Elliot´s Trackside Diner May 2011 - Welcome Aboard, Everybody!

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

[CNCharlie]

Good Evening,

A soggy day here in Winnipeg and not too warm either with a temp of about 60F.  Didn't do much except go out to eat at a nice restaurant as guests of friends. Despite the weather we had a very pleasant afternoon.

I did run trains a bit today. It was the last day for CP on the Mortimer sub so the RS3 and S3 are now on the shelf.  I backed the CN Mountain out of the engine shed up to the coal dock to get ready to haul a high speed express:  reefers, baggage and RPO.  That will be to tomorrow's fun.

As it will be too wet to do much outside I plan on finally getting at a painting job I've been putting off for over a year.

See you tomorrow,

CN Charlie

[Curt Webb]

Evening All,

Just got back from the train club. We did Operations tonight so I really enjoyed it. I went in early and made up my cables to daisy chain my UP-5's and UR-92. I also used a spare club DPDT and Tortoise  soldered everything together then hooked it up to a pwr supply and VIOLA it actually worked. The club president told me to take everything home as a sample to follow. Lee thanks for your insight and picture, it helped tremendously. 

Ulrich- I am glad your Mom is doing better and I am glad you will soon be home

Jeff- Like the Byrds used to sing...Turn, Turn,Turn.

Well I am tired so I will see you tomorrow.

[cudaken]

 Evening fellow survivors!

 Flo, a Death and Destruction Special, a Here After Salad and Please!

 Work Front Well if the world would have ended today, I would went out with a good one! Ended the day with a solid $3500.00 and a 64.6% Margin! Now, if we are here Sunday and I have another $3,000.00 day there is a remote chances I will make commission for next month!

 Had a meeting in St Louis today. Boy I am ill equip theses day to get up at 5:45 AM and drive to St Louis for a 7:00 AM meeting, then work till 7:00 PM. 

 Simon Glad to see you drop by the dinner again! Hope your team kicks caboose this year!

 I was going to respond ti a few other posting, but I am to darn tired to remember to who.

 Ulrich Hope you get home soon, and have some good Petra cooked food and get to play with your packages! That did not come out right, but you know what I mean.

                Ken   

[JimRCGMO]

Good Afternoon (well, maybe Evening), Flo - I'll have the roast beef with mashed potatoes and some of that fresh asparagus, and the half a peach, please. Oh, and a glass of your Finger Lakes wine. (and I'll have a Santa Fe mug of coffee when it gets to time for dessert) Thanks!

Besides, I heard Garry was getting ready to send the bloodhounds out for me (and a few other Diners). Didn't want him to have to 'hound' me..

Welp, guess the predictions of The End were a bit off on the calculations, since I'm still here. I saw that Mayor Bloomberg had a Top 5 list related to TEOTW (The End Of The World). Got a chuckle or two out of THAT...

Jerry, good to see your pic of the layout, especially since you're not in here very often (like me...). That looks like a thriving metropolis there! Good to see your derrick photo, too.

Ulrich, sorry to hear about your mother's recent health problem, but good that she is doing better. It's great (for her and for your father) that YOU are able and (ahem, cough, cough..) willing to help them out. As for (no offense to her) Petra's thoughts about you, mein freund, I thought about all wives thought their husbands were crazy...?

Sir Madog

I will be home on Monday!!! Oh joy, oh rapture!

Curt, I'd agree with what Todd said - post away, indeed! (And [ditto] about Jeff and the other regular posters of pics in here (who post way more often than I ever do). Nice photo of that Pennsy diesel, also. I am impressed with how far along you are with your layout - I remember when you were first starting to figure out the tracks (I'm not thinking of the wrong person's layout, am I?)

Galaxy, keep on checking out those houses, and one will surely turn up (in time) for you and your OH. Keeping your hunt on my list.

Simon - IMPRESSIVE layout they have there! And thanks for posting those! On THAT one house with the foundation PROBLEMS, I'd say 'all of the above' that Jeff mentioned...

