Elliot´s Trackside Diner April 2011

[Cederstrand]

Chamomile tea, please.

Nice to see some folks returning for a visit here.

Although we've never had any ourselves, those Jacob Four Horned Sheep do indeed have four horns. Kinda cool looking critters, IMO.

Never made it to the train room today. Perhaps tomorrow.

Have a good night y'all.

Rob

[Anonymous]

Guess what was in today´s mail! I am just a happy camper now!

Took me only a few minutes to unpack and set up a loop of track, hook the new power pack to it and get my steamer running.

Oh joy, oh rapture. Have not been running a train for way over three years now. Just letting an engine circle a loop can be so much fun! The loco is as smooth a runner as she looks good! And a really quite one as well! The little flywheel gives her sufficient momentum - it takes about 7" for her to stop when I cut the power at 10 V! N scale sure has come a long way since the mid 70´s, when I built my first N scale layout.

The next days will see some laying of track on my modules!

Just happy....

 

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

[blownout cylinder]

Ulrich:  YYAAAAYY!!! It's about time!!      

Good Morning...

Yeb'm I'm all piculous..went for a walk this morning...then started to work on my layout a bit...getting a bit more energetic now that the good weather...coff coff..is here...

I have a week of doctor appointments and checkups going on as well...a busy week ahead...

Flo, I'll have a coffee and a breakfast bagel please..I'll be at the window booth watching the rain be fallin' on our heads...

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! Mug o Dark Roast please. Thank you

Benefit went fine though really lacking in people. I’m very surprised, but yet.... not really.

Ray- Sorry, I forgot to respond to you little quiz from.... the other day. (ahem) 1935, the year the NMRA was founded.

Attaboy- Like a carrot in front of the nose….

Curt- Don’t worry about getting the names confused. After a while you will get the screen names and real names straight, but as far as getting mixed on who said what…it’ll always happen. No one gets upset, some of us don’t even mention it, others do mainly to let you know because you may want to re-address. Some, especially if they are in a hurry or skimming the posts because they are behind, may not read the posts addressed to someone else. Others like me, are nosey so we do. No one, as far as I know, gets upset about it. 

Hey, you never know what gossi…I mean knowledge you may pick up.

Paul- Good to hear from you. Hope you got some of the rain without the storms last night. We got some thunder and lightning but nothing serious. Got about 9/10th's inch of rain.  Yes, how is Mary Ann?

Mark, Alvie- Good to see you guys too.

Ulrich- Great news! You’re back at it again.

Having trouble with the router. It keeps losing connection to the internet. I have to unplug it wait a few seconds and plug back it again. It is a Linksys wireless thing that we don’t use the wireless part anymore after her computer, constantly chucking the keycode, got wired direct to the router courtesy a hole bored through the wall (which reminds me, that's another little project I have yet to do. Put a cover plate on that.). Mine has always been hard wired. I don’t think It’ll be around much longer so I‘ll be looking for a standard little router that I would call a splitter.

Welp, like Rob, I didn’t make it to the train room yesterday either. I should get there today providing the great annual event called "Prep The Mowers For Use Day" doesn’t rear it's not really all that ugly head. Doubt it though, it's supposed to rain all day and whatever has to happen, has to happen outside because with two vehicles in the garage one would have to run to make room for the mowers. Hm, just checked the weather. Seems they have taken the rain out of the forecast until Thursday. May have to get the things ready today after all..

Think I’ll get an early jump on the bookwork at the Church.

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

[galaxy]

Morning

Have 2 Drs. appts. today. The gastroenterologist and the psychiatrist. Oh goodie.

Nothing new on house front. I get emails when things come on the market that might fit our bill, or when a price has changed {around here they seem to be dropping} on a property that might fit our bill. It's a crying shame we dind't know our status before the one just down the road effectively came on the market, but it sold in one week. I re-reviewed {again} the listings looking for things like capes that have first floor BRs, or 2 br ranches with a den that might could work, but either they are in an area of town we don't want or just still not right. WE could about have a pick of plenty of cpaes with BRs on 2nd floor or 2 story houses if we wanted one. Dunno. The one we really like is a 2 br ranch, but has a detached 2 car garage oversized and a finished basement with a fireplace, features we would really like, but it puts it $23k over our top price range, adn I'm afraid any offer like that would insult the sellers. {around here many houses can be had for under $100K, so a $23K reduction COULD insult them. We are not talking aobut $200-$300K houses AT ALL. FOr that around here you get a 5BR 4.5 BA MANSION!}

Hope Jeffrey is feeling better today after his recent "stuck" adventure. I try never to put myself in any such positions Jeffrey. Keeps me out of trouble.

