Elliot's Trackside Diner JUNE 2011

[steamfreightboy]

Morning!

Have a doctor visit this morning. Could take anywhere from a few hours to past noon!

Trainfront:

Basic Oxygen Furnace is painted. The matte medium on the slag dump has dried. I now want to add an excavator or such to load the cooled slag into my hopper. I am also thinking of a modified chemical sprayer to spray the chemicals onto the slag that cause it to granulate for loading. Any suggestions are welcome.

Have a nice day!

sfb

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning..

Ray:  Just wondering...does the museum have a website? It looks like an interesting place to visit....hint hint...

Kinda muggy kinda foggy out right now...going to a high of 75F...feeling more like 84F today....later on...30% chance of showers and the ol' t'underin'boomers out there as well

I did all the shopping for the weekend on-call yesterday..as well as hayfield, i mean, lawn cutting yesterday....so today is...tada!! trainday!!! Heeheeheee.....

Flo, I'll have a coffee for now thanks....I'll be at the RC for a bit...

[Packer]

Morning guys

Looks Like I too have beat Wetidler.Unless he posts while I'm typing this. edit, Wetidler beat me while I was typing...

Jeff, We should probably dicuss this one through PMs.

Garry, Thanks. Nice loking crane there, is it motorized?

Chris, Thanks for the comments.I have only used an airbrush on a few cars and I wasn't really happy with the results, and I find washes aren't really effective for me, so I stick with pastels. Probably need more practice with other mediums, but I believe I have the hang of Pastels. Good luck with the "facetime." The part of your post directed at Curt kind of makes me ask my grandfather if he had any stories from flying B-29s or B-17s from Korea.

Jim, Good to see you back in again; looks like work has been keeping you busy. Thanks for the compliments.

Ray, You don't have steamers at the museum do you?

Curt, congrats on 33 years.

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

[galaxy]

Aha!

I BEAT WETIDLER!

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!

Grocery shopping this early AM to beat crowds.

Then off to the dentist. My partial clamps were adjusted so tight I can hardly get it out once in place. And I still have on/off problems wiht the tooth he restored the loose filling on. I will discuss with him about a root canal or {groan} having to pull it- preferably at some future date. TG for vicodin.

Nothing new on the housing front...no new houses delivered in my inbox last night....

Have a great day everyone!!

for those in need! The prayer candle willl be lit this evening...

TTYALLL8R

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Well, well ..... Here I was minding my own business at the RC eating a slice of Kentucy Derby Pie with some decaf ............ and look who shows up........ JimCG! ... Where have you been?

Jeff.... Your Sundown Shops are doing a lot of work these days. Perhaps, the rebuilt locomotive can be called a SGP9 ... The "S" denotes "Sundown" ... I was thinking the Santa Fe CF7's were formerly F7's rebuilt at the Cleburne Shops and the "C" was for that. CF7's were the ultimate kitbash for full scale locomotives.

Vincent ... .You have been doing great work lately. Weathering cars. Painting and inatalling automobiles on bi-levels. Installing hand rails. Good stuff!

Ray ..... I really, really like your work on the machine shop. It could win prizes at NMRA contests.

Ulrich ... I hope you work things out with the brother. It is best to keep things in perspective and turn the other cheek. Don't allow yourself to get excited with your heart condition. We'll take this to the Lord. Prayers for your Mom, too, of course.

Curt ... Congrats on your 33rd anniversary!

JR .... I saw Con Cor is advertising New Haven's Comet passenger train. Thought of you because you have modeled New haven.

I made this ugly crane to use at my coke oven for cleaning up spilled coke or spilled coal. You can see scratch built machines on the decks of the coke oven. My EMD-40 hauls the hot coke from the oven. The main line of my railroad is behind the coke oven.

[JimRCGMO]

Evening, Chloe - just stopping in for a Dr. Pepper in a go cup, please. Thanks!

Had ONE of THOSE nights/evenings/mornings... I'd got up 7 a.m. and was to go on-call at 4:30 p.m. (usual for the week I cover evenings), ran some errands, picked up some MRR details (Frenchman River Model Works items - great detail castings, and they also have docks, seashore type kits, and a neat bank (yet to be assembled, but awesome) at the post office. Got an online exam done for licensure (w**k) and printed certificate out and faxed it to the state board.

