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

[cudaken]

 Flo, beer pleases!

 Hello Fellow Dinners!

 OK John Boy, you owe me! Watched the link you posted and it was great! Down side was I had cut down some trees in the backyard and no longer feel like dragging them out! I will send you my address so you can drag them out! Funny how the world seems better in black and white?

 Packer The term Fogger is not a term used for NO2, it more used for systems that use more than 2 lines. If you saw the picture No2 and Gas each had eight lines, not one of each like most systems have.

 OK older small block Blue Oval engines will take more power.

 Todd is all so right about how strong the BB Mopar engines are, they are stronger the the BB Bow Tie Competition. If you blow up a Mopar Big Block you just about have to be a idiot! ( sure hope Todd never launched one! ) 

 K-10 Model Trains Made it over there today and they only had 2 of the 4 turnouts I needed. Hope the other 2 will be next week.

 See you all Friday before I go to work, unless I am dragging trees out of the back yard! Thanks John Boy!

     Ken

[howmus]

Afternoon Folks!

Just a Dr. Pepper for me right now.... to go along with the hot roast chicken sandwich, broiled asparagus, and a trip to the salad bar....

I am still getting new reservations for the Scholarship Dinner...  Called in the numbers earlier today with some extras added.  They should sell as well.  It is large enough this year to get the large, new Dining room upstairs at the dining services at Hobart and William Smith Colleges here in Geneva.  This gives us a lot more room and has built in large screen(s) for showing a slide show of our activities and much easier for registration, etc.  Got a good chunk of the 6 page program roughed out, and a few other needed items done....  We may make it by the deadline after all!  Currently doing some laundry.  As I walked through the train room I checked....  It is still there.

Best to all!

73

[TMarsh]

Iced Tea please. What? Oh yes, of course sweet. Do you make it any other way? Oh. Thanks.

Lee who? Oh, Chicago. Yep I know Lee. Great guy. Sounds like if you had done your job RIGHT, you’d like him too.

Well I’ve got the front yard and the ditches mowed at Mom’s. Used the push mower. I got out there and realized I’m just walking behind the mower and I needed the exercise. Only have the back yard and around the sheds to do yet. Another couple hours and I’ll be ready to mow my own. PLUS I didn’t use near the fuel I expected. HAH! Try that on for size Mr Speculators who are ease dropping. Or is it Eaves dropping. Never really knew.

Jeff- Looks like the guy who cleans up after the trees at Ezra’s is the same guy who cleans up under the trees at my Mom’s house.

Curt- Me? Think something out? Not I. Good luck with the wiring adventure.

Johnboy- I don’t have 22 minutes right now, but I will later.

Ulrich- The beauty of being a United Statsian is the Constitutional right to complain if we got hung with a new rope.

Vincent-  Ah don't sweat it too much. (this oughta get the Fordy's and Chevy's going) Ken,and I, deal with big block Chryslers mainly. They have a drop bottom block which makes them inherantly stronger due to the massive webbing cast in. Cross bolting is easily done because the material is already there, but usually isn't done until you approach, or excede 700HP. Some run 900 with out doing it.  One study years ago (here we go again...) stated that to cross bolt a 440 block actually made it weaker due to the loss of material in the journal cap. Truth? Who knows. All I do know is it takes a LOT to blow the bottom out of one.

Best put something in my tum tum prior to work.

[Packer]

Hey guys

Put together one of my C425s last night. I ran it and it ran pretty good (not as well as most would probably expect a Kato to; closer to an early P2K geep) and considering I've sunk less than 40 into the loco (10 for the loco, 10 for a newer shell, about 13 for a decoder) It's probably one of my better ideas. Now to figure out the wiring on the BLI RSD-15s with QSI (found a sound decoder from one, it's the same motor)