There will be nothing new on the train front until we either: find a MRRIng space with a house covering it OR I just clean and pack eveything up as though it is ready to move at a moments notice when the time comes OR when we work onthe Under the tree layout this summer when I can paint it outside.

WEll I guess thats about all.

TTYALLL8R

[Curt Webb]

Morning All,

Supposed to get to 92 today. Not much planned  today. I will vacuum the house then go run trains. Being a Monday I will have the club layout to myself so I can do my own operations without interfering with other people.

Ulrich- I am glad you finally got your track in. Enjoy.

Todd- We have a wireless router. When ours goes out it is normally either a cable is loose or the plug on the power strip has partially pulled out. I can check these, for anything else it waits for the technician (my wife) to trouble shoot.

I remember someone talking earlier about using sandpaper on where the track joints are. What size grit would be appropriate?

Talk to all of you later.

[Anonymous]

Me again,

don´t  know whether I have top honors, but whatever you chowhounds would like to have, it´s on me for the rest of the day!

Zoe, I´d like to go for a RBF - it´s 25°C outside!

Thought I´d share a picture of my "layout" with you:

Now it won´t make into coming weekend´s WPF, but it is a start after such a long time without!

CUL

[BRAKIE]

Good Morning All!

Not much to report from the land of Buckeyes on this rainy Monday morning..We had a beautiful day yesterday and since there wasn't a club meeting I went railfaning in my usual spot..I saw 4 NS trains in 2 hours...Not bad for a slow Sunday afternoon.Of course had I gone in the AM I would have seen more trains which brings me to this..I need to pick up new rechargable batteries and maybe a new camera.Plans for today calls for switching the table top yard.Of course I really wanted to go trackside but the rain knocked that in the head.

I shall have a cup and look over da forum.

Have a good'un!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 71° and mostly cloudy with the sun putting in brief appearances. the high will be 78° and there's a 50% chance of strong thunderstorms.

Yesterday I found a surprise in my email. Not a virus or anything like that. It would have been detected before I even tried opening it. No, this was a copy of an unofficial letter demanding a divorce. Now I know there are other guys out there with the same first, middle and last names I have and maybe one or two have the same email address I have but this guy is about the same age too. The DOB is only about a month and a half different. Seems the DOB is the only thing real. The name was apparently an alias. He's been married for about ten years and judging from the heat contained in the text I would say that a divorce would bring him a lot of relief. I sent an email back to the sender explaining that I was NOT the target of her anger and that I wanted to know where she had gotten my email address. After a few more emails back and forth I got the point across that I'm not her potential soon to be 'X'. Seems he probably used the address to try to throw her off the track, with some success I might add. After a good many apologies she agreed to delete the address from her contacts. That was about the highest drama point of my day and it made things interesting as I've never been married and haven't even thought about pursuing any kind of serious relationship since the late 80's. We'll see what happens from here. Nothing planned for today and hopefully nothing else will come up. I just want a day of peace and quiet.

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

Ulrich, Is the PASS you issued me for your railroad valid for riding on that beautiful steamer or do I have to wait for the passenger cars to arrive??

MORNING GANG, hope you all slept well and are just bursting to get at it on this beautiful Spring day..

Chloe I'll have a double bowl of Special K with berries and a HC. to follow.

Still doing work in the 3/4 bath, walls are painted and the Dura-ceramic floor is down.  Now I have to get the John in place so that John can use the John.  Then the vanity will go back in but won't be hooked up as we are still waiting for the new top and sink.  It should be done soon, I hope.  A Marble shop here in the city is making it for us.    SO........ as you can see, not much railroading going on right now.

Jeff, Sorry to here about your "Happening"  You know better, you old Phart, than to go out with out having those blood sugars fed...   By the way, how did you like "Unstoppable" ?  I don't think you mentioned that.

Well I had better get back at it before I loose my drive.

A great day to you all,    Garry , who is waring out the interstate between Ky. and Al.  Silent Bill from Tipton,  Migrane Galaxy in NY. Mattress Man Ken in Ill,  Our Star reporter in Iowa, Our firemen, real Railroaders, Cook, Chefs, Students , Bridge Tom, Weather Man Rob, Cape Jim, CN. Charlie, Health to Barry in London On.,  Where are you Poteet, OJ. Ed, and the rest of you.

