Elliot´s Trackside Diner July 2011

[Seamonster]

This may seem like a simple--and silly--question, but when you're making a new post in the Diner and not quoting someone else's post in yours, do you go back to Ulrich's very first post in the thread and "reply" to that one in order to keep your post from being linked to someone else's post or do you just "reply" to the last post?  It may seem trivial, but I've been going back to the first post every time just in case the previous post is deleted for any reason which would also delete my post.  Maybe it doesn't matter?

On a similar subject, I've tried to quote a post in my reply and delete parts of that quote which don't pertain to my reply but I can't do that.  I highlight the part I want to delete but when I hit the "delete" button, my entire reply deletes and vanishes.  What am I doing wrong?

 

[ns3010]

Morning all.

Sorry it's been a few days, but I've been busy with w**k. I ended up getting roped into a double on Tuesday, and I got to play manager for the night shift (and, for the record, things actually went pretty smoothly). I was asked to double up last night (I was already doing the day), but I said THAT I couldn't. Instead, I went to see Harry Potter...

On the train side of things, I got my Zephyr on Sunday (but haven't had much time to play with it). In the little time THAT I have had, I was able to program a few CV's into my genset (which now w**ks BTW! ). Since I don't have a layout (or even some track) down here, I've just had to take some wires from the terminals to the wheels, but THAT's fine. Can't wait to bring it up north and get it connected to the layout! (whenever THAT is... probably not for three weeks, though...)

Other than THAT, not a whole lot is going on around here (not much time for anything else). I'm off today, but I have to do something for my mom (I'm not even sure what it is) most of the day, and then the various stuff I have to do tonight. I should be able to make it in again later, though.

Hope all is well with you guys.

See ya,

-Joe

Tony Macrie (left), owner of the Cape May Seashore Lines, talks with us inside Tuckahoe tower.

 

[Cox 47]

Good Morning All....Its sunny and 78 here..posta be 98...I'll have coffee and toast please...Thank You...Been doing some figuring looks like I may have 28 by 82 inches  for new layout...You all have a good one...Jerry

[Seamonster]

Good morning, all.  I'll just have a big cup of hot coffee, please.  All this talk about coffee has got me thirsty.

Howmus:  I agree with you 100% about styrofoam cups.  I won't use them if there's any other way.  What gets me is that coffee shops will try to serve you coffee in a styrofoam or paper cup even if you're drinking it inside at a table.  I have to tell them specifically that I want my coffee in a mug.  They've got the mugs, in different sizes even, but I still have to ask for one.  Maybe they just don't like washing dishes.  Your comment about your own personal mug at camp reminded me of back when I was working, our department was kind of isolated from the rest of the building and its cafeteria and we had our own coffee maker so I had my own cup at my desk and could get a cup of coffee whenever I wanted.  After we moved to a smaller building of our own with a small cafeteria we weren't allowed to have our own coffee makers, but I kept my mug and took it with me to have my tea in at lunch time.  I had what was considered a stressful job and my mug had this printed on it:  "STRESS  The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's basic desire to choke the living (daylights) out of some (person) who desperately deserves it."  [I had to censor it a bit.]  My favourite mug now is one that my eldest granddaughter gave me years ago that has a face painted on it with a nose moulded onto the face.  I guess it gets favourite status because of who gave it to me.

Tim:  A friend of mine has a Keurig coffee maker.  It makes good coffee and there sure are a wide variety of flavours to choose from.

Speaking of flavours, has anyone tried those flavoured powdered creamers, or "powdered cow" as a friend of mine calls it?  I bought a couple of different flavours a long time ago, but don't use them any more.  Should try using them again.  The vanilla flavour wasn't bad.

