Elliot´s Trackside Diner April 2011

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! Eggs over easy, fried potatoes, sausage patties and of course Dark Roast Coffee please and thank you.

Occasional showers and thunderstorms. Cooler. Highs in the lower 60s. Windy.

Not a finger was lifted toward the layout yesterday. Probably not much today either. Got the tractor started yesterday. I need a new battery. I did for last year, but it still holds a charge sufficient to start it as long as it starts quickly. Day before, it had a rough time and had to charge twice (a flooding occurred but it was the first start, plus on old gas) Ran out of time and never did get it started. Yesterday, topped off the third charge from yesterday and liked to jumped out of my skin when the thing fired like I’d shut it off just a minute ago. So I buzzed it around a bit and mowed the parts that were left after the push mower ran out of gas. Changed the oil in that, the blade was still pretty sharp so I doubt I will sharpen it til mid season. Then the tractor must get it’s oil changed, blades sharpened and it’s time for it’s tweeking and adjusting. Hey, the thing is 34 years old. Give it a break. She’s had a long life and is still going strong. But, like all of us, we just need a bit more tweeking to get moving. Once she starts though, runs like a top. Whatever that means.

Ken- I was referring to the way you laid the exhaust pipes down under the car with the tips actually facing the front of the car. Second thought, I’d better go back and check the photo again. Might have mis-saw. Ooops! I most certainly did! Sorry, my bad. I just glanced at the car and assumed, I guess, the grill was out as well as the engine K frame suspension etc and the pipes were just shoved under the car for storage. Now I paid closer attention and I see you’ve gutted the REAR not the front. Gotta love the old Mopar’s where the rear fenders are as square as the front. Yah, talk about feeling silly, after all these years I still can't tell the front from the back.

Hm. So they DID have that wheel configuration. Shows you how versed I am in the loco world. I just thought they designed it for the Thomas show. Learn something new ever day.

Curt- Once you put your photo on Photobucket. Make sure it is located where you want it such as in any album you may want to keep it in or sort to. You will also get the tag if you post the image then move it to a different location on photo bucket too. What I do is make an album for the layout, then one for say…the dog. Or whatever other general subject. Upload and place the photo in the album I want, and then post to the forum. If you change your mind later and cleanup the albums by moving photos around, they will disappear from the forum. But unless you do it within the month, probably won’t matter except to those who research back in the forums

Lee- We gave up the giant grocery shopping day years ago, shortly after the kids moved out in favor of more frequent visits. This has both good and bad points living in a town with no grocery store. But all in all most times there seems to be a reason to be in Springfield or Lincoln when we need to get a few things or, there is something else we need from town when we need something in the grocery line. Midrats? Might I suggest corndogs. Microwavable, tasty, quick and oh so convenient with the added benefit of virtually no cleanup or prep at 0100. Plus….it’s food on a stick.

Well, since I go by the saying “any day you learn something is a good day”, it’s starting off grand. Hopefully it will continue, but still can’t take away from being a good day. I love it when it happens first off. Puts an upward slant on things. At least I think it's upward. Better go back and check

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

[Curt Webb]

Morning All,

Flo I would like a cup of  Joe please.

Supposed to be in the mid 80's today. I  have my Chiro appointment at  0930 and I need to buy some boxes and bubble wrap for tomorrow. Finish my laundry then its layout time...Yeahhhhh.

Jeff, Ulrich, Ray- Thank you for your help with posting pictures. I now understand what  happens. I thought that when you posted a picture the computer made another copy and actually attached the copy  to the board, not just a link.

WelI need to get going, talk to you later.   

[cudaken]

 Windy Morning from the Land of Lincoln. Boy it sure is blowing outside.

 Flo, Diet Dew to go please.

 Todd That is what I thought happened when you look at the lousy picture. Took a year of weekends to replaces the back of the car. Biggest problem was for Mike, Scott and I to stay focused on the project. We spent more time in the pool, BBQ and drinking than working on the Charger.

 Time to get ready for work.