My wife just stuck her head around the corner, wondering what I was doing and why she hadn't heard any work going on.  I said I had more important things to do here.  I don't think that impressed her.

Johnboy out...................................and dodging the fry pan.  

[Anonymous]

Johnboy - the pass is valid for an unlimited number of cab rides - how´s that?

It´ll take some time until the road has generated sufficient funds to buy its first passenger car. Did I say they fired the fireman? The passenger riding in the cab will have to take up this duty...

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe, I'll have a short stack of buttermilk pancakes w/ maple syrup to start the day and a cup of your finest dark roast coffee to wash it down.

It is, for the first time this Spring, 70°F outside.  chance of some strong thunderboomers later this afternoon with possibly some high winds as the front goes through.

Garry, these coaches are the new Rivarossi ones (60' cars) with the body mounted coupler assemblies.  I don't use the talgo style.  Never had good luck with them.  Converted a good many old boxcars to body mounted couplers over the years.  With a couple exceptions, everything I run has both Kadee couplers, and Kadee trucks with metal wheels.  The coaches have a two stage assembly for the couplers so they swing quite far.  I may have to get a couple of them sliding more freely than they are, but I think it is just a matter of some fine tuning.  Curves on the SLOW are mostly 22" or larger and the short Kadees are working better than the ones that came with the cars.

Todd................... Gee, you got it!

Ulrich!  Great!  Glad the package finally arrived.  You seem to be in a very good mood...  Guess we all know why.

Curt......  92°F   OMG!  Glad I don't live down there in the tropics!  I would never survive it!  Give me 20° below 0 any day!  I can always light a fire and stay warm, but................

Jeffrey, you sure there isn't something you haven't told us????  She wants to divorce you huh?  Hmmmmmm.

Best get moving, time to get out the Engine House and continue some details...

Later!

73

[jeffrey-wimberly]

last mountain & eastern hogger

Jeff, Sorry to here about your "Happening"  You know better, you old Phart, than to go out with out having those blood sugars fed...   By the way, how did you like "Unstoppable" ?  I don't think you mentioned that.

I think it's a good movie as far as entertainment goes. I'll likely watch it again today.

[blownout cylinder]

jeffrey-wimberly

 

last mountain & eastern hogger:

 

Jeff, Sorry to here about your "Happening"  You know better, you old Phart, than to go out with out having those blood sugars fed...   By the way, how did you like "Unstoppable" ?  I don't think you mentioned that.

 

I think it's a good movie as far as entertainment goes. I'll likely watch it again today.

 

I kind of liked it as well..mind you..I had to really work hard at suspending my disbelief at some points but for sheer entertainment it can't be beat...

[Anonymous]

Petra thinks I am crazy. I have been running that loco ´round the loop for quite some hours today. You could say i am addicted to that. Never thought it is that much fun! Of course I am eager for more ...

Folks, I feel like that 7-year old who got his first train set 48 years ago. For the $ 8 it had cost then, you now get 4 pieces of track - makes me think

[AmanaMedic]

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood Afternoon, I'll take a BARRY-sized bacon cheeseburger with a bucket of Coke please 'n thank-you...

ULRICH: Hey! Glad the track finally arrived! I think I know how you feel. The Christmas tree went back into storage a long time ago, but the table and circle of Lionel 027 track is still up. And yes, the switcher and small train still get to go around in a circle, the caboose about one-and-a-half car lengths ahead of the locomotive... Rerun seems to like watching it, and...*looks around for any Rivet Counting and strict prototype operationalist goofballs* so do I!!!

Good to see some people making their way back to the Diner!!

JEFF: So just how did you manage to convince Mrs. Wrong THAT you weren't her guy??? I know I've got a few "twins in name only," and keep wondering how long it'll be before I find myself in the middle of somebody else's crap sandwich buffet.

 

Our Fire Dept. breakfast went well yesterday with about 640 served. One "guest" of note came through the serving line: our local adult entertainment internet sensation. I'll just leave it at THAT...

I was about to go on a lengthy rant about my wife and Murphy's Oil Soap. But, I changed my mind.

Thank me.

Chris

[jeffrey-wimberly]

AmanaMedic

JEFF: So just how did you manage to convince Mrs. Wrong THAT you weren't her guy??? I know I've got a few "twins in name only," and keep wondering how long it'll be before I find myself in the middle of somebody else's crap sandwich buffet.