Then about 10 p.m. (late for my getting to bed in case I get paged out that evening), I get a call from hospital's social w**ker, asking me to come in (she is supposed to cover ER stuff until she gets off at 11) because she has another case she's w**king on. Okay, didn't sound terribly complicated... I get there, proceed to start trying to line up a hospital bed for the patient, and (guess what phase the moon was in last night?) it wound up taking until 7 a.m. this morning, when I got home and went to bed. Anybody wanna trade days with me (those who are w**king, that is)? I slept until about 3 p.m. (only woke up once or twice, but not for long) I was totally dog-tired and wiped. I do NOT want another of those on-calls for a long, long time!! And I will likely be exceptionally reluctant or slow to come in for THAT social w**ker again.

Okay, rant's over, Chloe, we can put the away now and let everyone come out from hiding...

Vincent, I think that boxcar looks good (though some, I'm sure would like it dirtier/rustier than that).

Ken, sounds like you're having a puzzle with your motors there; hope Simon can help you figure things out. I hope you get something to turn up for your dental stuff. I need to get an appointment for some dental w**k myself (remove a wisdom tooth or two), but wondering what that will co$t and how involved it will be. Guess I'll have to call a dentist up to see, eh?

Ray, a Rivet Counter? With all that detail in his enginehouse? (Uh, y'know... Can I plead the Fifth?) (More photos, and details of how you built all those doo-dads and such, please!)

Ulrich, keeping you and your parents (both your Mom's healing and your Dad adjusting to re-considering about a move) in my I'll have to take a look back through those 35 or so pages of posts that I've missed since I was last in the Diner, too, and see about your layout progress. And do take care of yourself, as you sorta mentioned, while you're taking care of your parents. [Hmm, maybe I should include an attitude adjustment for THAT brother of yours?]

B&O Stan, a belated to the Diner, and your paintings look great! Do you start from a photo, or how do you approach making them?

Oh, and for Curt, Lone Geep or others who might be counting noses (instead of rivets...), though my RR is fictional and a freelanced idea (doubt it would ever have happened for real), I do want my layout to be sort believable, so I look at other Southwestern/Western RR's and their practices and typical kinds of cars/locos they run, add my own 'fudge factor' to the equation, and might wind up a little in the direction of what I want. I freely copy/steal ideas from Ray and those further up the MRR'ing chain of skills and expertise, of course...

Hey, Jeff, if that GP7/9/whatever drives 'em nuts, all the more reason to keep THAT up! Besides, cash-strapped shortlines and secondary/tertiary RR's (I understand) would jury-rig parts from locos that were not w**king, put it together and end up with something that might be considered 'non-prototypical'.

Chris, at least your house isn't like that one in Rexburg, Idaho that i read about yesterday. Family bought a five-bedroom house on two acres for $180,000 (sounds good, right?), but after they'd moved in, they discovered that the previous owners' report that the house was "snake-infested" was not, as the real estate guy told them, "just trying to not have to pay what they owed for the house". The house had apparently been built over a garter snakes' den (or else the snakes moved under the house, deciding that it was a cozy place to spend the winter). The (new) owner had to do 'snake-sweeps' of the house when he got up in the morning to see if any snakes had got in overnight (before his pregnant wife and their kids got up). In the course of one day, the most snakes he had found and killed was 42(!), and at times at night, they could hear them slithering between the walls. The new owners moved out after three months (when the wife had their newborn, they gave up trying to fight things), and filed bankruptcy and let the bank forclose on the house. The story on the news site I read about this said that about a year after that, the house was up for sale, but for only $114 thousand something. They apparently should have done some of that preliminary checking out of the house that Galaxy and his OH have been doing in their house hunt. So by comparison, most of us are a bit better off (we should hope!).

Barry, good to see that Spring is still into things there (and not hibernating still or anything...).

Time I headed out with my Dr. Pepper. Been fortunate to get this post finished for now. Hope to see you all tomorrow afternoon (and start trying to catch up on the other pages of posts).

 

Blessings and prayers,

Jim in Cape Girardeau

[AmanaMedic]

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooood Evening,

VINCENT: Sorry Pal! I completely forgot to mention your weathering job last night...looks good! Pastels? Really? I never woulda guessed. Has a nice "grime" look without being over-the-top.