                      Ken 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Curt Webb

Jeff, Ulrich, Ray- Thank you for your help with posting pictures. I now understand what  happens. I thought that when you posted a picture the computer made another copy and actually attached the copy  to the board, not just a link.

That's a common misunderstanding. Some forums load a photo onto the forum. That doesn't happen here. Just a link with the photos location is recorded. In your case that would be Photobucket. The photo must remain where it is for the link to work. If you delete the photo or move it to another album the link won't work.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 70° and mostly cloudy with showers. The high will be 80°. There's a 50% chance of thunderstorms this morning tapering off to 30% tonight. A tornado watch is in effect until 3pm.

Today started with thunderstorms slamming through the area drenching us with rain. The rain is most welcome but I could have done without the sound and light show that came with it. Lightning was so frequent you could see with no other light source and at times it was like strobe lights were flashing. The storm is moving ESE. Arkansas looks to be getting slammed also. Tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds up to 70 mph are expected. If this line of storms stays at this strength the folks in Mississippi and Alabama need to get everything tied down. This baby is nasty!

Any outdoor plans I had for today have been canceled. That includes going to the pharmacy. I don't need to be out on the roads in a vehicle that has the aerodynamics of a billboard with these winds we're getting here. Right now it's calm but gusts up to 30 mph can kick up without warning. If it gets too bad here I'll go down to my parents place. No much danger of it getting rolled over.

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe, I'll have a short stack of buttermilk pancakes, a side order of bacon, and leave a big bottle of real NYS maple Syrup right here at the table!

We are having a nice but cool day here in the Finger Lakes.  That storm rolling up Jeffrey's place won't arrive until tomorrow.....  Currently 40°F with a high this afternoon of 54°F they say.

I have to drive over to both the private and the public High Schools this afternoon to pick up applications for this years MLk Scholarships and then get them to another member who will type up a matrix of info about the candidates for everyone on the committee. Then I have to stop by the LHS to see if they were able to find the longer Kadee Whisker couplers for the coaches, stop over to the health food store across the street and pick up a couple items, then to the bank to cash a check I have sitting here.

May actually find some time to do a few things on the Engine House......

Hope you all stay have a great day and stay safe!

73

[Anonymous]

Hi Folks,

just a short visit, as I am exhausted. It´s been a hectic day, we took our neighbor back into the hospital,  arranged for her brother to come over and take care of her at the beginning of next week. This is all we can do at the moment.

I hope I will be able to do some MRRing during the weekend - I did get some lumber for the bridge module, cost me about $ 1.

See you tomorrow.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Looks like the storm has cleared out. Right now we have a WNW wind 17 mph with gusts to 31. I don't know for sure but I think we got 0.08" of rain this morning. There's still a 30% chance of more rain today but my neck doesn't seem to agree with that. It usually starts aching when rain is likely.

[blownout cylinder]

Good Afternoon...

Kind of breezy out here right now..winds from the east northeast at up to 45 mph...and getting a bit damp...

Well, the weekend looks to be a busy one...have 2 meetings that are being run plus a bunch of workshops were dumped on me head...oh well...

Chloe, I'll have a coffee for now please...I'll be at the RC ....

[Cederstrand]

Quick coffee TO GO, please.

Tornado warning here as I type, along with the usual hail, wind & lightning threats. Got my camera ready with fingers crossed. Wife just left for work. YeeHaw! (Update: that cell passed without incident, so no pics to share from inside a tornado)

How about some new layout progress pics from my fellow Diners?

Heading down to the train room until the next weather warning sounds.

Well, better get off the puter now. Cheers!  Rob

[GMTRacing]

Good Evening All,

  One of those days though at least it's Friday.  Spent the day making Lotus Elite suspension pieces to order. Plus some time in the trailer and getting son#3's windshield replaced (close call he got popped by a falling branch about 3" in dia and hit just off center of the screen). Tomorrow will be back in the trailer and some quality time on the deadly and dreaded Aspire to get it back on the road. Oh joy, oh rapture. However for now I'm done and off to playwith the layout. When I get something beyond an expanse of pink foam I'll start taking pics' but for now it's pretty bleak.   Catch Y'all later, J.R.