Jeff, maybe you could PM Andy S. about that spell-checker thing? And about THAT Museum of Sci. & Industry layout that Simon showed us - how'd you like to be on their 'layout dusting' committee? (Think I'll quit griping about having to dust my little layout!) As for Curt's enginehouse, I think it is the Cornerstone, but I also think they copied from the Pola version (which I have). The Pola version has the squarish covers instead of the straight pipes that the Cornerstone one has. Hey, and kudos for the 'rust' job on that gondola - did you use chalks or something else? (Never mind, you already answered)

Ray - I think your lawn's 'progress' and growth has something to do with Mr. Murphy, but I could be wrong... Maybe you could rent a Bush Hog to get the yard done?

Ken, I think Mr. Murphy's been squatting on your DB150 (and maybe a few throttles?). Hope Digitrax gets things straightened out (or just replaces them with new ones). Ah, I see Simon found it for you.

CN Charlie, sorry to hear of Colin's cancer. He has a very impressive layout (even 'unfinished'), and thanks for posting the link. His article was a very good read as well as 'twas great to see the photos of his layout. Is he close enough for you to get a visit in with him?

OzJim, I guessed that 'arvo' was afternoon (but looked it up to check...). Hope you get/got some w**k done on your layout this weekend.

Lee, your 'How to FInd it" theory makes sense to me, as I've had just that happen. Now, if I could just use that to find that gluing jig of mine... Only thing I haven't (so far) tried is to go through every MRR box (maybe just every box...) in my apartment. It's not in the tubs or other places where my other tools are, and I need it for a small church I want to build. (Oh, and check your email...)

Johnboy, that's an interesting piece of history. Were the dummies somewhere close by your area (the RR kind, that is)?

Larry (Brakie) - you're one of the few retired guys I know of, who isn't busier now than they ever were when they had a job to keep their weekdays busy. Hope you get more luck on your railfanning next time.

Todd, I can understand how you mistook the Museum's layout for yours, except that the Museum's layout looks pretty much finished (unlike yours or mine...). Your International Buffet sounds, uh, interesting... Pizza and oriental food, eh?

Ooh! Ooh! (Waving his hand wildly in the air) I know, I know, Jeff!! It's a CLEAN diesel!

Garry, I hear you about the 'fun' of electronics (which were supposed to be there to help us, right?) misbehaving. Ain't it grand? (NOT!) Hope the dealer gets it w**king correctly without major waiting-for-replacement stuff.

Being encouraged by everyone else's photo-posting of progress in here, I'll post a few of some progress on some buildings I've been w**king on over the past week or so. First off would be my 'background' factory, which I (in honor of Wiley E.) have decided to dub "Acme Manufacturing Co.":

It's hard to see, but there is a (small) roof on the top (the building is less than 2 inches deep). I have measured, and there is room enough in front of the loading doors for a small dock (possibly half-inch/centimeter). Still debating about an awning over the dock.

I also (FINALLY) got all five walls of the 'town jail' glued together and except for the roof and windows material, am about done with it:

And here is my version of Main St. Mercantile (one of the DPM/W-S 'Pre-Fab' kits):

Yeah, I noticed that in the 2nd pic, the bottom half of the drainspout is missing (I *did* glue it on, I know I did), so when I get home, I'll have to check the building and see if it just wasn't on and I took the picture before gluing the bottom half on, or if it fell off somewhere. (Todd, what was that theory of yours again?...) I tried masking off the window frame areas before I spray-painted the 'bricks', but have some window trim painting to do yet. The kit comes with some signs, but I'm thinking of putting some other businesses in some of the store areas than what W-S/DPM chose (no, won't be using "O'Neal & Prey, Attorneys at Law", though I might go with "Dewey, Cheathem & Howe"...). I'll be repurposing some of the details (the two bicycles and the (cigar-store type) native American figure which they had for "Chief's Books". I've always associated those mannikins/figures with tobacconist's places (where I have seen one, years ago). (Wonder how that came to be the figure they used, anyways? Maybe because the native Americans were the first to develop the idea of smoking tobacco. Or some other reason...)

Anywho, that's some of my structure-building progress so far. Hope to get the roof on the town jail, and find the bottom half of THAT Main St. Merc building (don't want a wet basement, y'know...) (Well, one of those kinds of buildings would have a full basement, unlike the jail, which looks like it only has a half-basement or so, where the furnace would be)

Hope everyone else gets their yards mowed (or bush-hogged, as the case may be) and some MRR'ing time in the rest of this weekend.

