Elliot´s Trackside Diner April 2011

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Ray's SLOW was here on the Night Crawler.

Too slow for me.

Cheers!

 

[howmus]

Evenin folks!

Just a cup of decaf for me tonight,Flo.  Had a very nice BBQ Chicken dinner that I cooked and ate while waiting for the page to load so i could get into the diner.......  As soon as I get done typing, I'll go do dishes and then come back and see if it posted yet or not.......

I have gotten as much done on the passenger train as I can for the moment.  There will be some details i will add (hand holds, etc) most of which do come with the cars, but I don't have time to get it done by Saturday.  I ran the train for a bit tonight and found it finds every minor little track problem I have and uncouples every time the loco pickups....  It will be pulled by a small Bachmann 4-6-0 that I need to tweek a bit for good pick up.  That and the fact I haven't been running trains much this Winter so the layout needs some major maintenance done.  I found a small kink in the newish track as well.  Lots of little things to do.  I will undoubtedly change out the couplers that came with set with Kadees as soon as I can.  lucky the train doesn't have to be operable Saturday.

Best push send as I have a lot more stuff to do for the Meet on Saturday.  I'll check back in an hour or so to see if this is posted yet.

Later!

73

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Helped my father with the RV again today. We got that twisted bolt out today. We just kept hauling on the wrench bit by bit until we got the nut past the messed up threads. Took the better part of two days to get that thing out. The one on the other side doesn't look to be banged up but we have yet to drop the jack on that side.

[blownout cylinder]

Attaboy

Blownout: I did a search on the PRR contraption you posted a while back.  It's called a Buckwalter Trackmobile.  PRR had a fleet of them to work dockside industries in Phila., Baltimore, and Jersey City.  Originally battery powered and later converted to gasoline engines.  They had rubber tires instead of flanged wheels.  Here's a link:

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?locomotive=Buckwalter%20trackmobile

Thanks for the link!!

That definitely had me puzzled.

Just like this site has me puzzled..it took almost 5 minutes to post again...

[blownout cylinder]

Curt:  ...I know but, hey, it does have an..erm...interesting look!! 

Good Evening..

It looks like it is going to be a ssslllloooooooooowwww night here...took a grand total of 6 minutes to post a comment in another thread here...I'm wondering if the server is not using a punch card system of the VAX/VMS variety now...

Ken: I'll have a look see what I have around here as well...

Today I did manage to find some more pieces to use to make up the bakery end of the plant...I'm really going to have to do some more hunting here for the other stuff...

Chloe, I'll have a coffee and a rib  dinner please..I'll be at the window booth for a bit...

[Curt Webb]

Evening All,

Flo could I have the blue plate special please.

Nothing going on here. I actually feel kind  of depressed right now. I have been staring at the photo of the entrance to my yard for about a hour and am not happy with it. I was messing around last night with flex track (overlaying it) and I now think that the 2 leads to the right are not going to work well (to sharp) which means instead of putting down flex track tomorrow I will be ripping up the roadbed and trying to redo those leads. Did I mention that I am not happy.

Ken- I hope you get your car fixed so you can enjoy it on the road.

Howmus-  Congrats on your little people. Can you post a picture of them in the passenger car to see what they look like?

Blownout- Contraption??? Come on.  Just Kidding. It actually reminds me of a really old version of what they use at the Panama Canal today.

I found a  photo of the last Diesel-Electric madeby Lima-Hamilton before the merger with Baldwin Loco Works. It is a PRR LT-2500 transfer loco. This model was  built 1950-1951 and only 22 were made.

Well I hope eveyone has a great evening. When I change the entrance to the yard I will post a picture. 

 

[cudaken]

 Afternoon fellow dinners.

 Flo, club sandwich, side salad and a please.

 Dodge Daytona Picked it up at the exhaust shop today, turned the key just went click. Tried again, click, and again, click. Got a jump and it fired up, drove to my repair shop and tested the battery. Bob tested the battery and after 2 pull test loads down to 215 amps so the battery is junk. But we are pretty sure the starter is dying as well!  It should have either went click, click, click or crank real slow if the battery was the only problem. Lets see $70.00 for a battery and another $150.00 for a starter. This will be the 4th starter in 6 years or so!

 Ulrich Train Front I was not going to talk about this in the dinner but with the site moving so slow this is the easiest to contact all that are helping with the project. I got the first round of need supplies from K-10 today. Two containers of turf and 2 tunnel portals. Had to order the clump foliage and it will be in next Thursday. I was all so pricing Kato N scale track and hope to pick up some next Thursday. 