[Curt Webb]

Evening All,

Flo I would love a cup of coffee please.

I'm sorry so many of you had a lousy day. I actually had a very good one. After errands and Chiro I made another rock face and a set of large rocks from plaster. This time I removed them from the mold at the 1 hour point. Then I went upstairs to the loft to work on the layout. Six hours later the coaling facility is complete as is the business siding, the diesel servicing siding, and  the steam servicing siding (also the reverse loop), and the passenger siding/loop. I ended up using 15 piecesof flex track with probably enough smaller pieces left over for 2 full pieces. Now I have the 2 mains to do next, then the yard, so I will probably need more flex track (20 pieces left). I think I figured that I need 10 in the yard.

Based on all the excellent help earlier, here are 2 different perspectives of Horseshoe Curve.

 

Everyone have a good night.    

[cudaken]

Evening Dinners

 Not a lot to say today. Had to break down and drink the beer I got in February.  It is Keystone Light and my head is all ready hurting.

 Curt The parking lot that is in the picture looks like two PAC MAN going.

                     Ken

[Fergmiester]

Apple Pie Please and thanks and some Cranberry Tea.

 

Ulrich: hat's off to you as there not too many that would step up to the plate for a neighbour!

 

Anyway just finished a week of Advanced First Aid for Re Cert. Some nice pics on the WEPF page.

Later All

Fergie

Lee Bad Joke real bad joke though it kinda sums it up.

[Cederstrand]

Scrambled eggs & sausage, please.

Grabbed a box cutter, screw driver & hand saw and got busy attacking some pink & blue foam to add a couple more bridges that were collecting dust. Need to decide next if that new river is going to dive into a huge rock hole/cave or go through some kind of hydro-electric dam thing. The latter would require much more thought (work) and time to create. Whatever happens to the river, it must reappear beyond a pair of mainline tracks.

Stormy night continues.

Rob

[howmus]

Evenin' folks!

Flo, I'll have a piece of THAT Apple Pie Fergie had and a cup of decaf, please.  Oh, and put put Fergie's bill on my tab, OK?

Fergie!  Good to see you sir!

I ran a bunch of errands and babysat for the granddaughters for a little over an hour this afternoon.  #1 granddaughter asked to go outside and play in the back yard.  So both of them got bundled up a bit and we went out to play in the mud.....  Well, actually we tried to stay out of the muddy areas.  Mostly I watched #2 granddaughter who climbed up on the slide platform on the swing set, and threw the ball for the ball of fluff dog the MIL has.  The little thing has adopted me and just has to sit in my lap every time I go over there, so it was watch granddaughters and throw the ball....  #1 granddaughter threw a hissy fit when it was time to go in the house after mother got home and ended up getting put in her room for "time out" and so couldn't get to say goodbye to "Papa". 

Decided I need to do some major putting away and cleaning up before company comes over on Monday to see the layout.  So THAT has occupied the rest of the day. 

Prayers for all in need!  Stay safe and have fun....

73

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I was looking through some of my albums today and came across these photos. David Parks took them for me during the summer of 2008. The person you see in two of the photos is me. I could get around a little better then.

[CNCharlie]

Good Evening!

Another fine day here in Winterpeg at least if you call snow and 40F fine. Right now it is about 32F and there is about an inch of the white stuff covering the grass. Not that the grass is growing  or anything, no it will be June before we have to mow here. I suppose some of you have leaves on your trees too, to go along with the green grass.

Just finished putting together a Branchline Blueprint kit of a Soo Line reefer. It turned out well but is the last HO kit in the stash and likley will be the last as N scale here we come!  I have a large order of stuff to get started but of course I didn't order enough track so I will be forced , against my will, to order more stuff!  I have a door that I was going to use for the layout but decided just to keep that door as it is from a reno we did on our house. I find out that the door is 81" and although it has been sitting unused for 20 years, I know that as soon as I put down track on it I'll damage a door and need a replacement. Nothing in our house is standard size. A few years ago we needed a new back door and storm door which turned out to be 2" higher than normal so custom doors here we come. They are really nice doors but then they should be for $4,000. When the house was built 50 years ago custom woodwork wasn't very expensive but it sure is now.

