Elliot´s Trackside Diner April 2011

[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.

[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

[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!!!

[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...

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

[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....

 

[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]

Good Morning America!

A new day is breaking - seems as if we are getting a fair dose of sunshine today! Nothing much planned for the day, I am just hoping for my order of track to arrive!

Zoe, just a coffee for me, please. I have to go easy on that hearty food here in the Diner.

Mark - good to see you back. It´s been a long time - maybe two years?

Have a good start into the new week!

[Hoople]

Howdy all!

I can't even remember the last time I was in. Good to see a few familiar faces around though.

I decided to pop in because my head has been thinking about trains once again, for two reasons: 1. I rode the D&SNGRR last summer and narrow gauge steam has been haunting me (especially seeing as that's what my Grandad liked best), and 2. I drove by my LHS a couple days ago only to see signs saying that it was going out of business in less than a week. It's really sad to see North End Trains finally end... I remember going there years ago with my grandfather. Good times those were... I suppose I'll have to find a new LHS around here. I guess google is my friend.

Alright well that's it for now

Mark (Hoople)

[cats think well of me]

Yay, been to long since I've been to the diner. A piece of Apple Pie ala mode please Flo! 

Jim, I love the Giraffe pictures, I've yet to meet a Giraffe but look forward to the occasion if it arises.

I came into a nice bit of extra cash and order a slew of stuff through Walthers (including 8-different passenger cars) and an older P2K 0-8-0 that I'm looking forward to doing much work on, including weathering substantially and upgrading the electronics. The latter will happen after I have somewhere to run it of course.

Seven of the eight passenger cars will be part of my rendition of the '49 Crescent. I'm going to try swapping sides with NKP Car Co. brass sides and see how that goes. The project will be ongoing, and likely take a long time to do, but that's fine with me! As it gives me plenty to look forward too.

Alvie

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good evening.

Paul ... It's good to hear from you! Great to hear about grand daughter and FFA. Wish you could work on HO. What about the big live steam? Hope Mary Ann is OK.

Ray .. Nice work on the coach couplers. I have mounted Kadees on numerous passenger cars. It is better to mount directly on the car body. Long shank Kadees help cars on the curves.

Attaboy ... You adventure does not sound pleasant.

I'm in Alabama helping my 91-year old mother with stuff. I just discovered yet another huge problem that will be time consuming for me. All of these problems are wearing me out.

 

[Paul W. Beverung]

Hi Gang: It's been a Really long time sinc I've droped a line in the door. As I have said, " Retirement is alot more work then having a job." I worked on fences most of the day with some help from my oldest granddaughter. She is in FFA and needed some time for her grade. She is also in color guard at school. She is doing very well there. I don't know how she does it sometimes. Any with her help we got alot done and I'm really pooped.

I haven't done a thing on the HO. I've been wanting to but the ranch won't let me. Right now we are in hopes of getting some rain. It's been very dry here. Out in west Texas there is a fire burning 125 square miles of country. Here we are in a fire ban for the last month and I don't see it being lifted any time soon. They did let me burn a couple of brush piles two weeks ago after a little rain.

Well I'll be heading out. I'm really tired. I'll try and drop back in soon but don't hold your breath.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Curt Webb

This may seem stupid to those of you that are around farm animals (I never have been), but is it normal for a sheep to have more than 2 horns? I have to say that it looks pretty strange.

Haven't been around sheep much in my 50 years. I'm only a farm boy originally from Texas but I have seen several sheep with more than two horns. It's especially common among Jacob sheep.

[Curt Webb]

Jim- Sorry for the confusion. I must not of given enough attention when I was reading. I am making a list of everyones screen name and real name as I figure it out. It can be confusing at times when people go back and forth.

This may seem stupid to those of you that are around farm animals (I never have been), but is it normal for a sheep to have more than 2 horns? I have to say that it looks pretty strange.

 

[Attaboy]

Hi, all.  Been an interesting couple days around here.  Last Thursday was the end of the 90 day wait for a divorce, Yay!  Not surprisingly wife refused to sign, boo.  She said she has a couple doctor appointments on May 3 and May 10 and can't pay for them without my insurance.  She also went to visit her mother yesterday and her son went along.  He came home but she didn't.  When he got here he said he told his grandma what she did (refusing to sign divorce papers) and "Grandma was really pi**ed!  She sat mom down at the table and had a long talk with her."  Told her if she said she would sign the papers to get back here and sign the d**n papers.  That she had no right to do that to that man.  I almost laughed out loud.  Tonight wife said she would definitely sign the papers on May 11 after her appointment on May 10 and offered to put it in writing.  Which I accepted not that it really means anything.  So here's hoping.