 Ulrich, what kind of rolling stock are you looking to drag? I was looking at some Ice Bunker car but all where American Rail Roads.

 I hope to have shipping cost by Thursday as well now that I am getting a idea of what sizes box I will need.

 If anyone else want to help feel free to contact me by Conversation. Ulrich has been a good friend to many of us and could use some good luck for a change. Besides, moving the dinner is hard work!

 Personal Train Front While looking round K-10 well stocked shelf's, I did not single thing I wanted. Guess I just have to much stuff. Kind of sad, I use to look so forward to going to K-10 and had a hard time on deciding what to buy.   

 Well trains are running great and car started when I left K-10 so life is not that bad.

  See you all Friday after work.

              Ken

[howmus]

Afternoon folks!

Flo, just a cup of hot cocoa for me right now please.

The little people arrived..... The little people arrived..... The little people arrived.....!!!!!!!!  They are now all seated in the coaches awaiting their first trip on the SLOW.  While the roofs were off the cars, I have brought the weight up to NMRA RP (they were 1/2 oz. underweight), did a bit of painting some weights on the loco I never got around to do (helps to hide them), and finished up the Baggage car with dull coat (that I had to drive to Canandaigua to buy)....  Been a good day here so far!  Photos by the end of the weekend!

Sun has been out and shining most all day.  Several of the neighbors have started doing the early spring stuff in the yards.  One has removed a large limb from a maple tree in his yard.....  If the big chunks are still there tomorrow I may start the truck and get some firewood for next year....

Hope you all are having a great day!

The little people arrived.....!!!

73

[Attaboy]

Blownout: I did a search on the PRR contraption you posted a while back.  It's called a Buckwalter Trackmobile.  PRR had a fleet of them to work dockside industries in Phila., Baltimore, and Jersey City.  Originally battery powered and later converted to gasoline engines.  They had rubber tires instead of flanged wheels.  Here's a link:

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?locomotive=Buckwalter%20trackmobile

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 66° and mostly cloudy. The high will be 80° and mostly cloudy and breezy.

Yesterday I helped my father to get the busted leveling jack loose from the bottom of the RV. We're taking the entire rack (both rear jacks and mounting frame) out because the rack was damaged when the jack hit the road. Two mounting struts are bent and the bolts on one were sheared off. We had to stop for the day however because one of the main mounting bolts is bent in two places, the first ahead of the nut and the second place is behind the nut. Doesn't sound like much until you consider the bolt is an inch and a quarter in diameter. That's the threads, not the head. Now we have to figure out a way to get thing thing out of there. No room for a saw of any kind and any kind of cutting torch is totally out of the question. I don't know if we can get bolt cutters under there or not. Went to Walgreen's this morning to get some Wal-Tussen medicine for cough and chest congestion. Took some a hour ago and it seems to be working. Drove back home at 68 mph to give the vans engine a good run. Not too difficult with a three speed tranny. Only thing is it uses quite a bit more gas when it's running that high. Used a bit over an eighth of a tank but it sounds like it's running a bit better. Good thing I have $$$ for some extra gas this month. I also got a pair of clip-on sun-glass lenses for my glasses. I just eye-balled them on the shelf and they looked to be the exact size of the lenses of my glasses. Gave them a try and they're a perfect fit. They expand in the middle allowing the clips to catch on to the edges my glasses. Tomorrow I have to go into town again for a foot doc appointment.

[Cox 47]

Good Morning All...Its sunny and in the low 50's here..I'll have coffee and a sweet roll please..Gonna slip over in the corner and see who all drops in..

You all have a good one...Jerry

[TMarsh]

Heartland Division CB&Q

   we'll have to razz Todd for being  nit picker. 

   

Oh...my...gosh! I've been infected. I must spend more time on my railroad so I can get out of this accuracy rut!

Problem is, IMHO,  too many loopholes,but filling some of these may cause someone who actually needs assistance to be denied.  Catch 22

You may sit down Vinnie, my way long explanation of my thoughts and examples luckily were rethought as the wrong place to post it and deleted BEFORE I clicked the Post button.

You're welcome

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe I'll have the....  Ooooo  Fresh Donuts!!!  Hmm.  I'll have a couple of the Bavarian Creme Filled ones and a cup of dark roast coffee to wash them down.

Looks like nice day has finally arrived here in the Finger Lakes.  Currently 42°F with a high of 50°F with lots of something they call "sunshine". 