I'm not really sure. She said something about my manner being much different than his and that he would have already hidden behind another email address rather than confronting her on the same address he had attempted using before and that he wouldn't know how to prove he had had the address for years. Instead of answering he would have run for it. I get the idea he's not good in confrontations.

Ulrich: Good to see you finally have enough track to do something with. Now you need some cars to put behind that loco.

[Cederstrand]

Coffee in a STORMY SOUTHERN mug, please.

***Johnboy, thanks for the humorous post.

Looks like severe storms rolling in here tonight. YeeHaw!

Tiring day on little sleep. Hope y'all are having a good day.

Rob

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

ROB<

   Yes by all means I should have had "Sleepless Rob from Georgia" in my post.

Just because I didn't mention your name does not mean you are not considered a friend. I know you guys are there,  Fergie, Der John, RJ, and the rest.

Blessings to all.

Johnboy out...................................and gone to City Council Tonight.

 

 

[TMarsh]

ROFL!!!!!! HA!!! Jeffrey, you have all the fun. Hope you're feeling better today.

[Hoople]

Afternoon Folks,

Thanks for the welcome backs. ULRICH- I think it might be a year and a half or two years since I've been in. Last things I remember discussing were guitars... so the earliest that could've been would've been late April 2009... Time flies!

I don't even think I could easily sum up things that have happened over two years. Here goes my best shot:
-Started high school in 2009; now a Sophomore.
-Saw AC/DC, Kiss, and Jason Bonham's shows as they came into town
-Started playing guitar, got a Gibson SG Standard which I love very much... If anyone is bored I did a couple covers and put them on youtube.
-Got in a band, it broke up, just got in another one a couple months ago. First show should be early summer.
-Went on a road trip last summer, visited all sorts of places, high lights including Silverwood Theme Park, Disney Land, the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, and my personal favorite, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.
-Started playing in a Croatian folk band on bass, playing a Berda, which is essentially an upright bass except with frets and it murders fingers... You also play it with a very large pick, rather than finger picking.
-Haven't really done too much with model trains; largely because my Digitrax Zephyr pretty much exploded... Well, it stopped working and emitted smoke furiously and it smelt horrible. I'd say that's an explosion...

That's the highlights I think. If I can think of any other happenings I'll add em later.

See ya folks!

Mark

[Curt Webb]

Evening All,

Flo I would really enjoy a ice cold Cranberry Ginger Ale.

Been a slow day today...thats the way I like it. Went to the club and since I was the only one there I ran 2 trains on the 2 mains. It was great with the 2 trains meeting and switching back and forth for whistle greetings ect. This was good practice for my layout. After a couple of hours several other members showed up and I couldn't handle dealing with their loud carrrying on so I cleaned all my steam locomotive wheels (6 loco's) then visited a friend at his shop. He restores cars and does amazing work both on cars and his scratch built HON3 rolling stock and loco's.

Have to w**k tomorrow and I am sure it will be in the 90's although I have not seen the forecast.

Ulrich- I am really glad you are enjoying your layout. Kathy gives me those looks too and says choo..choo whenever I go to the club or work on my layout for hours at a time.

Streamlined K4s

Good night all.

[Cederstrand]

I'll have the Tornado Special, please.

***Mark, post the link to your playing, I won't tell. Sorry about your decoder. I'm running on fumes here myself.

Tuckered out tonight. Waiting on Mother Natures show tonight.

Cheers! Rob

[AmanaMedic]

"Tornado special," isn't THAT surplus store MRE's eaten by flash light in the corner of a damp, dark basement; and eaten with a herd of spiders dangling over your head???

Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood evening.

HOOPLE (MARK, the Dune Cat guy): Croation folk music 'eh? Sounds kinda interesting. I knew some Bosnian refugees when I was working at Amana Refrigeration. I don't know if they were Croatians, Serbs, or just what they were. But, they were some of the nicest and hardest-working people there. They drove from Waterloo everynight, about 100 miles or so one-way.

 

Went to Coralville this afternoon for varsity high school girls soccer. My Iowa City West Women of Troy obliterated their Waterloo West opponents 10-0 in a game shortened (by six minutes) under the "mercy rule." I gotta see what I got for photos and get 'em edited/processed probably yet tonight. Tomorrow will be a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng day. The big boss (new owner) is sending me to Cedar Crapids for an Iowa DOT (IDiOT) "public input meeting" where a number of local community muckety-mucks will show up and "give their input" on a number of pending road projects. His "home" paper, the Mount Vernon Sun needs an article on plans for Hwy. 30. Amtrak is also on the agenda, so I'll get an article for THAT Editor as well.  After THAT, I get a break before more high school girls soccer, this time in Tiffin for my Clear Creek Amana Clippers. Then, I have the dress rehearsal for the Clear Creek Amana spring play at the high school; some show called "The Butler Did It."