Todd:  I know what you mean about waking up in the middle of the night.  I can get back to sleep right away after a bathroom trip (I'm not sure I even wake up completely) but if an external event wakes me up, I take a long time to get back to sleep.  Many years ago when I was a field technician, I would be on call for a week once a month.  Oh, how I hated those middle of the night phone calls!  I don't think I even completely woke up until I had driven out to the job site 5 miles away.  Then when I got back home I had a heck of a time getting back to sleep.  At least I could come in to work 2 hours late, or later if the callout took longer than 2 hours, but it seemed that I used up that 2 hours trying to get back to sleep.

Your comments about your mother's keeping a pot of coffee going for a day or so reminded me of my late sister.  She was a heavy tea drinker, and there was always a big pot of tea keeping warm on her stove.  I don't think it ever stayed on the stove long enough to get excessively strong before she would have consumed it all and had to make another pot.

Okay, time to go run an errand then it's off to the dentist again.  I don't think I'll ever get used to this denture, but I've got to do it.

Oops, I see I hit the top of the page again.  Breakfast is on me.  Good thing the pension cheque came in today!

 

[cudaken]

 Morning Folks

 Flo, Coffee Please

 Got the front a rear yard cut Wednesday. While the rear yard did need cutting, it was not as bad as Sue made it sound.

 No Beer Or Diet Dew for over 24 hours. Man, I miss the beer, all I thought about was getting some beer after 3:00 PM. This is going to sound real silly, reason I wanted some beer so badly was because it is something to do!  When I run trains, I drink beer, when I work on trains, I drink beer, when I am in the dinner (PM), I drink beer, watch TV on the Puter, I drink beer.

 So last night I was hardly in the train room / garage because there was no beer. When I am in he house, I don't want a beer, go figure. So I spent most of the day in font of the TV, 200 + channels of nothing I wanted to watch.

 I was not having with withdrawals, shacking or any of the other (systums Spell Check can't find the right word)  a alcoholic would have, so I am not worried about that. (Of course my wife for year's said I was alcoholic because I drank beer everyday)

 My big hurtle will be tonight! I am going to BBQ, and I think it is against the law in IL to BBQ with out ! 

 Instant Coffee Front I just added a small dash of salt to the coffee, bitter after taste is pretty much gone! I have heard that before, and you folks confirmed what I heard and it is not myth.

 Home A/C Front Well, the window unit is doing what I hope in the fact the Central Unit is shutting down! It will still get warm in the house between 4:00 and 6:00 PM when the sun is hitting the unshaded west side. By 8:00 PM it is cool again.

 To help the A/C units out today I am going to install some of the plastic window film on the east side of the house. On the west side, I am going to partially cover some windows with Pink Foam Board left from my layout. The sun beats down and into the family room.

 Well, I am willing to bet I sat a new record for the word Beer in a single posting.

 See you all later today.

         Ken

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It;s 74° and partly cloudy. The high will me 93° (feel like 108°) and there will be a 50% chance of rain this evening.

We got some rain yesterday. Tuesday and Wednesday rainfall amounts come to a combined one inch of rain. Not much for this part of the country but it's something.

My brother in law brought me the hard drive and a floppy disk from his parents computer last night. It was hoped that I would able to retrieve any information on them. Can't get anything from the hard drive as it's dead. It didn't even click when I put power to it. That tells me the board on it is dead, so there's no point wasting additional time on it. It's just an 18 ounce paper weight. I'll check out the 3.5" floppy later. I don't have a floppy drive here but my parents have a high speed USB floppy drive that will work with virtually any MSDOS based computer. I'll copy it to an SD card. That's something his computer can read.

[blownout cylinder]

YGW:  The photo came from a Russian railroad that was abandoned a few decades ago...the townsite in the photo is kind of interesting to me..nature quickly taking back the land the town was on...

[TMarsh]

LSWrr

 Todd if you go to sea the cooks put salt in the grounds to make the coffee last all day without going bitter. 