CURT: Congrats on the anniversary. 33 years? I think I'm lucky the Wife has kept me for almost eight! But, then again, if all goes well, I'll renew her contract for services provided in October... I'll bet THAT was an interesting chat with the Brit. W**king in Creston, I had a long-distance transfer from our ER to Iowa Methodist in Des Moines with a very stable cardiac pt. He was a fireman in the Army Air Corps in WW2 and the long ride was spent with him telling me about life on the English airfields, English girls and dealing with shot-up bombers. Neat guy and the best "Des Moines run" I had in my time there.

SIMON: Thanks for clarifying on the aircraft bone yard. Not too happy to hear THAT we're having to part-out aircraft to keep others in-service... but I'll leave it at THAT.

 

Well (full, expected to overflow again in the next few days), I'd best get back to w**k on stuff for THAT Editor. I've got "facetime" tomorrow...just  can't  wait.

Best wishes continue for all in need...

Chris

 

[howmus]

Evenin' floks!

Flo, just a cup of decaf and maybe a slice of the Strawberry Rhubarb pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top...  I'll be in the back booth relaxin' for a bit.

Hi Owen...  Welcome to the diner.  Sit and relax for a bit and tell us about yourself.

I got to play on the train out at the museum tonight.  Got tapped for Car Host duty on the crew.  I would much rather w*rk on crew, than just ride the train any day of the week.  Weather cleared off and co-operated by the time I showed up as well.  We had  Old U.S. Army #1654 doing the duties tonight pulling two cabooses.  The old Erie Caboose and the PC Transfer Caboose.  I was in the Erie.

Hope you all have a great night!

73

[Owendubya]

hi guys, can i get a cup of coffee hot black n strong and a slice of that delicious looking apple pie? its been a day for sure.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Packer

Jeff, I was intending on using the frame and buying that shell. But the shell is already sold. I can get an RPP or a Kato shell (although not undec), and make a straight 40 or an SDP40.

I could send it to you if you want. Problem is I don't have a need for FT shells.

[Packer]

Jeff, I was intending on using the frame and buying that shell. But the shell is already sold. I can get an RPP or a Kato shell (although not undec), and make a straight 40 or an SDP40.

Curt, It's all just cheap craft store pastel crayons from a set, just scrape the crayon to get powder. I used Valspar clear flat instead of dullcote, and sealed it with Krylon Matte-finish. I actually don't recall exactly how I did it. But I know I went over the model with a heavy coat of black in the vents and screens. I used a narrow brush to do the black streaks using the black pastel. I went over the body with a very light coat of black. Then I used a yellow that was a little lighter than the body color and went with a heavy coat of it, avoiding the vents and louvers. Using a very soft (think make-up brush) brush, I blended the lighter yellow in. It toned the streaks down and got the body to the color shown. Then I went and added a bit more black and some gray along the bottom, then repeated the yellow.

Wheels were painted with rustoleum rusty metal primer, then hit with rust colored pastels. Chassis and trucks were painted Valspar velvet brown and hit with rust-colored powders.

[blownout cylinder]

Good Evening..

Curt: Have a great evening out!!

Ray: I've always enjoyed those pics of your layout...great stuff!

Ulrich:  I am so glad that my family always stuck together...when my parents both went sick all of us pitched in in whatever way we could....I get really crabby about layabouts....

So, it was an interesting day today...ICD checked out clean...my new meds..80mg Sotalol 2 X per day..is working good...blood pressure was...get this...112/53.......heart rate...58 bpm....and no irregularities outside my normal bundle branch issues...

Chloe, a round of for everyone!! I'll be at the RC for a bit...

[galaxy]

Curt Webb

I will try to check in tomorrow earlier. It is our 33 year wedding anniversary and we have plans tomorrow night.

I'll bet you do, and they don't include us!!! Don't let US stop you!! Or, rather, don't stop for us!!!

Congratulations on 33 years of wedded bliss!! have some , a or two of champagne and hope you didn't forget a good anniversary !!!