Otherwise not much happening.  Keeping my nose buried in MRR mags or hiding in computer room to avoid conflicts.  Glad I got those subscriptions renewed last year.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

JimRCGMO

[Jeff wrote:]

Curt, Jim, Garry, Rob, BOC, Ray and anyone I may have missed. Thanks for the concern about my entrapment yesterday. I'm still feeling a bit tired and not quite feeling like my usual self, not to mention I'm still sore in a few places, but I'm all right. Nothing broken or dislocated.

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.

[JimRCGMO]

Evening, Flo - I'll have the grilled chicken please, with asparagus and a half-peach, and a Rio Grande mug of decaf. Thanks!

[Jeff wrote:]

Curt, Jim, Garry, Rob, BOC, Ray and anyone I may have missed. Thanks for the concern about my entrapment yesterday. I'm still feeling a bit tired and not quite feeling like my usual self, not to mention I'm still sore in a few places, but I'm all right. Nothing broken or dislocated.

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.

CN Charlie and Curt - thanks for the review of Consolidation locos (and of Mehanos). (But Curt, it was CN Charlie who told me, not moi. )

Ken, sounds good for you at w**k - will you get a bonus from your boss? That'd be great!

I attempted some w**k on the Jordan bus earlier today (so-so results - those seats are the dickens to get lined up and glued to the floor!). Even considered whether to pay a guy I know to put this thing together... (Decided not to do THAT)

But I was able to get some of the photos resized from Drew's party uploaded to P-Bucket, so here're a few. First, Drew (in the green shirt; his mother is behind him wearing the turquoise shirt) with Ken the giraffe:

And this Ken really liked his carrots (you could buy two for $1 to feed him):

There were some Jacob's spotted sheep (with between one and four horns on some):

And next to the tables where the cake and presents were opened was Jeckers the blue and yellow macaw (with a sign warning people NOT to get close, since he bites)

(Hopefully I won't be killing those of you using dial-up connections...)

About time for me to finish up supper and head on home. We have a storm watch in the area for tonight/tomorrow a.m., which I hope will amount to...nothing!

Prayers for Ulrich's friend Allison, for Jeff to get recuperated up, for a good night's rest for us other Diners, for Ken (the two-legged Diner) to get that bonus, and for a good week ahead to get in some MRR'ing time.

 

Blessings,

Jim in Cape Girardeau

[howmus]

Evenin' Folks!

Deep breath...........  Ahhhhhhh!  Steam power....  Thanks Barry!

Flo, just a decaf and a seat by the open window where I can watch and smell coal burning locos.....  Mmmmmmmmmmm!

After unpacking and putting away all the Division stuff today.  I decided to do a bit of tweaking to the Rivarossi Coaches and Baggage car.  They were derailing constantly, comming uncoupled every time the loco hiccuped anywhere on the layout and i didn't like the look of the distance between the cars.

So I pulled off the el cheapo whisker type couplers that come with the cars and tried to figure out which Kadee couplers might work on them.....  Got out the bunch of #5s I have (I use a lot of them) and they, of course where considerably shorter.  On the other hand the distance between the cars would look right. So I put on a #5 and couldn't get the bracket that goes under the coupler pocket to not scrape on the coupler....  I was taking the #5 back off and figured tomorrow would be a run to the LHS when...  The light bulb went on.  The little bracket would fit just fine if I turned it around and put it on backward.  So the cars are now no longer uncoupling every 10 feet, and are derailing much less often as well (still have to do some tweaking. One problem on one car was a truck was too tight....).  Now they look like this:

Have a great night!  Prayers for all in need.

73

[blownout cylinder]

Good Evening..

Everything is all quiet here..I ended up spending most of it in the office getting paperw**k done and then did nothing but walked around downtown for a bit...

As it is I'm going to have a sit me down and think about what other scenic stuff I have that I may need some more of....

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

[cudaken]

 Evening folks

 Flo, OK you got me one all ready

 This year weather wise as been something. Last week I was running heat and now A/C over one weekend.

 Work Front Still not the weekend I was hoping for but still not bad. Again Sunday was messed up, for 2 hours not a soul came in, then slammed and then nothing for the rest of the day. At this point the store is on track for $56,000.00 this month! Boy if we can hit that number I should get a little something extra in the pay check.

 Train Front Well, the DT 400 is working now (user error ) so it does not another to Digitrax. Getting ready to open up the Y6 b, starting to get a wine out of the engine after a while. Has not been lubed for about 100 hours so it is time.

 

 

 See you all Monday.

                Ken

 

[Cederstrand]

Coffee refill, please.

***Curt, sounds like great progress there. And thanks for the reminder that this is suppose to be a fun hobby and not a time trial. I sometimes get overhwelmed when walking into our train room. Neat pic, btw. Wish there was a model of that available in N scale.

Did some outdoor (priority) stuff today. No MRRing.