 

Blessings and prayers,

Jim in Cape Girardeau (yep, we're still here)

[mononguy63]

Packer

Jim, I have a crack in one of the upstairs walls in my house. SHould I be worried about it?

I don't know, but if you want to fly me from Indiana down to Florida, I'd be glad to take a look at it!

Jim

[mononguy63]

Jeffrey, your pics are making my head spin!

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Howdy ...

I'll have the "World-Did-Not-End" Special with an RBF.

On the non-model railroad front, I'm done removing logs, branches, and junk from the grass. 

Also, my friend and I spent a lot of time trying to start Shelley's car. The blankety-blank anti-theft system has decided to disable the car.  It just won't start. Also, the key gets stuck in the switch. I had to crawl under the column and use a screwdriver to free it every time that happened. The car will have to be towed to the dealer to correct the problem. The car is in great condition mechanically, but this is electronic stuff. Irritating. 

So, not much to report on the layout. 

Jeff ... I see what you are talking about in the picture. I'll let somebody else post what it is.

Barry .. Where are you/

JimCG .. Are you still busy?

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

There's only one thing different in these photos and it doesn't take a sharp eye to find it. Once you see it you'll wonder how you never noticed it before.

[TMarsh]

Hello? Heh-LOW-oh... Hm. Maybe it was 7. Nope, nothing on the news. Looks like we'll be going to Nebo after all. Do you think the guys that quit their jobs to drive around in motor homes to advertise the event are feeling a bit....upset? I wonder if he comes up with a different date later (even I saw flaws and irregularities in his reasoning reading what very little I did.) will people still believe him. I doubt God moved mens hands and altered their thoughts to create the Bible as one big puzzle book. Me thinks he watched too many DaVinci Codes and National Treasures.   No one knows the hour or the time. (thunder clap) 

Brenda decided our last day on Earth should be spent acquiring other peoples junk. Sherman had their all town garage sale. Luckily most people were closed up by the time we got there. New items...none. After stopping at a few stragglers, we decided to have our last meal at her favovorite place, the International Buffet. A Chinese buffet with a frozen pizza and tub of macaroni and cheese, hence the "International" part. Came home watced some TV then decided I'd lay down and spend my last hour and a half asleep.

Now I'm up and the new world is before me, sun shining looking much like where I left off in the old by the way, and I think I'll start off with a trip to the train room. Yup, I have a trailer that needs some continuing work among other things.

TTFN  

  

 

[howmus]

Afternoon folks!

Flo I'll have the hot chicken sandwich, side of fresh asparagus, and a trip to the salad bar.  Oh and a tall glass of iced Tea please.  No, no unsweetened please....  Thanks!

Hmmm.....  everyone around here appears to be accounted for......  Oh except the guy across the street hasn't been around for a few days now....  Actually I am worried about the guy.  His girlfriend has been walking his dog several times a day for the last few days, and today some guy stopped in and mowed his lawn.   NOBODY touches this guy's lawn!  NOBODY!  I did see an ambulance going down the street a couple of days ago...  Do hope he is OK.

Speaking of lawns.....  Spent part of the day trying to finish mine.  Have one strip left which I will get part of done right around sunset tonight.  The rest will be tackled after i get home from the Museum tomorrow.... rain or shine.  I can't believe how much it grew in a weeks time!  It is 7 inches tall now and very slow going with the mower I have.  Mow down and back (about 80') and have to empty the grass catcher.  On Monday I will set the height down a notch and start mowing again!  So much for any time in the train room.  Did a bit of house cleaning as well today, and have almost finished assembling the NMRA Newsletter THAT needs to be mailed out by last Thursday.  Did a bit of laundry today so I just might have some clothes to wear to the Museum tomorrow.

Tuesday I have an appointment with a Nurse Practitioner to learn what I already know.  How to do a blood sugar reading....  Fun and games!

Hope you are having a great day!

73

[Cederstrand]

Well, since the end of the world didn't come, I'll have a coffee in a UNION PACIFIC mug, please.