 

[Curt Webb]

Evening all,

Worked on layout for about 4 hours today and  only got power wiring routed through 2 terminal strips each for 10 tortoises. Yikes, talk about repetitive attention to detail jobs. I wanted to do more today but I was so stiff from being on the floor I could hardly stand. Same thing scheduled fot tomorrow.

We got great news today. The SIL is moving out this Saturday.. Now MOH will have her sewing room back so I think the MRR issues will no longer be issues. This also means I will have room after I finish the layout I will be able to add a real engine servicing facility with roundhouse and TT.

Packer- You were on my list today to tell you I really liked the weathering job. How did you do it?

Rob-  Real nice work.

Lee- Thanks for the info. I seem to remember I couldn't move the black block but that may have been because power was applied to it at the time.

Ray- Incredible detail right down to the shavings and stained floor.

Ulrich- I hope things work out with your family. Sorry about your brother. I never said anything about a pt I had awhile back because I did not know how you would react but with all the recent postings I guess it is fine. He was a older British gentleman that was a flight engineer on a  Lancaster bomber during WWII. He was a really neat gentleman and had a couple of great stories he told me. I had to laugh when he said "Us Brit's used to be tougher". 

I will try to check in tomorrow earlier. It is our 33 year wedding anniversary and we have plans tomorrow night.

Everyone have a good night. Prayers for everyone that needs them.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Packer

Jeff, You haven't hacked the SD40 chassis up yet, have you? I saw a post on another forum where somewhere where someone had a BN shell. I have 2 Bachmann FT shells I could swap if you wanted.

I still have the frame and trucks. Also have most of the shell but the rear platform and steps are gone. Shell is also minus cab, fans, handrails and dynamic brake. Keep in mind this is an Athearn RTR SD40 frame, not an SD40-2 or SD40T-2.

[Packer]

Hey guys

Everything went pretty well today. Got the car in the carport to wash and vacuum it, glad I was in the carport cause a suprise T-boomer came around. (every see lighting and sun at the same time?) Had to wait a bit longer than I should have at the Dr. appointment. But my date went very well. So well that's there's already a 2nd one planned. It's kind of weird that she is just like me; heck her birthday is the day before mine. Her grandparents, friends, and family of hers I met seem to like me too.

Haven't touched the trains today, and I might not. I'm, pretty wiped.

Ray, The shop looks good. You need to zoom in more for the rivets though.

Jeff, You haven't hacked the SD40 chassis up yet, have you? I saw a post on another forum where somewhere where someone had a BN shell. I have 2 Bachmann FT shells I could swap if you wanted.

here's the other side of the car from yesterday:

I'm suprised no one commented on it. I was hoping for a review, critique, or something.

[cudaken]

 Just a quick stop by.

 Flo

 Just watched the James Mays video posted on the main page, it is just about a must watch! 4 out of 6 OO / HO scale model trains ran a real 10 mile course.

 Simon Dropped by and I was testing the motors correctly. Simon, the second Bear motor is now giving goofy readings. While Simon was here one of the new motors peg the meter at 12 amps? But never felt hot? Plus the little DC transformer could never make 10 amps?

 Getting ready to give the SD 50 a chances to cook it decoder!

        Ken

[howmus]

Afternoon folks!

Flo just a RBF for me.  just stopping in to say hi on my way to the R&GV RR Museum tonight.

Why Thank you Rob!  What, me a rivet Counter...  Just because it is always Saturday (In the Park...), August 15, 1925 around noon time on the Seneca Lake, Ontario and Western....... 

David the Engine House/Shop is in HO (Horribly Oversized) scale.  Thanks!

Best get a move on.  see you all later tonight.

73

[Train Master]

Have you tried JB weld?

[Cederstrand]

Coffee in a SUNNY & SOUTHERN mug, please.

***Ray The Rivet Counter, your work blows me away. That is one very cool shop.

Hey, can anyone tell me if there is a glue that can be used to secure a piece of screen (patch) to a screen hole? Have tried super glue and a couple others, but the patch just comes right off. These porch screens appear to be some kind of plastic. Thanks for any help.

Much farm stuff to do this evening.

Have a good one y'all. Rob

[Train Master]

Ray: I like that shop. What scale is that?

Ulrich: Sorry to hear about your brothers reaction. A deadbeat relative can be hard to deal with. My moms sister is the same way. She has never helped us with anything unless there was some big payoff in it for her.

