Elliot´s Trackside Diner April 2011

[Curt Webb]

Morning All,

Feeling just slightly better today. Thank Goodness no GI issues. At w**k today. I am doing a time trade so it was come in or hose over the other person.

Ken-  Do you run N-scale? The M1 looks like my BLI. I believe they produced the M1 in the "a" version in N scale and the "b" version in HO scale.

Galaxy - Hope your wife had a great birthday. 

Ulrich- I am sure your friend really appreciates you helping her even if she hasn't said anything. Nobody should be alone at the end.

Everyone have a great day.

[Anonymous]

Good Afternoon Folks,

Zoe, make that a mug of coffee and a slice of that apple& cinnamon pie, please.

I managed to finish laying track on all corner modules and have now the thrilling experience of letting my steamer circle the loop.  A good start back into the hobby.

Here are some pics:

I am surprised that all fits together nicely

Galaxy - a belated to YOH!

CUL

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe, I'll have a bowl of hot oatmeal w/brown sugar and a cup of dark roast coffee to start the day.  I'll be in the back by the stove getting warm.

Dark, gloomy, damp, and cool here in the Finger Lakes this morning.  Currently 38°F with a high today around 45°.  May be a good day to stay down cellar......  Unfortunately much of what I want to do next is waiting on the arrival of supplies.

Ulrich, nice work on the modules!  Good to see you running trains.  In the video, it was mentioned why the locos bound for the US couldn't be moved by rail.  Forgot what they said.  Very sad to hear about your friend..  I am glad her family has been able to gather to be with her at this time.  My prayers for all of you!

A belated Happy Birthday to all the Moms and Other Halves around here who have been celebrating!

Best get a move on!

Later!

73

 

[Anonymous]

Ray - I watched the video again. It is said that rail transport would have been to costly, as they would need to have a separate set of trucks. The wheel flanges differ very much - Europe uses smaller flanges than North America. In our little world it is just the other way around.

I remember they had some type of auxiliary trucks built, when they shipped the first batch of ALP 46´s back in 2006. No idea, why they did not use them this time.

 

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good afternoon, Diners.

Lee ... sorry to hear about your surgery. Hope you recover quickly.

Galaxy ... Happy late b'day to your OH.

Ulrich ... The desktop layout looks nice. It may possibly serve a purpose. If you can get a side dump gondola, you can transport papers on the desk. In particular, place the unpaid bills in the side dump car, and run them to the edge of the desk where they can be dumped into the trash can..... On a more serious matter, prayers continue for Allison.

Has anyone seen Duke in the diner? Say something about berkshires to rile him up.

Cheers

 

[Anonymous]

Garry - excellent idea! Unfortunately, most of our bills are on automatic debiting, so that won´t help much to improve our bank account.

We just had a power outage - right in the midst of my favorite TV program - dang!

Alison is not improving at all. The oxygen level in her blood is going down to a degree, where the doctors fear for brain damage. I am glad she is not noticing this anymore.

A sad time!

[Cederstrand]

Strong coffee in a SUNNY & SOUTHERN mug, please.

***Ulrich, I sure like that loco you have. Bet it is a super smooth runner. What kind of cars will you be looking to add to it down the road? Sorry about your other news.

My Berkshire is a piece of junk! Looks great, doesn't run and costs too much to have repaired. (How's that, Garry? And it's all true.)

More bushhogging ahead for this evening. Weeds are out of control now in the pastures and at this point the goats aren't even making any visible progress.

Have a good day y'all.

Rob

[blownout cylinder]

Good Evening..

Looks like a busy place in here today..I wonder why...

Got the doctor visit done and the groceries bought...now to hunker down for a rather wet evening here...

Ulrich: When I had my heart attack last spring my O2 levels were down to about 15% at one point...I can feel for her parents and BF....we'll keep praying...as for the track..that looks like a fun little modular set up...what is type of wood was used?