Ken,  Being one of the "yuppies" I've never heard the "older" term for nitrous. But I know what a dual-quad is, weird I guess. As for the ford 302 it's 500, not 400 unless it is preceeding 500 . From what I've read, that applies to the later (and most common) block castings from the 80s and on. The original 289, the mexican-made 302 blocks, and the boss blocks are stronger. I read a magazine article where someone took a 289 block and bored it to a 331. With all the modifications (I think a girdle and supports were use) he got around 540 without juice. With juice it was closer to 750

Gas, I've been buying my gas recently from a small locally-owned gas station. There is no ethanol in the gas, but it cost a bit more (It was 4.25 or so for regular and 4.50 for premium). However I'm picking up 2-4 mpgs, and the price doesn't change every few hours (heck, it hasn't changed in a few weeks).

 

[Cederstrand]

Coffee refill, please.

Wonder how those border agents managed to get hit by a train? Would like some details on that one. Those UNION PACIFIC locos would look a lot better moving down the tracks, too.

Trying to get up enough energy to go outside and work on pulling nails from reusable 2x4's. If I didn't need to keep cover up (sun exposure is a big no no while on treatment) or if it was cooler outside, I could get more done. It is what it is....oh well.

Wife took her dad to the docs, routine visit.

 Rob

[Anonymous]

Me again, just dropping by for a night cap before I hit the hay. No, not right now - I´ll be watching a feature on the "Great Little Trains of Wales" on TV before retiring.

Johnboy - that´s a great video, certainly one of the best spent 22 minutes of my life. Thanks for sharing!

Curt - no, not yet home, still at my parents´ place taking care of me ol´ dad.  Preparing the meals, shopping, doing the laundry, cleaning the house, taking care of the garden, driving to the hospital - it´s a full time job! I hope to able to go home by the end of next week, when my Mom )and my Dad) will go to the convalescence center.

I am eager to unpack those two packages!

TTFN!

[LSWrr]

There’s no mandatory ice breaker service, sounds like you had a bad recruiter, LOL.  I hope you have enough piano wire and color coded wire for those switch machines.  I’m installing mine off a bus wire I ran under the bench work, using a radio shack wall mount power converter.  I figure it will run 30 machines with double pole double throw center off toggles.  This way I can leave the switch machines off if I’m not running on that section of the layout.

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

Happy Lunch Hour Crew,

Zoe, I'll have a devilled egg sandwich, a bowl of potatoe soup and a diet Dr. P.

Guys and Gals, I wanted to share an old video with you that is one of my favorites because it shows so many aspects of railroading that often get over looked. These were some of the un-sung heros and kept the roads operating day and night, fair weather and fowl.

It will be especially interesting for our Canadian Pacific fans.

But I warn you.   It will take up about 22 minutes of your day.  But well worth it.  You will want to save it, I know.

So here it is:

http://www.nfb.ca/film/railroaders

Hope you all enjoy it and I will check back in later.  Off to do more house repairs for my Son.

Johnboy out............................................................for now

[Curt Webb]

Afternoon All,

Last day at w**k this week. It is supposed to get to 94 or 95 today with humidity and no rain. Yesterday's high of 96 tied the all time record in 1916 as the hottest day on record during May in Orlando. Joy, Joy.

Tomorrow I go to Chiro, then vaccum the house. After that I need to clean out the junk-Oh I mean sewing stuff from under the layout in preparation of wiring. I then need to string the 2 main busses in preparation for Sunday. I am stoked, I am actually going to be able to run trains on my layout. After this it is install 26 Tortoise switch machines then scenery, although I can do these together.

Todd- Wow, you really thought that out. The only thing I would change is having the speculators tied to the gas pumps when they blew up. Well deserved I say. 

Lee- Are you saying you didn't make any friends from the civilian side while in the CG? Good for you. It sounds like you took your job seriously and that makes it safer for all of us. You know I almost joined the CG out of HS but decided the mandatory ice breaker duty was not for me, so I went subs in the Navy...go figure.

Ulrich- Glad you are safe back home. Enjoy your new loco.

Everyone have a good day.