[Anonymous]

Me again,

I finally reached my PITA brother over the phone, asking him to come and help me. Guess what his answer was!

Why do I start to feel abused?

Sorry for letting off so much steam, but you folks are the only people I can talk to - the only folks I know who care.

Blessings,

[cudaken]

 Early afternoon folks.

 I am using the wrong term as far as the meter. What I have is a Cen-Tech 7 Function Digital Multimeter Model 92020. So I pretty sure I have the right kind of meter. On some of the older motors the reading seem fine, it is the new ones that are throwing me some. I have the meter set 10A , black led in the common and the red led 10ADC.  

  See you all later.

       Ken

 

[LSWrr]

I just happen to have picked and cooked down 2 quarts of rhrubarb last night from my garden.  All I need now is a couple of pie crusts....

[howmus]

Mornin' good people!

Zoe, I'll have a Breakfa.......  Pie?  Did I hear Pie?  OK, I'll have a big slice of the Strawberry Rhubarb Pie for breakfast......  What, THAT's not on the breakfast menu?  Listen Zoe, we can have anything we want here in the diner, right"?  OK, as far as I'm concerned dark roast coffee makes it Breakfast!  Anything else is good anytime of day...  Oh. I see you were grinning...  Good!  I'll sit here at the Rivet Counter for now.

Me?  A rivet Counter?  Does this look like the work of a Rivet Counter?  Sheesh!

Ken, as Simon said, if you are using an Ohm Meter, you are measuring ohms, not amps....  The reading on the Bears would be about right I think.  The Athearns appear to have a dead short.  Throw them away, they are no good!   (just kidding)  Were the Athearns tested while hooked to their decoders and the bears just tested as they came out of the box?  If so THAT would explain why you have a dead short in the ones from Uncle Irv.... (Athearn)

Still waiting for news on my Lawn Mower.....  It would be nice if it was ready today as I have to go over near Rochester anyway tonight for the  R&GV RR Museum monthly play with 1/1 scale RR meeting.  Luckily the lawn has finally slowed its growth a bit.  Going to try to at least start planting the garden today.  So I better get moving and go buy seeds and plants.

Later!

73

 

[Anonymous]

Good Afternoon, Folks!

I arrived at my parents´ place a couple of hours ago. Took me 4 hrs. to drive the 100 miles. It seemed,as if all of the 45 million cars registered in Germany were heading my way. Upon arrival, I was shocked. The place was a total mess. Apparently, the help I arranged for did not come. It was 2 hours of cleaning up, but now the place looks presentable again.

No news about my mother. She is still running that fever, which is not good for her. I´ll have a word with that doc of hers tomorrow. I also tried to talk about a possible move with my father, but he is so happy where he is, especially since I have now arrived. So no change in sight ...

Zoe, I´ll have a baloney and cheese sandwich and a RBF, please.

Todd - it was not before the picture posted earlier in this thread, when I saw a Ju 87 with retractable landing gear. Earlier versions all had that rigid gear with those skirts, but as my grand uncle had told me, it slowed down those dang things considerably. After the dive, you could shoot down a Stuka with a simple .22 rifle. It was really a lame duck.

Ken - I hope to be back in a few days. There is no way I can stay for a longer time without being put into hospital myself. Would not really help either side.

I am going to sit in the corner booth for a little while, just to see who drops by.

TTFN

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 80°. The high will be 95° and it will mostly cloudy.

Nothing much planned for today. I may clear the layout of some of the clutter that has piled up due to working on the GP7 project. Speaking of which, it's looking more like a GP9 now. I think I've done as much as I can on it for now.

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! Coffee and a ham sandwich with bacon and a fried hard egg and melted Swiss cheese on wheat please. Thank you.

Running late already, for some reason I spent too much time out in the yard reading other threads. Imagine that.