Chloe, I'll just have a coffee and some toast please...I'll be at the RC for a bit...

[LSWrr]

Evening,

Ulrich looks like a great start!

Rob, I’m sending a box in the morning.

I installed the sub-station next to the power plant today, and finished some plaster casts.  I also painted some pressurized gas cylinders.  Assembled and painted two loading docks and glued some miscellaneous freight to it, one platform is going to the club layout tomorrow night.  The gums are healing I think, I haven’t been in too much pain, and then again I’m taking enough pain medications to mitigate anything.  I ate corndogs tonight for a change from soup and spaghetti-o’s.  Back to work in the morning…

[Curt Webb]

Evening All,

Feeling better tonight, but still congested. Nothing much happening this way. I will probably lay the 2 mains on Friday (or most of them anyway)

LSWrr- Man I feel your pain. I have had a lot of  dental surgeries. Do you see any power/short issues in my yard looking at my drawing I posted several days ago.  

Everybody have a great night.

[cudaken]

 Evening folks!

 Closed the shop early tonight at 7:45 PM. Had tornado's all around the area and it was time to get the heck out of there. Some close by areas had 3/4 inch hail, all I hit was 1/4 inch on the way home. Sue had a small camp set up in the hall way when I came in the house.

 Over all still a good day, hit $2400.00 in sales and in the last 2 days I have made a extra $60.00 in spiffs.

 Galaxy So I forgot the wish the Other Half a yesterday. I meant to, but forgot to type it. Guess i better start taking notes like Jim.

Curt You made me double check by pulling the box out. I model HO and it is a BLI Paragon M1 a. The newer version is a Paragon II and is the M1 b. After looking at Ulrich steamer, might be time for a N Scale layout 

Ulrich Layout sure is looking good. You do have me confused a little.

 Here is the plan you posted, are the modules you have built one of the ones you need for the real layout? Hope things go better for Allison.

 Ken

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good evening.

We are under a tornado watch, and it's stormy. I'll just have to keep safe in the train room which is downstairs.

Lee ... Interesting about your installing a substation at the power house. I'm working on a substation for my powerhouse now.

Curt ... I hope your cold continues to improve.

Cats-Think-Well-of Me... WHat passenger cars did you say you were acquiring? I think you mentioned sides from NKP Car Co.

Cheers.

 

 

[CNCharlie]

Good Evening,

Another cool, as in 40F, day here but it was sunny. Supposedly it might get up to 60F for the week-end but somehow I think they are just playing a joke on us.

Ulrich, sorry to hear about your neighbour. You did a great thing in finding and notifying her brother. I do like your modules!! Nice to see that track going to a very good use.

Well, not much new here. I worked at our spring market most of the weekend. For me it is more of just being there so I just get to wonder about. It used to be fun to meet with dealers I've known for a long time but they are getting fewer each year as the either sell their stores or just close them up.

I have been re-thinking the track plan for my N scale door layout and I don't think I will do the folded dogbone. There just isn't enough room for the town and the industries plus yard I want. I now am leaning towards a something like the layout in the December/10 MR which is a twice around over and under. I tend to like simpler layouts.  I am thinking of setting it in the Maritimes and perhaps fall for the season.   While I contemplate I will have several decoders to install, and buildings to construct so perhaps I will get some track laid by summer but who knows . It gets really cold in our basement in summer especially in the furnace/work room where the layout will be located. I know it sounds strange but we need the A/C cranked up here in summer and  and I don't like the cold.

We were out shopping tonight and I picked up a large book of New Yorker Magazine cartoons in the clearance section for $20. It even has a CD with 70,000 cartoons on it . I like the cartoons from that magazine so should get a few laughs from it.

Well, time to go as bedtime is approaching.

CN Charlie

[howmus]

Evenin' folks!

Flo, just a decaf for me tonight.  Thanks!