Ulrich, I too am waiting for a package in the mail.  I would like to put a bunch of 1/78.1 people in the coaches before I put the roof back on....  Will probably arrive Saturday while I am at the NMRA Meet where the cars will be entered in a Popular Choice contest. I was dull coating the last car (baggage) last night and ran out of dullcoat with one side left to do.  Knew I was going to be close...  Grrrrr!   My LHS is out of it, so i will probably be taking a trip to Canandaigua to the Michaels Store this afternoon. 

I need to get my ears lowered today and get allergy shots.  Mapble twees are ind blossomb...  Sniff, cough.....  I best get a move on!

Later!

73

[Anonymous]

Good Afternoon,

Janie, mug of coffee and a slice of that pecan pie Barry had lately, please. What? he ate it all? And no more pies left? Aw, shucks! How about some cream cake, then?

Curt - what a great picture. I really like the looks of those old boxcab units. Unfortunately, you don´t see any locos from the early days of electric traction on our rails anymore.

I am a little disappointed that the track did not come today. It is really not much, just a few short sections, but I need them dearly. Module length is 310 mm with a track length of 312 mm. At each end there is that extra 1 mm of track sticking out - just to be able to disassemble the layout again. I have a few pieces of 248 mm track sections and I have ordered a few pieces of those 64 mm sections I need. Without them, i can´t start to lay the track on the straight modules. Shipment was supposed to go out on the 4th. I hope they´ll show up for the weekend.

Have a safe day!

[Curt Webb]

Morning All.

Flo I would love a coffee please.

Not much happening here. High today is supposed to be 85 with lots of sun. I am w**king today so no modeling for me. I did order online the 2 power supplies that I needed (wanted).

I was talking to our club DCC guy and a friend about one section of my yard that may need to be electrically isolated. He tried to tell me how to check it but it went right over my head. So I will draw it out and take it into the club and have him show me on the diagram what I need to do. I am a electrical dummy. I wanted to start layiing flex track there because most of it is straight, but I will start on the mains.

Steven- Good luck on the house.

Jeff- It is really neat that people here would help others. You don't see a lot of this anymore.

I will finish with a PRR P-5. I love the look of the box electrics.

Everyone take care.

 

[blownout cylinder]

Garry: Everyone take care on those journeys..

Our gas prices around here are averaging  $1.29 anymore...yesterday it was 1.31...I can hardly wait to see what the summer will bring..

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good Morning.

I'll have some Tim Horton's coffee with 2 TH original donuts, please. Thanks, Barry

Barry ,,,, That's a neat photo.  we'll have to razz Todd for being  nit picker. 

Johnboy and Todd...... You had to mention fuel prices, eh. Hmmmm. To me it makes more sense to conserve fuel with fewer miles than with low mpg'.s ... Todd, unfortunately, politicians have spent too many years looking out for everybody, but the common, working, middle class families..... Instead, politicians look out for freeloaders, goof offs, drug addicts, atheists, radicals, and so on. Such people dilute limited funds available for valid harship cases. Now, people of Main Street are hunkered down especially in the past two years...'nuff said. 

Ulrich .... I'm very glad to hear about progress on your model railroad. I hope everything keeps improving for you. 

Rob ... I forget where you said you lived in northern Georgia. Are you close to Chattanooga, TN? Are you west of I-75? I may consider diverting my route to or from Alabama.

The forum will have to be re-named "The Night Crawler" if it keeps slowing down every night.

I'm pleased with my latest scene on the layout. I still have some wiring problems to correc, and there is much more constructing ahead. 

We're leaving tomorrow for Nashville, TN. We'll see Shelley's family there. Then, she flies to Detroit, and I drive to Alabama. I'll help my Mom with stuff as she still has many problems. 

 

 

[cudaken]

 Morning Fellow Dinners.

 Flo, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and a glass of OJ.

 Well the day is starting out pretty but we may get thunderstorms later today. Not a lot planned, pick up the Daytona, gas for lawn mower and run to K-10 Trains to pick up some supplies.

 Guess I should take Tod's led and clean up the train room / garage my self. I it is a mess again.  Plus I should work on the patio and yard today. May be busier than I plan.

       Ken

[blownout cylinder]

Barry- I’m a thinking they are referring to the year that Horton’s opened in that location and not the year the photo was taken? The uh, years of the cars would otherwise put it’s accuracy in question. By about 10 years.

You guessed right..The photo was supposedly taken around their 10th anniversary....

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! Coffee and a couple glazed donuts please. Oo! I’ll take that custard filled chocolate covered one too thank you.