Rob

[Curt Webb]

Evening All,

Not much going here. Our daughter is coming over for dinner since her husband is working tonight so that will be nice. We are having one of those flavored pork tenderloins...yummeeee...

Worked on the layout for about 4 hours today. I was cutting, fitting and soldering flex track in a portion of the layout as you enter the coaling area (probably the most work intensive section). I also hooked up the end  of the passenger merge with the main and laid the diesel servicing facility. I have noticed that everything takes about twice as long to do as I plan on.

I'm off tomorrow and I had planned on laying track, but you know I feel more like running trains. I haven't run any for almost 2 weeks and I am going into withdrawls so off to the club I go. I guess my next track day will be Friday. I realized today that I don't need to kill my self making the layout-I have no schedule but my own.

PRR T-1

I hope everyone has a great Sunday evening.

Oh I almost forgot. How do you get color in your posts?

 

[Cederstrand]

Coffee in a SUNNY SOUTHERN mug, please.

Hope y'all are having a great day.

Cheers! Rob

[galaxy]

Morning, well almost Noon to you all

I removed yesterday's rant. It wasn't necessarilly fair.

I should go out and remove the winter cover and insulation from around the A/c inthe LR. It hasn't rained yet as they "promised" it would. I'm not sure it's going to. Partly cloudy, but warming up in the trailer fast. I hope the sun stays hidden it will be cooler in here then. Yesterday got up to 73 in here. Not exactly bad, but I sweat like a mule pulling a hayride at anything over 70*, even with just shorts on.

I got the dishwasher done yesterday. Today I should unload it and I got one load of laundry done and inthe dryer. Need to fold the clothes now and should run atleast one more load of laundry. Not much but with a bronchial infection I can't breathe well. Antibotics have taken away some of the congestion, but still having tight lungs breathing. Like Jeffrey, I have to take things slow and easy.

Speaking of Jeffrey- sounds like a real fiasco. Aren't cell phones wonderfull for emergencies? Good thing your sister and husband were available to get you out. I can see where it owuld have worn you out for the day. Take it easy and rest.

WEll, I should get a move on.

TTYALL8R

[howmus]

(Walks in, looks around, smiles, and bursts into....)  "I did it my way......."

Mornin' everyone!  I'm awake (more or less....  OK, less), I'll have a couple of eggs over easy and a side of bacon, sour dough toast as well to go along with a pot of dark roast coffee.  What?  Barry drank the entire pot you had done this morning?  I'll wait until you get another pot done then.

After being on my feet all day yesterday, I can barely stand today....  Getting old I think.  Thank you folks for the kind words.  Todd, yes I have posted THAT photo here before....  maybe a couple of times.  It is one of my favorites.  I am skipping church this morning (I always give up going to church for Lent anyway...  (Old family joke).  Just seems like this time of year gets very busy for me.  I can't understand what the Rev. is saying in our sanctuary anyway.  Combination of horrible acoustics and the fact that he won't wear his mike properly and it pick k k k k ssssssss up p p p p  ec c c c c ho.  My being deaf doesn't seem to help either.  Too bad as he is a wonderful pastor, great preacher, and a dear friend.

Jeffrey, watch the sugar and take evasive action when needed......  Hope you get feeling better today!

On my way to Hammondsport yesterday, one of my tasks was to stop at Dunkin Doughnuts and buy 4 dozen Doughnuts for the Meet.  I am thinking the whole time we will probably get 20 people max and half don't eat doughnuts anymore, so I will be taking home 3 doz. of the things which I know must not be thrown out (Mom said there were little children in China Starving..... so eat your food!).  Figured THAT would seriously do in the A1 test scheduled for the week after Easter.  Right after our break between clinics I moseyed on over to get one where they put the coffee pot and the doughnuts and.....  They were gone!  Every Last one of them!  I said a quick "Thank You Lord!" and went back to the presentation.  Now all i have to do is have someone hide the Easter Baskets some blasted bunnies keep bringing me until after I have the bloodwork done!

Barry, I think you are right on the pic.  Very likely it is a Civil War Vintage era.  One of the Tenders says Military on it.  I tried all the tricks I know to read the names of the locomotives, but couldn't make it out and enlarging it was too fragile for the res of the photo. 

OK, I have a lot of things to unpack and put away.  best get moving!

73

[BRAKIE]

Good Morning All!

Not much to report from the land of Buckeyes on this glorious spring like morning-61 degrees..Well,the shows over and I spent zero dollars because the N Scale prices was to high and 90% of the HO was out of my era.

There was a lot of deals such as a built MDC 2 Truck Shay for $40.00-asking $65.00 drop to $40.I was tempted.The Atlas diesels was competitive price and there was several older P2K diesels for $45.00 and many dealers willing to haggle from that price..