Been a gloomy, dark, drizzly day here in the Finger Lakes.  Got the newsletters that have to be mailed done and mailed.  Ran a couple other errands I needed to get done then came home and waited for the UPS man to arrive with a package for me from Caboose Hobbies.  One of the items in the package was some new Kadee Whisker Couplers that are just a little longer than the ones I had in the Coaches,

Switched them out in 2 of the coaches tonight and then ran the passenger train again to see if that stopped the derailment issue in the tunnel.  First time and back down the mountain into the tunnel and no derailmenat....  YES!  Decided to run it around the mountain loop again to make sure all was well....  NOPE!  Two of the cars still derailed like clockwork....  Did it several more times and said, OK, I'll take the danged tunnel end apart and see what is going on.  I was smart enough to make the end of the Peninsula where the tunnel goes under the mountain removable so I could theoretically get in there.  Out came the drill with the screwdriver attachment and after about 10 minutes it was apart.

I immediately saw the problem.  Another one of those places where I soldered the old code 100 track back 2 decades ago or so and did a poor job of it.  The track was out of gauge right where the ends of 2 rails came together.  Quick fix.  Funny thing is no other piece of equipment I have was having any problem in the spot....???   Ran the coaches again and no derailments (in THAT spot at least).  The wheels are still picking some switch points and doing funny things from time to time. 

Took the coach most likely to derail and checked the gauge of the wheelsets.  Every one of them are out of gauge with NMRA Standards.  I saw how to reset the Rivarossi wheels, but decided I will replace them with Kadee.  I have yet to ever have a problem with a Kadee truck or wheelset. I AM going to get these coaches staying on track!!!

Added a few more details to the engine house also tonight.

Have a good night and stay safe!

73

[Cederstrand]

Grilled chicken dinner, please.

Finished bushhogging the front pasture and made a dent in the middle pasture. Slow but sure I'll get all the weeds hacked down. Then it will be time to start the process all over again.

Never made it down to the train room. Tuckered out tonight.

Y'all have a good one.

Rob

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

[Anonymous]

Good Morning,

the forum must have set a record in slow performance last night - it took 20 minutes to upload. I am no computer expert, but this I have never seen before.

Flo, as I am running late this morning, I´ll just go for some coffee, please.

Barry - I used something we call multiplex plywood to make the modules. It is the best grade of plywood, consisting of 10 layers, similar to a marine grade of plywood. It is quite expensive, but I need only very little of it for a module. A straight module is about $ 3 worth of it, and a curve module about $ 6. Really a strong material that won´t sag.

Ken - it is the modules shaded in the darker gray which I am building. The layout will finally look like this:

Alison´s boyfriend was with us yesterday evening and gave us the latest bulletin about her condition. It will be a question of hours only - she is beyond any medical help now. Petra and I are very sad.

I must hurry now - will be back later during the day.

 

[Wisconsin Railfan]

Good Morning Folks!

Cup of coffee please!

Wicked storms blew through last night, didn't get much sleep!

Steven

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning

Ulrich: That looks to be a good looking layout when done! 

Well..our weatherbeguessers have us getting some more s**w again today and overnight...  

I've got a few things I've gotta do today..such as clean out the garage...again. And get some wood from out'n the storage shed..and attempt to straighten out our backyard patio..again

Flo, I'll have a coffee and a toast/jam please..I'll be at the window booth watching the day get a little brighter...

[jeffrey-wimberly]

[Anonymous]

Jeff -

I like that rusty old hulk!

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! Coffee and a piece of the breakfast casserole please. Thanks. What? Yes dark Roast will be my usual. Ray’s got me hooked.

Welp, dodged the storms last night. Got a pretty good gully washin downpour there for a couple minutes, but nothing in the way of severe. Turned the computer off Mon evening due to possible storms after the evening unconscious time began and due to the unpredictable weather report yesterday, I never turned it on until this morning. They say Sherman got like, baseball or golfball size hail (the size came from Brenda after hearing it on morning news so it could be pea sized if any in actuality) so I best cruise past Mom’s house and check it for damage and (gulp) water in the basement. I have to go to the courthouse in Springfield anyway. Seems I neglected to have the mailing address changed for the tax bill on Mom’s house. Hopefully I won’t have to worry about that because someone will buy the thing, but better be safe.