Fergie, nice to see you in here again. Are you still ashore or are you back on the briny?  Any new brass locos?

Good night all,

CN Charlie

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Just returned from Alabama. Drove through stormy weather.

Good to see each of you.

Fergie ... What a pleasant surprise! ... Please let us know how you are doing.

Here is a photo I posted in WPF..

[Anonymous]

Good Morning,

it´s a sunny but cold day outside - temperatures just a notch above freezing.

Now that Alison is back in hospital and being taken care of, I did sleep a little better. Her condition is very serious and I am really glad that her brother will be here to take up some of the burden. I am now trying to arrange for a transport back to Scotland for her - taking a regular flight is out of question. Her brother and I agreed that it will be the best to take her into the hospital in Edinburgh, so he can be around to watch over her.

My Mom will also have to undergo surgery, there is no way to avoid that, despite her still weak condition. Surgery is now scheduled for May 9th and I will go to stay with my father from that date on.

I desperately need something enjoyable to put my mind on - I hope to able to do some work on that bridge module today. The pieces of plywood I bought yesterday need a little reworking - you all know that - this fraction of inch out of measure...

Zoe, just a coffee for me - I have had too much food lately. Thank you.

Have a good weekend!

[Cederstrand]

Only a couple hours sleep tonight so far, so just a tall glass of cool water, please.

***Ulrich will keep sending positive thoughts your way.

***Garry, neat pic of the layout. I would not have wanted to drive through some of that weather. Glad you made it home safe, although we still hope you'll swing by here one of these times. Hope your trip went reasonably well.

***CN Charlie, looking forward to seeing what you do with iNvisible scale.

***Jeffrey, that's some old rust bucket there. Always thought something like that (in better condition) would make a heck of an interesting train room.

Well, guess I'll try again. Rob

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

[galaxy]

Good morning!

Going to an antiques and toytrain show today at BU events center. Dont know if toy train means all lionel but did see a HO table on the news last night. See my post on the subject if interested..

well that will take up our day mostly IF my BACK holds out!

we are taking train nut friend too, then go out to eat.

Got no more than $200 to spend and hope to put most of that back in bank.

Man for whatever reason my hands are shakiy and twitchy this AM. HAving trouble typing

Well have a greatr day all!

TTYALLL8R

 

[LSWrr]

Fergi, don’t remember what I sent… so do you still have your own ship?

Not too much to report today, the tenant wasn’t home when I showed up to install the new faucet so I’m heading out today, that cuts into my MRR day a little. Neighbor wants me to go to the computer store with him to pick out a laptop.  They have a nice Toshiba Satellite 8GB, WIN7 for under $500. I might go shopping for a new camera lens for my Nikon D3100.  I’m looking for a 55-700.  I hate credit, but I’m re-building my credit score after paying everything off from the divorce…

[Anonymous]

Good Afternoon,

we have just received alarming news about Alison´s condition. She has fallen into a coma, due to kidney failure. We will take her kids to see her and say goodbye. The docs expect her to go soon.

No MRRing for me this weekend. My thoughts are with Alison and her family.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 54° and sunny. The high will be 77° and mostly sunny and breezy.

Today is looking nice. A seven mph NW wind with gusts to twenty-two mph. Good for many things but not for painting. Glad I don't have any of that to do. Nothing in particular planned for today. Yesterday I gathered together all my bags and packages of clump foliage and put it all into two jars. Now I don't have a bunch of little packages floating around. I also have several bags of trees to sort through. They'll be sorted into three classes. Class one, the best, will be for the front of the layout, class two, second best, will be for the middle of the layout and class three will be for the back of the layout. There are only four gallon size bags of all green trees to go through then a couple of small bags of fruit trees. That should keep me busy for a little while.

[BRAKIE]

Good Morning All!