[LSWrr]

There will be vacancies for full time RR bridge tenders in the Chicago area soon.  I don’t recommend listing me as a reference….

[Anonymous]

Hi Folks,

it is already late afternoon/early evening here in Germany. I am just back from a train trip to Kiel to see my Mom in hospital. She is doing fine, according to what her docs say. Looking at her tells me a different story, though. She is still fully "wired" and all of her face is swollen from being intubated for nearly 3 days. My Dad cried when he saw her... I know that she is on the way of improvement.

Zoe, I am hungry, I´ll have the burger platter, a salad and a

Garry - wish I could still do that! Your a blessed man with such lovely grandchildren !

Jeff - I love that house. Nice shot!

I won´t comment on gas prices - you folks are still spoiled rotten!

On the good side - my package from Japan has arrived at home. And another one ... Oh joy, oh rapture!

Have a good one!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 76°and partly cloudy. The high will be 88 and there's a 50% chance of a strong afternoon thunderstorm. I hope it brings plenty of rain with it.

Nothing in particular planned for today. I have to move the scenery further on down the layout as the tree planting operation is ready to move to the next area, the join between the extension and the main part of the layout. I put some dead fall under some trees yesterday. It's pretty obvious that Ezra doesn't clean up under his trees.

[BRAKIE]

Good Morning All!

Not much to report from the land of Buckeyes on another glorious Spring day other then I will be heading out Saturday morn and attending the Ohio N Scale Weekend show..Last time I went I not only enjoyed the layouts but,I found some excellent deals in the process..

Well yesterday I fired up the A/C and cooled down the house and repaired 2 of my  N Scale cars-I had dropped these cars and the wheel sets flew out.Thankfully that was the extent of the damage.

I shall have a cup or three and lok over the forum.

Have a good'un!

[mononguy63]

I'll add nothing to the political discourse other than to point out Rob's signature line.  Perhaps we should now back off a bit to our usual banter...

And Ray, I recently heard that sales of the Volt were, uh, lagging a bit behind expectations. They'd sold all of 1700 units thus far.

We have a carpet guy coming over to the house today to give us an estimate to redo almost all of the house in preparation of going on the market. The amount of work we'll need to do to get the house ready to sell is staggering. Then we just need to hope somebody actually comes to look at it, and that there's another home akin to what we're targeting available if and when it sells. I may cry if the layout has to come down.

Jim

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe, I'll have a couple eggs over easy, some bacon, a couple pieces of wheat toast, small glass of Ed's OJ (I hope we still have some), and several cups of dark roast coffee in a R&GV RR Mug.  Please and Thank You!

Not going to say much about the fuel subject except three years ago I cut my use of the stuff in half....  Little by little I am switching over to battery powered electric for everything I can.  My next car will be a plug in electric (possibly some type of hybred like the Chevy Volt)....  All my electric comes from small hydro, wind, and solar (within 2 years I hope to have solar panels on my house to provide most of my need).  All renewable, all low pollution (100% Green option through NYSEG Solutions).  Maybe it's time to get off the Big Oil diet....?

I have a busy, busy day today with all kinds of of tasks that I must get done by tomorrow....  So I best get moving.

Hope you all have a great day!

73

[Cederstrand]

Coffee in a SOUTHERN mug, please.

Wife is out pulling nails and recovering tin again this morning. I'll work on some rafters this evening. Not much else to report on.

Have a good day y'all.

 Rob

[inch53]

Hi all

Just remember there is no problem so big that the government can't make worse by helping..

Some of the most terrifying word today is "I'm from the government and I'm here to help"..

some of the most unless words are " congress is going to appoint a committie to investigate the problem"

I best get back ta mowin, since this sound a tad political

[TMarsh]

Garry- I agree. Without delving into politics, if all the government is going to do, and I'm not sure they can do much else, is raise the amount the oil companies pay to them, the I really doubt the CEO's and management is going to give up that new Mercedes this year and drop fuel prices so they don't have to pay as much in taxes or lose the billions in government subsidaries. What does every business do when their costs increase? (Assuming we can remember what they do because the government has sent me a letter saying the cost of living has not gone up for the last two years (odd the same government that says that is the same government that pays me and is the same government that witholds my insurance premium that goes up like 10% every year....hmmmm)) Anyway, like I was saying, they aren't gonna give up the Cuban's, they're gonna raise prices to offset the loss cause Momma wants a new BMW.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good morning. 