Ulrich- I thought the same thing about the transport of that loco. I understand the train won’t “fit” your trains or rails, but I thought “why didn’t they put it on a railcar?” Seemed logical to me. Obviously there is some issue with that. I am so glad to see you, once again, have a (bugle sounds) LAYOUT!!!!

Lee- Hope the healing goes well. And “oh darn!” on getting to help build another layout huh? Wish someone around here would want some help building theirs. Of course if they saw mine…Glad to hear you’re able to hit the corndogs.

Galaxy- Don’t be afraid to put in an offer even if you think the owner may be insulted. Well, within some reason of course. After dealing with this and of course becoming an expert in real estate by watching the find a house/sell a house shows on HGTV, a seller probably realizes that the realtor is showing their house to people who have set a maximum way lower that the house goes for anyway. So it means they like the house well enough to try and possibly be at the top end of their stretched budget and just are giving it a shot. Or, they don’t think it’s worth, to them, what the seller thinks or even if the seller is right with the price, it’s still not what the buyer thinks. Happens all the time and the seller should be ready for that and not take it as an insult. It’s aaaall in the presentation of the offer. Either way it is not difficult for the owner to just say “no thank you” and who knows, they may sit on it long enough with no offer, they may return to you at some point later. Just remember, the realtor does not care if you can afford to keep the house or not regardless of how they make it sound. Just able to buy it is all they care about. Their commission has no ties to what happens 4, 6,12,months or years from now.

Jeffrey- A belated  to your Mother. Sounds like she had a great day. All things considered. I assume she is doing better? Also, I just realized why the rusty car looks good yet so bland. No markings true of course to the prototype which is why I probably didn't notice. (don't ask. It's just me) Just out of curiosity, and forgive me if you’ve already said it (my memory you know), do you know what the use of that car was before it was….parked? Seems odd they would paint out all road markings data etc on a car. Make a neat fort for kids though. To bad it’s fate is sealed. (WPF posting)

FIFTEEN PERCENT!!! That explains a lot Barry!!!! That explaaaaaaains a lot.

Hm. After reading the first line in Garry’s post, I finally understand why so many people put their layout’s in the basement. Convenience is definitely not the reason.

Ray- I’m sure you will get those passenger cars to stay on track and I’m also sure the passengers of the S.L.O.W. will appreciate your efforts. The cleaning bill from spilled coffee has got to be killing them.

Welp, best get a moving, wagged my tongue too long as it is. Gotta pay a couple bills, then do the aforementioned running around, might swing by the NSFLHS (Not So Favorite Local…) and get some I-beam strip so’s I can make the other bridge supports. They are in the general area of the courthouse in relation to the size of Springfield. In reality, the entire town of Williamsville could probably fit in the distance and have plenty of room to spare. Close enough in my book.

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

TMarsh

Jeffrey- I just realized why the rusty car looks good yet so bland. No markings true of course to the prototype which is why I probably didn't notice. (don't ask. It's just me) Just out of curiosity, and forgive me if you’ve already said it (my memory you know), do you know what the use of that car was before it was….parked? Seems odd they would paint out all road markings data etc on a car. Make a neat fort for kids though. To bad it’s fate is sealed. (WPF posting)

It ended it's days in MoW service. I can remember seeing it sitting in the same place it is now when I first came to Leesville back in 1970. There were the remains of a roundhouse there then. The stretch of track the car is on ran to one side of the roundhouse. There used to be a track tester parked down there as well but somebody either bought it and had it moved or it was scrapped. The baggage car is now surrounded by large piles of rock and gravel. The only way it could be moved without moving a bunch of rock would be to airlift it.