Not much to report from the land of Buckeyes on this chilly, damp and windy Saturday morning...Yesterday I did something I don't like to do...I had to show my fishing neighbor that I am far from a rookie or non fisherman-I really hate it when I am patronized as a first class dummy..

I took a old large pizza box and placed it about 90-95 feet from where I would be casting..I used my Daiwa Regal spinning reel/Daiwa Sweepfire rod with 1/2 ounce casting plug and proceeded to make several cast which landed on the pizza or with the target zone...Mind you this was off hand backhand casting-that's where you cast using you left hand with rod waist high and swinging the rod right to left.I perfected this cast over years and can hit the target or target zone 90% of the time..I think I ruined his day.

I shall have a cup and look over da forum.

Have a good'un!

 

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe, short stack of buckwheat pancakes, maple syrup, and a couple sausage along with my Dark roast coffee in a R7GV RR mug please.

Another Beautiful day here in the Finger Lakes!  Rainy, drizzly, dark, gloomy and chilly.  Currently 39°F with high of 49°F sometime this afternoon when the wind picks up from the current 19mph to 25 to 30 with 55 mph gusts....  Lovely day, yes, a good day to do yard work.  Huh?  Of course!  I will be down cellar in the train room doing some yard work.  What did you think I meant!?!

Best get moving and hit send before lunch time.

Later!

73

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! Coffee please. Thanks

Well, we dodged another one last night, knock on wood (lifts hat and knocks on skull) Doesn’t look like others were as lucky. Looked baaaad. Real bad. But it pretty much just went over the top without releasing anything. We did get an inch of rain out of the rain that followed the storm. And holy cow folks, I slept until 0830!    Un heard of.

Ken- Picture wasn’t that bad, it was more I assumed the photo was of the front of the car because most folks back the car in the garage so the hoist can get in and out ya know, that’s what I thought, so that’s what I saw without paying to much attention to the actual construction of the car. Looks obvious now. Same problem the wife has with me. She assumes the question so she answers it before she hears the whole question.

Oddly enough, somehow it makes the question wrong, not the answer. Never did understand how that happens.

I see Fergie’s still kickin’. That’s good news. Wonder if he's been working on the M.E.S.S.

Jeff- I remember that car. Didn’t you model that a couple years ago?

Garry- You just got out of Alabama in time. Is your Mother ok from the storms?

Speaking of Alabama and storms….Bama! You out there?

Rob- I don't think you're out of the woods yet. Hang on.

Ulrich- My thoughts and prayers for Allison and her family. You also.

Larry- I know the feeling well. I'm not one to brag myself. But occasionally, you just have to set someone straight.

I’m torn between two lovers… Feelin like a fool….Wait! Don’t know were that came from. What I meant to say was I’m torn between ordering a few things from Walthers directly or through my FLHS. Reason is, and this may sound strange, but if I order from the LHS, then when it comes in, I have to go pick it up. If I order from Walthers, they bring it to me. Way convenient and I don’t have to schedule a trip to pick up the stuff. But..., if I buy from Walthers, then the FLHS loses the sale. What I‘d order would not be something the HS stocks, but some things they‘d have to order also. So waiting is not part of the decision. I sure like the idea of the stuff showing up at the door and ready to play…er, w*rk with at my leisure. Maybe even that day. But I sure like to wander around the hobby shop too. A LOT nicer than looking through pictures. Of course I like that too……

Suppose to be rainy today so that kinda puts the kabashes on the stuff that needs done outside, so I think I’ll piddle around inside. Let’s see, last I remember I had taken a container of WS trees and hit the trunks and branches with some grey. Or….,gray. I might plant some today, might work on changing the hillside ground color by sprinkling some dirt on the hillside, maybe work on the inside of the other tunnel…oh who knows I might do a bit more cleaning in between figurings of what to do. We’ll see.

Maybe I should have stayed in bed. The pressure in me noggin makes me vision woozy and me a little unstable on me footsies.

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

TMarsh

Jeff- I remember that car. Didn’t you model that a couple years ago?

 

Indeed I did. I still have that model.