Lee, Ken, and Curt .... You commented on my granddaughter. .... Oh, come on guys!.... Don't you bend over like that in your daily morning exercises? ....

Lee ... I had a great burger in Utica, MI while there. We went to Shamrocks Bar (if my memory is correct for the name) in downtown Utica. The have a good selection of beer, too. (Even some imported German beer, Ulrich.)

Johnboy.... Glad you purchased Atlas engines. I like the models.

Talking about gas prices, I spent quite a lot of money for fuel just driving on this trip. Wish there were passenger trains available. ..... Good news, however, global oil prices have dropped significantly in recent days. This will lead to lower prices at the pump. .... Bad news are the political idiots in DC who are attempting to fool their voters into believing they are doing something about the global prices of fuel. They will raise taxes on oil companies who already pay 1/3 of their revenue to the government with taxes, and the result will raise costs and reduce investing in expanding supply of fuel. .... Meanwhile, the naive media deceives the public. If government stayed out of business, we would be paying no more than a dollar per gallon for gasoline. .... End of rant.  

[TMarsh]

cudaken

 ....is at lease 15 to 20 years old, even Todd knew what I was talking about. 

HEY! I'm not THAT old! Now J.R. on the other hand......... 

Actually, I thought "Fogger" was a style, or maybe tradename, of a Nitrous system more or less describing the design of the nozzle creating more of a fog than previous or other designs/brands. Can't remember. (But that's normal for a man my age. Isn't it... KEN ! ) BUT like Crescent wrench or Vise Grips, when some one says "Fogger" I know what they mean. Unlike "Noss".   

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! Cup of coffee please. Um….how about a stack of Buttermilk pancakes please. Real butter and real maple syrup thank you.

Let’s see, Tuesday afternoon gas dropped 6 cents a gallon to $3.96. Wednesday afternoon, after deciding for convenience based on the way my day was going to wait until today to fill my gas can, gas shot up 23 cents to $4.19. I wasn’t aware we got our gas from Mississippi. I wish they’d make up their minds where we get our gas from. That way I can prepare for what may cause a gas shortage.

Oh crud. I just realized I let it slip out I’m going to get 5 gallons of gas today. Now the speculators, proving the conspiritors theory that someone is always monitoring what we are doing on the internet,  will use that bit of info to scream increase in demand with decreased production equating to a potential gasoline shortage that will drive prices up sending people to go buy quantities of fuel they wouldn’t normally buy, to prepare for the shortage and possible rationing, driving prices higher to control the purchases hoping to slow the demand further “proving” fuel prices may reach an unobtainable level causing traffic jams in cities and highways as people pack into stores to buy fuel cans to store the precious liquid, mugging the guy standing under the Help Wanted sign for Wendy’s at the shared entrance to Walmart holding a “out of work please help my family” sign because he’s bought 25 gas cans for $5 and is selling them for $30, creating havoc as they pack into the gas stations sucking the last bit of the juice from the pumps and getting into huge fights because there isn’t enough to go around because they've jammed the roads like they were going to a Led Zepplin reunion and the guy up front won't move for fear of losing his place in society as the most envied of all people..., the Next Person In Line. The rest can't move out of the way  so the fuel trucks can’t get to the stations to refill them, putting the lives of the truck drivers in jeopardy because people now realize the fuel in the trucks is the same fuel that comes out of the pumps, but without the price counter, and thousands pour upon the trucks to fill their cans with the fuel from the large pipe on the side of the trailer letting it pour and flow all over the ground wasting more than they get. Then there’s the numbskull in the crowd of crazies with the cigarette. As the fuel running on the ground just reaches his feet, an anti-smoker 13 people away and upwind, suddenly decides the smoke is bothering him. The smoker, who is already geared up anyway, takes exception to the comment and flicks the cig into the face of the anti-smoker ricocheting off some Soccar Mom with a bat screaming "ladies first's" beak and lands, you guessed it, slow motion Hollywood style into the leading edge of the fuel. Within a week half the United States has been blown up and half the population is crispy. Sad part is, fuel prices once again jump because demand is down and profits have dropped.