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 64.

Johnboy- I agree. (even more to the pre edited version ) It is no different here. What is really upsetting is most people here are buckling down and spending less, watching their nickels, doing without and driving far less than they would normally to make the paycheck match the month. While there are others who act and behave as if all is cheap and good. Driving around just to be driving around and buying the best steaks while I stand behind them with my bargain bologna. Holding a phone to their ear that costs as much as my truck. Kicker is I’m working to pay my bills AND that government card they proudly display as they “pay” for their things. NOW I find out they can get a certain percentage of the cards in cash for spending money! In addition to the housing and the other relief incomes they get spending money? And I’m speaking of course, about the ones who do NOT legitimately need the service.

You know here's a thought. Maybe, just maaaaybe. If the freeloaders would get jobs, or the government could cull the herd so that people who do not need the services, there would be more money to go around for those who do. Just a thought. Of course my generation thought we;d be living on the moon by now too. Crazy group. 

Barry- I’m a thinking they are referring to the year that Horton’s opened in that location and not the year the photo was taken? The uh, years of the cars would otherwise put it’s accuracy in question. By about 10 years.

Well, yesterday…., What?  Anyway, yesterday I did not get much modeling done. Or rather I should say not much playtime. I did not get outside work done or even started. I was busy most all day trying to clean up the train room, but I have no place to put some of the stuff at least until the all town cleanup at the end of the month. I also need to run the wall the rest of the way to the end of the room along the foundation wall. One of the original rooms, the actual layout/junk room, I only stud walled on three walls. Now that I have removed the dividing wall, the thing needs run to the south wall. That room also was not dry walled either so… I could start putting the studs up for the wall. (Does anyone else think there's an aweful lot of "walls" used in this paragraph?) That would use some stuff, but require a temp location for the piles of stuff that is setting there. Ah a vicious circle. “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when at first we practice to keep all we see”.

I did do some model work though. I found a couple kits in my closet that I have not started. A 1968 Roadrunner and a Dodge Li’l Red Express Truck. Started on them. I found many of my automotive color paints have dried up. Hemi orange, and Chrysler engine turquoise the first two and the first colors I needed. Guess back in the box and next time I'm at Hammer's Hobbies or Hobby Lobby I'll have to get those. No sorry, not 1/87, a bit big for the layout at a whopping 1/25.

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

[blownout cylinder]

Steve: Good Luck on that one....

Good Morning...

It is now really foggy out..supposed to get sunny later on this morning..once the fog is burned off...

I've a few things need done today..as well as trip to LHS planned...hopefully find those pieces

Flo, I'll have a coffee for now please...I'll be at the window booth watching the morning unfold...

 

 

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

[Wisconsin Railfan]

Good Morning Folks!

Cup of coffee please.

Well, we maybe 1 step closer to finally being able to have a layout.  One of the houses we looked at maybe a keeper.  Waiting on the realtor to contact the seller.

Hope all is well!

Steven

[Anonymous]

Good Morning Gang,

I am running a little late today, after another sleepless night. I went to bed at my usual time, only to wake up an hour later. Could find any sleep until 5 am and then woke up at 9 am. So I did my Thursday grocery run in a hurry - just to be back in time for the post lady to deliver my order, but no, it has not yet arrived

Flo, we are somewhere in between breakfast and lunch, so it´ll be just a mug of coffee and a handful of cookies to munch on, please.

I did get out my Dremel tool to prepare the track for laying. You need to drill a tiny hole ( 0.9 mm) through the trackbed to nail the sections to the modules. Took me more than an hour to do that, as my left hand is still trembling too much from the series of mini strokes I had last year. I finally ended up holding the track section in a vise and then only using my right hand to drill the holes. Well, it worked, but it reminded me of the bad times I had last year.

Johnboy - I can only wholeheartedly agree to what you state. In the last 30 years, I worked my but(t) off and paid taxes like a maniac, only to find out that the allowance we get is only for a very basic life. Each trip has to be well considered, each purchase has to be considered a number of times. With gas running at $ 8.50 at the moment, there is no room for a joy ride.

Barry - just to make you jealous - we are having very nice weather, sunny with temps at a hovering 15°C. Considering that your neck of the woods is at 43°2`north and my place is 10° further north, we are happy to feel the effects of the gulf stream (for how long?).

That´s all for now - CUL!

 

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

Good Evening Gang,

Zoe, I'll have a Dr. P. and a plate of home fries.