The "good news" aspect is of course, a good chunk of hours on the timecard, and I'm all but ensured of seeing a train as the Iowa Interstate's ICCR (Iowa City to Cedar Rapids) "should" roll-through Tiffin during the soccer match. It's a train heavy with ADM Corn Processing traffic: lots of empty ethanol tanks, bunches of hoppers, and some misc. cars for Cedar Crapids. I might go hang-out at Beverly Yard for awhile in-between the morning and afternoon gigs and see what Uncle Pete's Rail Road is up to.

Early bedtime tonight, we'll see what the Wife does to derail THAT... *grumble grumble grumble*

Have a good night, best wishes to all in need, and a big STAY SAFE to those facing severe weather tonight.

Chris

[JimRCGMO]

Good Evening, Chloe - I'll have a CAW mug of coffee and a hot fudge sundae, please. Thank you, ma'am!

jeffrey-wimberly

 

Jeff, good to hear - Question for you, since you've seen "Unstoppable" - how'd you like it? I was debating about renting it someplace local to me.

It's good entertainment as long as you don't look at it with too critical an eye. Just remember the producers were looking to entertain, not educate people or stick to the laws of physics.

 

 

So Jeff, it sounds like they used a bit of "Industrial Light & Magic", eh? No HO scale models sailing through the air in slow-mo? Hey, since you already kinda know this new gal you've been emailing back and forth with, perhaps after she's been divorced a bit, maybe... ? (Nah, just kiddin'!)

Attaboy, sorry to hear about the him-and-her problems. Another reason for subscribing to MR (that their marketing department may not include in their postcard inserts), I guess. Keep hanging in there for now. And was that her mother that was chewing her out?

Curt, no problem on missing the names - I've done that myself (as have most of us, at one time or another). I forgot to write that it looks (and from your description, sounds also) like you're making good progress. I agree with the others that your changes on the track arrangement looks good (and hopefully, will run better, too). Ahem... (Muwaahaahaa - demon-sheep!)

Paul, good to hear from you (though I'm with you - that 'retirement' thing sounds like it ain't w**king for you. Time to add prayers for rain to the list, I'd say. Your granddaughter sounds like you're a bit proud of her, yes? How's Mary Ann been doing, too?

Garry, do remember to get the rest you need while you're getting all that stuff done in 'Bama.

Alvie - glad you enjoyed the pics, and most all of the animals (except THAT macaw I mentioned, and the alligator/or crocodile that was in an enclosed terrarium/aquarium (with the lid fastened down)) were friendly, almost a pest in one or two cases, loved the attention. Kinda like some of us? Your passenger car project sounds like it will keep you, uh, busy.

Mark (Hoople), good to see you (and Dunecat - how's he doing?) again. Remember that in addition to whichever LHS'es you find, there may be some that have websites also (and even offer discounts in some cases). But hey, if you have any LHS close (or not-too-far-away), that's even better! I'd say your Zephyr doing that is plenty close enough to 'explosion' (except for the electronics/fire equivalent of an RC...). You've been busy, fella!

Ulrich, glad to read that you're seeing the sun again over there. Enjoy it (until our current rain-palooza makes its way across the pond to you...)! Hey, you sound like an excited kid again today - way to go! The new loco looks great, too!

Rob, the sign for the Jacob's sheep (four-horned and otherwise) got a chuckle out of me, 'cause it mentioned Jacob using 'genetic engineering' ('a spotted ram) to increase the number of spotted lambs in the herd. For me, the funniest-looking ones were the few that had those little tightly-curled horns. I was picturing hooking up a chain on them, to pull another sheep out of the ditch, etc. (but maybe THAT's just my Far Side kind of humor)

Galaxy - maybe if you could pack up most of your stuff (except for a box or two of basic necessities to 'live out of' in the meantime), you might attract something on short notice (like you kinda said)?

Johnboy, isn't that the usual when we try to explain to the ladies about the "really important stuff" (like MRR'ing)? Hope you get the bath project completed soon, so you can get back to THAT MRR stuff.