Hope y'all are having a great day.

Cheers! Rob

[james saunders]

Well the world hasn't started self destructing yet, so I might have some breakfast as a treat please.

 

Started forming some more scenery last night, and will be working on some more today. Hopefully will have a fair portion of it formed and painted ready for scenery. 

Will post some pictures later tonight.

 

Cheers,

Ozjim

[jeffrey-wimberly]

LSWrr

Jeff I sent you an email.

I sent you one back.

[LSWrr]

Well I missed my big opportunity, next time the world is going to end I’m posting an add:  All that believe the end is near please feel free to drop off your sports cars, flat screen computers, and any other valuable worldly possessions at my house…

Jeff I sent you an email.

Ulrich I’m glad things have turned for the better, and Jeff I’m glad you got some rain.  We have had rain 8 days straight with one day of sun then 8 days of rain.  Today is our one day and then the forecast is 8 days of rain and thunderstorms.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Sir Madog

Me again,

I just want to say thank you for all the support you give in these bad times. If it weren´t for you, I´d probably turn insane (Petra thinks I am already). Taking care of elderly people is not an easy task and it takes the rest of my energy to overlook the selfishness which my Dad shows, but he is my Dad and I am happy that I still have both of my parents.

Amen to that. I'm glad to hear your parents are doing better. I look after my mother on the weekends when my father has to work (he can't take some time off?) so I have to give up my time to see that she has everything she needs. She has an assistant who comes in on the weekdays.

Well I'm back home now where it's a nice and comfortable seventy degrees. I got the couplers on the GP7's and two covered hoppers changed out so I at least got something accomplished.

[Anonymous]

Good Evening Gang,

we are past the end of the world already, so this must be my ghost posting here

An uneventful day today - and that´s good! My Mom made a step-up improvement and there is only little doubt that she won´t be transfered to the convalescence center on Monday. We will be seeing here tomorrow.

I will be home on Monday!!! Oh joy, oh rapture!

Flo, bring the guys whatever poison the want to have, I´ll settle for a , please. Yes, aI do pay cash this time, in real money, no Greek Euros!

Curt - I just love those PRr K-4´s! Wish I could get my hand on an old Bowser kit. Would not have a place to run it though.

Well, that´s all for today - tomorrow´s gouing to be busy, packaing my Dad´s gear.

CU tomorrow and have a good one!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 70°, cloudy and very wet. The high will be 90° and there's a 50% chance of rain before 4 pm, below 10% afterward.

It's VERY wet here. Guess somebody took pity on us here and blew some rain our way. Not a drop all day yesterday then at three this morning the bottom dropped out. We go two and a half inches between three and eight this morning. That should get the grass growing! I'll probably have to cut it Tuesday or Wednesday. Today I'm at my parents place on a computer that makes mine look like a blazing flash. I mean, to me this thing is slower than the postal service if that's possible. It says on the front that it has a Celeron D processor but I think that's incorrect. If memory serves it has a bargain basement dual-core AMD processor. I'll have the open it up sometime and look. For now it's enough that it works. I brought a couple of movies to watch later and I also brought two locos and some freight cars that need the couplers changed out. So I made sure to bring the couplers and the tools I'll need to do the job. The locos are Bachmann GP7's so a small screwdriver set should be sufficient though a nutcracker might work better. I also have a Walthers sale flyer to look at. Only thing I don't have is my ac. It's damp and humid in this big house.

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! Coffee and some toast with peanut butter and blackberry jam please. Thank you.

A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81.

Yesterday was uneventful but busy and lacking in MRR activity. Hopefully today.

Garry- Uh, er, did I say it was my layout? Sorry sometimes I confuse reality with dreams. $4 million . Wow!

Simon- Have no idea about soccer, but I know what you mean about supporting lowly teams and the excitement when something monumental is about to happen. Ranger fan here, since shortly after they became Rangers. Good luck to them.