Boy you don’t know the pressure on me when I pull into the Casey’s this morning.

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

[cudaken]

 Morning Folks!

 Flo, scrambled eggs, bacon and, toast and OJ pleases.

 OK Galaxy I have heard some odd problems in my time, but never heard of a windshield gasket pooping out before. If it was installed wrong I would think it would happen way before 5 years.

 Packer Heck, the term fogger is at lease 15 to 20 years old, even Todd knew what I was talking about. I am a little surprised a small block Ford block is only good for 400 HP. Guess the nasty ones I read about used Ford Motor Sport blocks.

 Gary Just looking at your Granddaughter bent over backwards made my back hurt! Glad the waters are receding back into the lake. I grew up on White River in Carmel Ind and remember watching the flood waters rise. Never made it into the house, but got pretty close. One time it was up 5 feet into the basement and all most got the furnaces.

 Sleep Front Went to sleep last night at 7:00 PM, got up at 6:30 AM and still tired. Just hope after I wake all the way up I will feel like doing more today.

  See you all later!

                     Ken 

[galaxy]

teen steam fan

Windshields- Those are a pain. I've had to replace the windshield in my Jeep twice and the molding alone costs 70 bucks. Why is my question. 

Why is the molding 70 dollars? or why did you replace it twice?

Why the molding is $70 is cause car/truck/minivan parts are not cheap.

WHy you replaced it twice? well obviously it wasn't put in right the first time like my Kia Sedona!

How old is your jeep?  is it so old that the gasket and molding have simply worn out?

ThAT simply shouldn't have happened to a 5 y/o Kia! Iff'n I have to pay for it, I'll NOT be happy.

WEll good Morning to you good morning to you have ahappy morning for you {OK OK I said in another thread I couldn't sing and even gave up singing in the shower cuz it showed no improvement to my singing! WHen they say "make a joyfull NOISE unto the Lord, that is what I make..a joyfull noise!

 Pretty bad when you can't stand your own singing!

WEll we will se what teh KIA dealer says today about the windshield, I hope and gets it fixe. We have a few days of rain ahead and I don't need it leaking into anything electronic that may short out later! My warpath rampage has settled down, though the service rep at Kia got an earfull of {polite} words with an edge to them form both me and MOH yesterday.

THe Kia dealer recently had a "try aKia, Buy a Kia" event compete with a goodie bag of freebies to local events and dinners out. while our Sedona was making use of free service, we tet drove teh SOul {the boxy thing on wheels} and dind't like it on the hiway. Not enough insulation and it sounded like being in a jet airplane wher you can't pop your ears. Next we drove teh Kia Forte a smalle wagon i call it, but a 5 door hatchback to them. We LOVED it. Not enough to buy rihgt away until the Sedona is paid off. but maybe in a year or two? Well, I told mr. service man in no uncertain terms that I was NOT pleased with t he quality of the Kia Sedona I had, so why should I by another Kia???

Check Kelly blue book last night on the Sedona....about $7,775- probably what I owe on it and I don;t have a lot of money to put down on a new {or used car} if we are buying a house! Bum city! I was hoping to have $2k equity in it and add another $1k to put $3k down on a newer or new to me carfaxed car or minivan. But car fax really is bogus. It tells you track of owners and if it's been in an fender bender or serious accident. It doe not tell you about maitenance and warrantee repairs done to the vehicle.