 

 

Good morning. It's 72° and cloudy with NNE winds gusting to 24 mph. The high will be 89° with a 50% of pm thunderstorms.

I wasn't feeling good yesterday. I went to bed for a while and when I woke up I was feeling weak. I was dizzy, light-headed and my vision would fade when I stood up. Also, my hearing was acting up. First I'd be hearing from my left ear then the right but not both at the same time. My temp was 95.3 and my blood pressure was 62 over 30. I decided going back to bed would probably be the best thing to do. I feel better this morning but I'm still having a problem with the dizziness or vertigo as they call it. I'm hoping that will go away as the day progresses.

[Anonymous]

Me again,

I am just sitting at my desk, watching my little loco circle the track. The poor little engineer is having problems to keep steam, as their are not enough voluntary firemen aka passengers around. It´s about time the loco gets a car (or two, three, four) to pull...

Janie, I am having a steak sandwich and a , please. I am hungry!

Todd - overhead clearance in Europe is much lower than in the US. Putting the loco on a rail car would not work. I still don´t know why they did not use the trucks they normally use for transporting loco bodies.

Jeff - take care!

[LSWrr]

Good Morning,

Rob, junk is in the mail, ETA Friday April 22, 2011.

 

Garry, I used the Atlas transformers and Atlas substation kit.  I used finishing nails and some ribbon from Pat Catan’s for the fence.  I was going to take pictures of it yesterday but the clothespins were still on the fence.  I have no idea what all those things do in a substation but I’s got’s them all!

 

Curt, it looks good to me.  One thing I would have done is sectioned the layout with a power on off switch for each section to make hunting down shorts faster.  I have my layout divided into 5 electrical districts.

[howmus]

Morning everyone!

Zoe, I'll have a short stack of buttermilk pancakes (bring over the bottle of NYS Pure maple Syrup), a side order of bacon, and lots of dark roast coffee in a FGLK Mug.

Ulrich, passenger coaches would be nice..... I am sure you are still smiling as you watch the loco breaking in rails!

Another gloomy day here in the Finger Lakes.  It is a bit warmer, currently 55°F with a high in the low 60's but thunder boomers, rain and wind (guts to 40mph) are predicted for this afternoon.  I have to drive to Canandaigua to feed my sister's cats......  She decided the wether here just wasn't to her liking, so she has flown to South Carolina to harass an old college friend for a week and enjoy tornados, monsoons and the like down there.   She intends to come home with her summer tan.

My lawn has started growing.  You can almost see green right through the puddles.  Guy across the street has a small seasonal lake in his front yard.  By next week he should be out watering the trees in the same place.  On the good side, some radishes and lettuce I planted in a tub on the deck last week have sprouted.  I think they sprouted quickly to keep from drowning......

Jeffrey, I think that old baggage car is moving all around your layout trying to find a place to hide from the scrapper's torch.  You did very, very good on that one!

Oh, don't com[plain any more about the forum being slow (I like SLOW, BTW but not the speed here) as they are aware of the problem and are doing an expensive study to determine the problem.  Some time in a couple more months the study should be complete and they will then be able to announce the results.  I expect the results will probably read as follows: "The forum is running very slow at certain times of the day."  Oh, and don't use non MRR stuff on your layout as you may not get the best results....  Guess I better go throw out the Elmer's White Glue...  Just read the bottle and no where does it say it can be used for Model Railroading!

best get moving before Vinnie arrives.....

Later!

73

[Cederstrand]

Coffee TO GO, please.

Have a good day y'all.

Rob

[Anonymous]

Alison passed away today at 2 pm.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her children, her boy friend and her family in Scotland.

Petra and I are very sad - we will miss her so much.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Sir Madog

Alison passed away today at 2 pm.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her children, her boy friend and her family in Scotland.

Petra and I are very sad - we will miss her so much.

The same from me. I have been folowing your posts about Alison quite closely.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Sir Madog

Jeff -

I like that rusty old hulk!

And to think that one time it looked like this!