Don’t know what I’ll end up doing for the next oh, say, 7 hours until the end of the world. I would spend it in the basement playing with my trains, but I’d hate to have the world explode with a messy yard. I see Ray feels the same. Fortunately my grass is mowed and if it does rain and right now it looks as if it could, not much to do outside. Could sit down and figure out who I want my stuff to go to, but that'd be a waste of time. We could go to town and do some grocery shopping, the dog needs another bag of feed too, but it seems a waste to stock up on groceries. Not like we’ll need em to ride out the end of the world if the power goes out or need them in the afterlife. I don’t suppose anyway….. maybe we do. Brenda’s was gonna make a rhubarb cobbler for tomorrow’s visit to my Aunts. It’s a shame too, we haven’t seen her since mid January and she was looking forward to seeing us. Maybe she’ll make it anyway and I’ll grab it out of the fridge a bit before six and hold on to it. That way after the end of the world, if I happen to see her in line at the Pearly Gates, we’ll have something to snack on while we wait for our turn. Oh and don’t want to forget to put Missy’s leash on her too. Don’t want her running loose through time and space. Brenda better get the Oinkies, Missy will want something to snack on too.

I wonder if he carried the 2.

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

[BRAKIE]

Good Morning All!

Not much to report from the land of Buckeyes on this beautiful Saturday morning other then I went on my walk and took my rest in my normal "resting spot" and saw 2 trains in 2 hours..Called it "red dead"* and headed home.However,while resting I thought how much Saturday use to mean to me(of course none of this applies to my 9 1/2 years of railroading) with a trip to the hobby shop,a railfan trip,a family outing or perhaps a morning of fishing..Now since retirement Saturday has lost its glamour since its like any other day of the week and there's no gathering of the faithful at either LHS..

I shall have a cup and look over the forum.

Have a good'un!

* "Red Dead" is when you spend more time looking at red signals then passing trains.

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe I'll have a Breakfast Bagel w/ cheese and a cup of dark roast coffee this morning.

There is a big bright thing up in the sky out there at the moment.......!!! 

Better finish the lawn while I can!  Never know when the end of the world could show up...

Later!

73

[Curt Webb]

Morning All,

Not much happening here. MOH is getting her sewing machine fixed and will be gone most the day, my son is at  some sort of laser combat thing all day, So.....I think it is off to the train club for me. I'm going to fix up my 6 wire cabeling there today (they have the tool) so I can use my UP-5'sand UR-92. This will give me some flexibility with turnout issues until I can get the switch machines fixed. 

Simon- I don't follow soccer but good luck with your dream  

Two K4s at engine servicing

Everyone have a good day  

[simon1966]

Morning all.  It is just after 8am here in Illinois and I am sitting at my PC as nervous as I have been in years awaiting the kick off of a football (soccer) game in England that will be utterly irrelevant to 99.9% of folks that follow this forum.   Yep, it it the Blue Square Premier promotion playoff final!  This game will determine if the soccer team that I have supported all my life will make it back into the ranks of the English football league.  Lowly Luton Town, a 125 year old soccer club from just north of London.  supported by my father, my grand-father and now me since the 1930's.  This is  no Manchester United, or Liverpool, but a fan can live the dream that one day it might happen.  Today it starts! 

[galaxy]

Good morning Wetidler! Did you "tidle" today? {sorry couldn't resist}

Good mornign all!

Going to look at a house large on a slab. Has a garage that might could be enclosed for the hobby. The couple is too old to take care of now, adn will need a new roof SOON! THe roof is 36 y/o! back then they didn't have "40 yr architechtural shingles"!!!

Well, as Ricky Ricardo would say "DUNT" know what else we do today. A nice house came onthe market aobut $27K over our range...estate house and family probably wants the whole lisitng price. They are, after all, according to the listing, still "visiting" the the VACANT house!!! So they must ba attached to it!!

well, I will talk to you later.

Jeffrey- a rain drop feels WET on you when it hits you. It is general just a round ameaba like shaped droplet of h2o, sometiems represented as a "tear drop shape". It goes SPLAT on your windshield requiring one to use something called "windshield wipers". It also will fall onthe tim roof you have making a generally reffered to as a  "PinG" sound and may leak into any areas not seal up against it,causing problems majorly. THAT is what a "rain drop" is!!!