We made teh mistake I NEVEr make..we bought on emotions...it was looking sharp- gold color, and had multiple features we liked with all the crap some have {we don't needa reviewing DVD palyer to enterntain kids we have none and adults can amuse themselves.}. Rear A?C and Heat YEs, but no DVD player please! That alone adds about $3k onto the price. and while auto sliding doors to auto open or you is nice, I don;t see that as any real trip either. I am disappointed that the key fob that unlocks the Kias door does nto alos unlock my house door when I come home!

Well I have sat on a here today and didn't intend to.

I htink we got a lemon;;;its about the right color too. maybe we sue the dealer we bought it from and Kia motors!

Rant over.

Hope everyne has a great day and survives flooding inthe basket land. Gas prices are to continue torise now as they are taking refineries in Missisippi {I thionk} some where down there OFLINE in prep for the flooding headed their way! Specualtors here Ic ome..where do I sign up? How do I do it? how much money i got have to do it? I think I want a piece of that action!

The local county is thinking of capping gas price taxes to what they would be on a $3 gal gas cost, thereby reducing cost of gas a little. Perhaps they will, perhaps they won't. Now if my nextdoor couty folows suit I'd be a bit happier. I do thik we will see $5 gal soon!

Sorry that was another rant.

WEll, have a greeeeaaaaaat day as tony the tiger woul say {easy for him to say his windshield is not comming out!

TTYALLL8R

[LSWrr]

Good Morning,

Jeff, that’s good to hear your mom, is home finally!

Tomorrow I will be on the road to Detroit, not sure how good of condition Garry left things up there from his week of partying but I expect the town to still have traces of him painting it pink…

Garry if I did that move like your granddaughter you would find me the next day in the same position.

Busy weekend ahead of me starting tonight…

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning..

We got another dumping of ran last night...after the weatherbeguessers said it was going to be partly cloudy ...now we are going to see rain today as well..and the occasional T'underin'boomer as well

So, we are going to be dodging those raindrops be fallin' on our heads as we get some actual gardening done today...

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

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

[teen steam fan]

Evening. 

Got my Jeep's new tires yesterday. Got to take them into school tomorrow and mount and balance them. 

Jeep's almost done. Got to get the grill in, hood hung and the wiper cowl. 

Windshields- Those are a pain. I've had to replace the windshield in my Jeep twice and the molding alone costs 70 bucks. Why is my question. 

[Johnnny_reb]

hey all

Just came in for a little lite reading. But I'm about to bust a gut. Have fun I'm headed over to the tube to watch Trachs Ahead.

[CNCharlie]

Good Evening,

Galaxy, sorry to hear about your car problems. You sure have had your share. We have 5 Kia Magentis, or Optima as they are know everywhere but Canada, and they have been very reliable. These cars are driven by our sales people largely on the highway so they aren't babied. There is a company here that owns 7 or 8 dealerships all in one 'park' and they use Kia vans for their passenger shuttle service so it does sound like you got one that wasn't built up to par.

I was going to install a decoder in a MP mikado tonight but I cut my finger so I don't think using a soldering iron is a good idea.

Johnboy, an NP RS11 eh, nice loco and nice paint scheme. Glad to hear you are OK.

Well I'm tired tonight as I went on a 4 hour drive today to visit one of our out of town stores. It was a friendly visit which isn't sometimes the case when your the guy saying 'pay up or else'.

Rob, glad to hear you are making progress on getting your barn roofs fixed.

Can't think of much to say, so it will just be Good Night.

CN Charlie

 

[Curt Webb]

Evening All,

It has been very busy at w**k today. High today was 96 F with some humidity. It did rain but only on the opposite side of town--Oh Well  

Howmus- I love the FM H10-44. I have always loved the lines of it.

Heartland- Your granddaughter looks like a natural. A move like that would kill me! That is a great 50's diner.

Blownout- What type of loco is that?

Jeff- Another great scene. You should do a video of your layout.

Ulrich- Glad your Mother is doing fine. 

Hope everyone has a  great night,