some structures…etc, etc,etc. THEN, I met this Forum bunch. A nice, helpful, knowledgeable bunch who doesn’t really care how prototypical or realistic your railroad is as long as you like it and are enjoying it. You know, the kind who will not point out that which isn’t prototypical UNLESS that is your goal. That’s when the barbwire was cut and the cattle were turned loose. Right now, and I have changed the story a bit as time went on, but in my world railroading hasn’t changed a whole lot from it’s big years. Passenger service is still doing well, and many of the railroads are still in existence. The Texas and Pacific being one. Many services are still being done on rail such as, hauling cattle. (I had several cattle cars and a stockyard kit by then.) So, since I already had several T&P cars and such, Texas & Pacific it was. I have yet to come up with a name for the thing. It will be ficticious though. I'm hesitant to use names of real places as it may confuse some that it is modelling of a real place n it's real locale. Realizing Freelancing pretty much opens the book to whatever you want, I still want my layout to look realistic to the untrained eye so to speak. I’m not worried about 40’, 50’ boxcars (though I am steering away from wood BC’s for the most part). Build dates, variations in styles that kind of stuff. But I do want the wrong things to at least not jump out at you. So the easiest thing for me to do was make it current-ish time frame as the older building styles are around with the newer, but kinda hard to pull off the other way around even to the average citizen. Kinda like I can park a ’70 cuda next to a 2000 Ford Crown Vic cop car in 2010, but not in ‘75. Well, once again I talked way too much. Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!
Good Morning!! Coffee with steak and eggs and hash browns please. Thank you.
Gonna be another good day with a high of 61F. Gloomy out but of an acceptable 44F temp now. For the middle of February….I’ll take it.
Freelancing and how it relates to Toddland(of which I'm king)- I decided to model, a few years ago, the Texas and Pacific. I acquired several cars and had this grand idea for what I wanted to do. However, my wants and druthers caused problems if I was really gonna have what I want in a mini world. I wanted to have it set in the mid seventies. It was my favorite decade that I grew up in, and I was old enough to remember and realize the things going on around me. Being young and all it naturally was a great time. Born in ‘62, I don’t recall much about the sixties other than I was there. I remember trains and trucks, things I don’t about the sixties. Well anyway, the T&P wasn’t really around into then but it was close enough that I could probably squeak by, by saying there were a few things left over, being as how not all the painting was complete. Then it became tougher with some other things I liked. And I like modern, and I like some structures…etc, etc,etc. THEN, I met this Forum bunch. A nice, helpful, knowledgeable bunch who doesn’t really care how prototypical or realistic your railroad is as long as you like it and are enjoying it. You know, the kind who will not point out that which isn’t prototypical UNLESS that is your goal. That’s when the barbwire was cut and the cattle were turned loose. Right now, and I have changed the story a bit as time went on, but in my world railroading hasn’t changed a whole lot from it’s big years. Passenger service is still doing well, and many of the railroads are still in existence. The Texas and Pacific being one. Many services are still being done on rail such as, hauling cattle. (I had several cattle cars and a stockyard kit by then.) So, since I already had several T&P cars and such, Texas & Pacific it was. I have yet to come up with a name for the thing. It will be ficticious though. I'm hesitant to use names of real places as it may confuse some that it is modelling of a real place n it's real locale.
Realizing Freelancing pretty much opens the book to whatever you want, I still want my layout to look realistic to the untrained eye so to speak. I’m not worried about 40’, 50’ boxcars (though I am steering away from wood BC’s for the most part). Build dates, variations in styles that kind of stuff. But I do want the wrong things to at least not jump out at you. So the easiest thing for me to do was make it current-ish time frame as the older building styles are around with the newer, but kinda hard to pull off the other way around even to the average citizen. Kinda like I can park a ’70 cuda next to a 2000 Ford Crown Vic cop car in 2010, but not in ‘75.
Well, once again I talked way too much.
Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!
Freelance?
Well...I am doing something more along the line of protolance...in that my layout is more or less based on what could have happened if a shortline was developed from the straggling remains of the branchlines that were abandoned by CN in the western plains...
My layout comprises a small segment of the branch that ran from Swift Current( Williston) through to Leader( Leemer) and onwards through to Sceptre (Exceda)...mind, with a few...erm...adjustments...
Free-lancing?
Actually, my layout is a fictional division of the Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad (Burlington Route).
Good Morning All...Its sunny and in upper 40's here...I'll have coffee and a sweet roll please..Thank You..Not much going on the railroad..We had 2 of the Grand daughters here last nite..You all been talking about freelanceing...I call mine the Illinois and Southern but I run alot of IC stuff,Monon,C&EI..Mostly mid western stuff...I run other road stuff as "lease" units so I can run anything that suits my mood...
Still no word from Jeff?...You all have a good one...Jerry
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, I'll have the #2 special, over easy o the eggs, bacon, home fries, and a double order of sour dough toast to go along with a few cups of dark roast coffee in a R&GV RR mug. Leave the strawberry preserves right here on the table, Ma'am.
Gloomy, dark, gray day here in the Finger Lakes. It is 40°F outside and a light rain is falling. I think all the snow on the roofs around here will be gone by early afternoon. THAT is a good thing as more of the white flaky stuff will be arriving in the near future......
Other than several small items that need to be done (Allergy shots, banking, etc.) I will have most of the day to do somethings I want. Have a R&GV RR (NRHS) meeting in Rochester tonight if the weather stays good (ie: above freezing....).
Ron, thanks for your words. J.R. - As space permits...... I'll have photos tonight, I hope. Still a work in progress.
Catch you all Later!
blownout cylinderFreelance?
Yes, freelance!
My Westport Terminal RR and my Silver Valley RR are freelanced. Though I've found prototype inspiration.
Wolfgang
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de my videos my blog
Say, where's Jim?
Afternoon folks!
Zoe I'll have a Reuben Sandwich, potato chips, and a RBF for lunch today.
Weather guessers are now saying we may reach 50°F out there today..... Won't last!
Freelance..... The SLOW is kinda like a.... Hmmm. Not Prototype, not even protolance. More of a freelance based on a prototype (The N.Y.O.&W.). Actually I usually refer to it as a Figment of my warped mind imagination.
Later!