Well. I think I have figured it out.     Kalmbach slows this forum down in the evenings so that we all get Pi--ed off and go back to the train room or the work bench as that gets more money for their advertisers than with us sitting here on the Puter.    What do you think????????

Well today gasoline has hit $1.23 a litre here, that is about $5.53 a gallon for you my Stateside friends.    So unless I really need it I have parked my 6L, 3/4 ton Crew Cab GMC and fired up my 1994 Geo, Metro GSI. that I bought years ago when my youngest son was in college in Red Deer, Ab.  That will be my go-fer for the rest of the year, well at least until November when the streets get ugly again.

It is  that you go through your life being a good tax paying citizen and then just when you can start to enjoy some more free time, they make everything so darn expensive that you become stuck in your rocker or if you are lucky scanning the Bay for a few items you can afford, used, to keep the RR. going.   It really takes the fun out of it. The body can't stand snowmobiling anymore, boating eats up far too much gas. and the repairs on everything makes them all money pits.

SORRY, I really got going on that, didn't I. ????

I guess I am lucky, I have the majority of my health and so does my wife. I have retired four times now, that does NOT mean I have four pensions though.  But I do still have a job at 70 1/2 years and for that reason I can still play with my trains.  YES, I am a fortunate man.

Speaking of the job, I have to go back to it in the morning, so I had better shut it down and get some shut-eye.

Wishing you all a big helping of improved health, wealth and the pursuit of whatever you are chasing.

Sleep well,  and if you can't sleep, count those box cars and covered hoppers going past that crossing just down the road from your place.        

Johnboy out.................................and shortly will be horizontal

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Curt Webb

The reason I want to power them is so I can plug in my throttle (DT402D) and possibly 2 other throttles (family members) and save the battery life in them. I will be installing 2 UP-5's and 1 UR-92. The command station is the Zephyr Xtra.

Sounds like a good setup. I have the old model Digitrax Zephyr that some forum members got together and bought for me some years ago. I still have no idea who they are. It had no return address and a note that simply said 'From several of your friends at the Diner.'. It even came with several DZ125 decoders which is my decoder of choice. It would have taken me a long time to get the system on my own. People on this forum help each other out when they can. Someday you may find a surprise in your mailbox. I've found quite a few and I've been known to send out a few of my own so others may enjoy them.

[Curt Webb]

Evening All,

Flo just a glass of ice water please.

Getting stuff together for w**k tomorrow. Went out and bought a new hobby knife (the one I had disapppeared and no one knows anything). Imagine that. I also bought a fine tip marker for knowing where to cut the rails on the flex track.

Ken- The reason I want to power them is so I can plug in my throttle (DT402D) and possibly 2 other throttles (family members) and save the battery life in them. I will be installing 2 UP-5's and 1 UR-92. The command station is the Zephyr Xtra.

Everyone have a good evening.

[cudaken]

 Evening Fellow Dinners

 Flow, just a beer please. I am BBQ some chicken tonight.

 Felt pretty crumby most of the day, napped most of the day and still feel tired. Just seems a little odd I feel better at work than at the house on my day off.

 Dropped of the Daytona to get the exhaust work done, and should have it back Thursday. Looks like the head pipe is going to cost me $100.00 and I am not going to have a muffler or tail pipe. Just the cat and the head pipe.  I have driven the car for years with no muffler, and it runs fine. Plus with it only being a 2.5 liter it is quieter than my HP cars with mufflers.

Curt Webb

Friday I need to order power supplies for 2 Digitrax UP-5's that I will be installing soon.

 Curt, I have 3 UP 5's and they work with out any power supply. Are you going to use them in inferred mode?

 Well Chicken is done and so am I. See you all Thursday.

                        Ken

[blownout cylinder]

Hello...

Well, it never got near 40F..stayed down around 32F all day today...and snowed..and rained...but in dribblebits...

Well( not so deep), I got most of the gotta dos done and so I now have a wee bit of time for my own. Heeheehee

I'm having to get a few things at the LHS tomorrow to complete a bakery that is being put together with an elevator attached to it...this oughta be fun...

Chloe, I'll have a coffee and a piece of Pecan pie please..I'll be at the RC for a bit...

[Cederstrand]

Coffee refill, please.

Some unpainted tunnel portals, bridge supports, etc... I ogt on the-bay recently arrived today. One broken, which seems typical regardless of where I buy from. Will glue it, no biggie.

Got the posthole digger attached to the tractor, ready to start work on the new fence along the road. Not looking forward to that work, but it needs to get done.

Rob