TTYALL8R

 

[LSWrr]

Vincent, I beg to argue with that.  All my castings have come out very detailed.  You would need to use resin to cast the cars as the fine trim lines would break off if they were cast in plaster. The tires and mirrors would need to be cast separately.

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

[cudaken]

 Evening Fellow Dinners. (in a bah tone)

 Flo, Beers, lots of beers!

 Work Front Pretty disappointed today. Been waiting for my small commission check, and it a little late. Called on of the other guys to see if they got there. They had, but it was short $500.00 and he called to find out why. April had 5 Fridays, so base for that month was $2500.00 and not the normal $2000.00 we have to cover. I only made a commission of $2387.36 last moth and did not cover my draw after all.

 What really sucks is I was counting on it, and over spent just a tad. Bought a Fried Chicken Dinner Thursday for $11.00 I would not have if I had known. Plus while I was at K-10 Model Trains, I bought a decoder and a Covered Hopper I been wanting for 3 months. I will have to ask Ken (the owner) for a refund next week so I have gas money. 

 Talk about rubbing salt in to a wound To top it all off, seems the company has over hired? Shaun (covers my day's off) will now be working with me ever Saturday. Just called me Screwed, Blue and Tattooed.  Only thing good, is if it is slow, I have someone to talk to. Saturdays days are my biggest days, but I have the smallest store in the company. So if I lose half my sales to Shaun, I can pretty much forget about making any commission. 

 Ray While I really don't think resitting the DB 150 will help, I am hoping.

 Simon Thank you for the link! Latter when I am not in such a depressed mood, I will take a look.

 Galaxy If I had it to do all over again, I would have not bought the Digitrax Super Empire Builder. While I like what the SEB can do, right now I not happy. Heck, way I feel right now I would have stayed DC.

 Few more power blocks and MRC 9500's I been set! When it is all sorted out, I will be sing a different tune.

 Ulrich Have not heard from you, is everything OK?

         Ken, moaning again

[Packer]

Afternoon guys

Been playing with the trains a lot more now that I don't have to go to college full time (none of the classes I needed were offered this summer). Weathered a few more cars since the SP box and BN caboose. If you check out the WPF thread, let me know what you think.

Been trying to find some of the old busch 79-84 mustangs. Haven't found any, but concor has made them and I've found a few 3 packs. I went to an Ops session last night. Two of the guys there were talking about casting, so I asked about casting automobiles for open autoracks. One said you won't get the detailm and said something about the Fresh Cherries and Model Power cars since they aren't as expensive as some of the others (the Malibu International cars are gone from US walmarts ). I metnioned that even at $3 a car, it would cost $30 to fill a bilevel and $45-54 to fill a tri-level, and the detailed cars wouldn't be as noticable on the racks since the train would be moving and the attention would likey go to the rack instead of the cars. On top of that most of the MP and Malibu cars are too old in my era to be on racks. I then mentioned the old and kind of lousy life-like Ford Pick-up and Chevy hatchback that would be appropriate for autoracks in my era. One of them said he had a walmart bag full of them he was giving away, so he said he'd let me have them, if he remembers on Sunday (another ops session). Hope he remembers.

Jeff, What's the gas meter saying for the GP38-2? I've seen a prototype picture of a Conrail GP40-2 or GP38-2 next to a gas station.

Curt, Progress looks good

Jim, I have a crack in one of the upstairs walls in my house. SHould I be worried about it?

[Cederstrand]

Quick break from multi-tasking: watering running in garden, water filling horse trough, roofing, and remaining upright, except while typing this post.

***Curt, that is a very cool layout you've got going there.

I know it's late, but give me a coffee TO GO, please.

Back to work... Rob

[Curt Webb]

Evening All,

Flo I would like a ice cold please, what the heck for everyone on me.

Well it was hot and dry today. Hurricane season starts in 12 days. I have a bad feeling, we have had nothing the last 3 or 4 years. I put in the last 5 ground throws in the yard so that job is done. The next job is  the Tortoise's.

Rob- It's OK with me if you run trains all day until the end of the world Saturday.

Johnboy- That was a  interesting bit of history. Thank you.

Ken- I sent you a message. 

Double headed K4s loading passengers at the Attica OH station  

K4s 3750 taking on water and sand at Wyers OH