Looking back..There was a W&LE BB SD40-2 for $40.00..Maybe I should have haggled and bought that one.

I operated the first 2 hours with zero derailments.Needless to say I am rather proud after all usually with other modelers taking in the operation things has a tenancy to go to hell in a hand basket..

I shall have a cup and look over the forum.

Have a good'un!

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! Just a mug of Dark Roast coffee please and I think I will sit on the vestibule while enjoying it and talk through the window thank you. What a Beeeeeautiful morning it is here in the land of political corruption and deceptive practices known as Illinoyz. Illinoy if you insist, E-lee-nwah if you want to be correct. Just ask a French guy to pronounce it. They named it, they oughta know. HELLOOOO!

Miiight get a few moments in for the railroad today, but not much. Read the latest thread on modeling my way this morning. I always like those. They remind me I’m really not THAT much different than the majority out there and reminds me that even though others don’t feel the same way I do, most don’t care how I model as long as I enjoy it my way. This is gonna kick off another song from Ray I know.

I have to run out to Mom’s house and sweep up any Asian beetles that have expired laying around. The Realtor wants to have another Open House today. I’m beginning to have thoughts of replacing said Realtor with someone from say a company like Re-max or Caldwell Bankers. This guy is an independent and though he is an MLS dude, he is not aggressive at all. Kinda sit back and lt the folks from some other realtor sell the house. But, he was a long time friend of Mom and Dad and she says he’s a nice man and wanted him to sell the house etc, etc, etc….

Anywho, then we have the benefit thing for our friend who passed in end of Jan this afternoon. So hopefully between when I get back from Mom’s and when I have to de stink myself for the benefit….. Brenda has already walked by twice reminding me of the time. Good woman. Don’t know why I even need a clock. She has to be there around noon to help set up I guess. I hope she doesn’t expect me to be there too. Maybe I oughta ask. Maybe I won’t and claim ignorance.

Jim- Yes I do believe if Jeff had the time to wait, any of us would have come down to help him. He would however still have to put up with a few chuckles though. AFTER of course we found out he was OK. - As for the lampshade covers, I wasn’t aware you were to remove them right off the bat. Ours are still on and when they get too bad off, remove the plastic and BAM! New shades.

Ray- Great photo! I’m glad you chose that on, it is a second looker. Is that the same one you showed earlier or did you retake? Again, congrats.

Ken- Thanks for putting it politely. Very nice way of saying it was long Unfortunately there are so many reasons something doesn’t work, it takes a while and even then you always seem to miss something. It’s harder and longer to say it than do it and of course without the car in front, you forget things you normally just do. So to save a few trips in and out to do the “Now what’s?” well… you know.

Brevity is not one of my virtues.

Charlie- Thanks for the info. I’ll take IHC off the “not really interested in” list and put it in the “depends on this” list. Like I said, exact detail is not all that important to me, though I don’t necessarily want it to look all cast like a $3 plastic toy would, but I do want something that will run good at least for a reasonable time.

Well I….., WHAT!!! I guess I best get movin. I’m burning choo choo time today.

So…. A hump yard is not a place were…..

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

[blownout cylinder]

Curt:  I am tempted to assume such. The tents at the top of the ridge and the way the steamer looks are quite close to that era...if not about 10-15 years afterwards...

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Curt, Jim, Garry, Rob, BOC, Ray and anyone I may have missed. Thanks for the concern about my entrapment yesterday. I'm still feeling a bit tired and not quite feeling like my usual self, not to mention I'm still sore in a few places, but I'm all right. Nothing broken or dislocated.

[Curt Webb]

Morning All,

Not much going on here. Slept in this morning untill 0800. I don't think I will be working outside today. The wife has a bad  headache which usually means that her Meneers (spelling) is getting ready to flare up. She has to supervise the yard work...so no yard work. Unfortunately I need to go to Wally World to buy latex caulk and some sttuff for work for the next 2 weeks.

CNCharlie- I have read some postings (either this site or a PRR modeling site) that ME flex track is sometimes not gauged properly when you purchase it. I have no expeirence with it but some people posted that they loved it and others that they would never use it again. I am not trying to tell you that you are wrong, just that there may be some QA issues. I hope all of yours is fine.

Ulrich- I will keeep Allison in my prayers. It sounds like she has had a tough life.

Todd- I agree with Jim about the Spectrums. I have 2 K4s of their's that I run together. They run great, can pull a decent load up a grade and look wonderful. I put DCC in both and Sound in one. I always get compliments whenever I run them at the club.

Blownout- Is that a picture during the Civil War? That time frame has always fascinated me.

Jim- It sounds like your grandson had a great time. Looking forward to pictures.

Well I need to get moving so I can get things done around here. Everyone take care.