Chris, did Kit (or any of the other wives) know about your (ahem..coff..) celebrity being there? And when can we expect the photos? (Just wondering about THAT....) THAT editor (and the new owner) is/are keeping you busy, sounds like. Hey, does Uncle Pete's Big Boy have any Iowa towns along its route this coming summer? I heard it'll be going through Cape (and Poplar Bluff) MO on the way to Little Rock. (Have to go look THAT up...)

This evening before I headed over here, I got the Jordan bus kit out, and tried to glue the other rear set of tires to the other end of the back axle. Only loosened up the ones I had previously glued on last night... Beginning to wonder about this kit (or is it me?). Ray or anyone else, ever build that Jordan 1934 school/camp bus? If so, got any tips?

And the high point for my day, was getting (this afternoon) at w**k, my reimbursement and mileage check (including what I had spent on gas & food at the conference, mileage for last month, plus the mileage to, at and back from the conference). Nice to have more breathing space in the budget! Had me lusting after thinking about what kind of MRR stuff that I could get with all that (then I thought of other expenses that it may mostly go toward...). Ah, reality; so overrated!

I'll sit a spell at the Rivet Counter here and watch Ulrich run that new loco up and down the countertop a while. Great to watch!

 

Blessings and prayers,

Jim in Cape Girardeau

 

[JimRCGMO]

Oh, I got this one from my odd friend Dennis (in St. Louis) and figured I'd share it with you Diners.

Jim in Cape Girardeau

 

D o c t o r s

 

Best friends graduated from medical school at the same time and decided that, in spite of two different specialties, they would open a practice together to share office space and personnel.
 
Dr. Smith was the psychiatrist and Dr. Jones was the proctologist; they put up a sign reading:
    "Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones: Hysterias and Posteriors."

The town council was livid and insisted they change it.
 
So, the docs changed it to read:
    "Schizoids and Hemorrhoids."
This was also not acceptable, so they again changed the sign.
    "Catatonics and High Colonics"......No go.
 
Next, they tried "Manic Depressives and Anal Retentives"....thumbs down again. Then came "Minds and Behinds"....still no good.

Another attempt resulted in "Lost Souls and Butt Holes".......unacceptable again!

So they tried "Analysis and Anal Cysts".....not a chance.
    "Nuts and Butts".....no way.
    "Freaks and Cheeks".....still no good.
    "Loons and Moons".....forget it.
 
Almost at their wit’s end, the docs finally came up with:
    "Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones -- Odds and Ends"

Everyone loved it.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

JimRCGMO

Hey, since you already kinda know this new gal you've been emailing back and forth with, perhaps after she's been divorced a bit, maybe... ?

No way! Nothing doing! Forget it! Not this old Indian!

[AmanaMedic]

Hey JIM, send me a PM, or "conversation" or whatever they call it now...or an e-mail and I'll let you know how to find our little hometown video sensation... Kit wasn't there, she helped-out my first year but quickly was disgusted to find herself serving 99% of the other wives, who only showed up to eat and beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeotch at their husbands. The Chief's wife is a one-woman Ladies Auxiliary. Lon Butterbrodt's wife always helps, the rest just show up to stuff their faces and waddle on back out the door...

As for the Big Boy or Challenger (whichever one gets the run), nope....our route came up a few votes shy, THAT's why it'll be running in your area. 844 and the 3985 (I think) have both been through here, the 844 was in '96, the 3985 came through in............2002, I believe.

There, THAT oughta make you steam guys happy....

Chris

[Packer]

Evening Gents

Not much going on at the moment. Been at school writing the what will hopefully be last paper I will ever have to write.

Haven't bought the touch-up paint for my RI ACFs yet. I've been staightening the roofs for the past few days. I layed them out on a flat flat surface and set some weights on them to reverse the bowing up. They've straightend out some, but not enough,

Chris, Didn't you say something before about the old Robin's Rail PS-1 and RI; and the athearn BB ACF hopper and CNW? I have a chance to snag both, along with a Walther's RI waffle box, with a host of BN cars (which I know are legit). Anything you may know would help with me trying to make my roster a little bit more prototypical.

Mark, It really has been a while since you've been in here.

Ulrich, Having fun with the new oval already, eh? I know how you feel, I busted out an oval of EZ-track a few days ago. can't run much of my newer stuff (autoracks, TOFC cars, and some autoparts cars).

Ray, 70 degres? It's already starting to creep into the mid 80s here. I'm already wishing I would have fixed my AC...