Ulrich-

Ray has a pretty good recollection of how the RC came to be. It was also to show that if you wanted to be prototypically accurate on something, you could belly up to the Rivet Counter and talk prototypical. But on other things, you can sit elsewhere. Also, you can sit there anytime without actually doing anything. Ray does it all the time (rimshot) HEYYOOOOHHH!! No seriously. The main thing about the Rivet Counter is you notice it is in the same room as the booths or tables depending on how the diner looks to you. Weird way to decorate, but somehow they pull it off. One of these days I’m gonna make it to the end of this car. From the outside it only looks about 80, 85 feet. But inside……the diner, the kitchen, the layout room, the workshop. Duke. Place seems to go on forever. Anyway, like I was saying, the Rivet Counter is not in it’s own room separated from the rest. This symbolizes that all can get along IF you want to. My way is not your way and that is the one thing we all have in common. That and RBF’s and...... PIE.

Lee- Your recanting of the events with your Grandmother mirror almost exactly those with my Mother. You're right one of the toughest things to do is tell a parent......they can't be left alone anymore.

Ah, I see from the pics the STUKA does not have retracting landing gear. Just no familiar " wind skirting" or whatever its called around them. For some reason, I spent an hour yesterday trying to find a picture or reference to a Stuka with retractible landing gear. Odd what I find to do to kill time.

Welp, wanna get started . Still have about 25 feet of pipe to lay and since the ground is soft it’s actually pretty easy digging. It’s the slope that takes a while. Downslope, of course, (first rule of plumbing) but not too deep to end up lower than the bottom of the ditch. Best get moving as the temps are suppose to get into the 80’s today. Not too hot, but it's been in the 70's for a while now so it may seem more so andI'm on the east side of the tree so full sun. At least it's the morning sun. Also I have things I need to do in addition to that silly pipe during this life.

 

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

[simon1966]

cudaken

 Simon If you drop by today you can help unravel a few Ohm meter mystery's for me. The new Bear Motors I bought seem to be put out a charge when I test them on the Ohm Meter? While my Athearn RTR motors are reading -0.49 the Bears are reading 2.40 amps?

I should be able to make it Ken.  I think you must be reading the thing wrong or something.  If you are just measuring Ohms resistance then a motor will have a resistance value and it will vary according as you turn the motor by hand.   If you are measuring resistance the result is in Ohms not Amps.   Amps is current and you should not be seeing that unless you are applying power and have the meter on the correct scale.

AmanaMedic

Who posted the pics of the aircraft boneyard?? Kinda sad to see all those F-16s, A-10s, and B-52s sitting there all wrapped and forgotten!!!!! Chris

That would be me Chris.   Actually the planes are not forgotten.  AMARG is run like a huge spare parts business.   Some of those planes are in reserve and are in close to combat readiness.  Instruments are stripped and they are sealed against the elements.   They can be recommissioned and put back into active service.  Others are for sale and end up in 3rd world countries.  Others are being stripped for parts and supplied all over the world.   Some are being preserved for historical purposes and others are being kept so that the Russians can inspect them periodically to make sure that they can't still drop nuclear bombs, part of the START treaty I believe.  A lot of people work in that facility, it is quite a hive of activity.

CNCharlie

Simon, you are correct, I am up in Canada. If you are having trouble getting Marmite or HP, just send me a PM. I can easily get it here as virtually all the supermarkets stock it and I could mail some to you next time we are visiting our friends in Minnesota. We will likely be going there in a few weeks.

Ken, that is amazing to have actually flown in a B17. My favourite is the Spitfire. My sentimental favourite is the Halifax probably because Dad flew in one as bomb aimer and assistant pilot. Although he was in the RCAF he flew in an RAF squadron. The Halifax was about the same size as a B17 but  they only flew with a pilot, no co-pilot so he got to assist on take-off and landing.

.CN Charlie

Thanks for the offer Charlie.  I am actually heading to the UK on business  in early July and have a small shopping list so I should be good for the foreseeable future.

Here is the Spit in Chicago.  A real nice very early one that dates from the Battle of Britain.  I had the pleasure of hearing the roar of a the Merlin a couple years back when one flew low over a garden party I was attending.  An unmistakable sound.

A quick look on the web suggests that there are very few Halifax bombers that are still in existence and none still flying.

 

Ulrich continued prayers for your family.  I hope that you are not going to have to be away for too long?

Stan  Thank You for posting the in-progress shot of your artwork.   I think it is fascinating to see how you go about creating your work.   What media are you using.  It looks to opaque to be water color?

Have a great day everyone, I need to go and wash up and get to work having just come back from the bike trail.