Lee- You know, since you put it that way, I bet that is why she did it. Mom did make a pot of coffee and only drink a cup or two a day and then turn the warmer plate off. Then, if / when she wanted another cup, she would just nuke it. She'd use the one pot for two, maybe three days. Just depends on how it lasted volume wise. As close to that perpetual pot of coffee on the back of the wood stove as she could get I suppose. On the second or third day, dishwater was an accurate description, but I do not recall it being bitter.

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! Coffee please. No I’m not gonna tell you girls how to make it. Seems you get it perfect every time. Oh and a Sweet Roll please. Warmed and topped with a slab of puuure butter. Oh thaaaaank you, thank you thank you thank you. (wipes slobber from corner of mouth)

Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 103. Last day for feels like temps over 100 for what looks like at least a couple days.

Paul- Congrats on all the record breakings. Now it’s time for some relief. Sounds like you guys are holding up fairly well. I hear all sorts are not.

Ulrich- Congrats on the night’s sleep! Ironically, last night I was up at 1:30 and did not get back to sleep until almost 4.

Always been this way, If I wake up on my own in the middle of the night for whatever reason, bathroom, just wake up for a second or two for who knows why, I usually can fall back to sleep within seconds or at least a minute or two. But if I am awakened by an outside source, and especially if I have to respond, then I am awake and just cannot seem to fall back asleep for some time. I regret it later in the day too, as I have a hard time sleeping during the day. Not that I can’t or don’t, but it takes a while for me to fall asleep, thereby giving someone ample time to decide it’s time to talk to Todd via the phone. THAT usually happens about 5 minutes after I finally get to sleep. EVERY TIME! ......And you wonder why I hate the phone.

Brenda awoke at about 1:30 (reason I awoke) and went back to the horse piddle. I then tossed and turned til after four when I finally fell back to sleep. I then woke at 6 and she was here. Said she just got back. She is going to w**k today at least for a little while. The annual stock holders meeting and dinner is tonight, so I will not be attending my w**k either in favor of a free dinner. In the meantime, I will mow our yard and only visit Mom’s to empty the dehumidifier today.

IF I get to play with my trainset, I will be sure to let you know.

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

[LSWrr]

Good Morning All,

Dennis, congratulations on paying off the house!

 

Yougottawanta; no but I should, LOL!

 

Todd if you go to sea the cooks put salt in the grounds to make the coffee last all day without going bitter.

 

Pouring down rain this morning, but I hear the weekend will be great…

[yougottawanta]

Flo Can I have some of THAT  that has been on the burner half the night. Sure I like it like THAT. MOH calls it "construction worker " aaaaah boy that hits the spot. So strong it makes your tongue stand at attention and slap the roof of your mouth ! Have some breaking news !

MOH has told me she wants to move her hobby area out of my train room and do away with the guest room and convert THAT to a doll house hobby room ! THAT will add about another hundred sqaure feet for future expansion !

jeffrey-wimberly

Dennis: Congratulations on making the last payment on your house. Now you have more model railroad money, or does the wife already have plans?

Jeff -  you are right ! Wow just think about all of the MRR stuff one can buy once the Mortgage is paid off! Wow I bet a person could afford some brass then!

Blownout cylinder - Where the heck is THAT picture taken,. the one with the field of house that are rotting away. What a waste ! I bet Galaxy would have liked one of those , finished of course.

L&NTIM - Keurig what ? Never heard of those ? What does it do different?

Ulrich - that one of the great things about model railroading. It is adjustable. If one doesnt like or something doesnt work then one can start over.

Well its to get to work. Talk to you later ,

 

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning..

Had a good night of rain be falling on our heads..now everything is not so brown/yellow and dried out...

 

We are going to clear up later on this morning and have a 40% chance of those ol' t'underin'boomers for the rest of the day..later on the showers and t'understorms will pop right back up and give us more rain

I did end up with a bunch of tortoises ...tortoisii?...as well...they are good. 

Flo, I'll just have a Kona Dark Roast and a breakfast wrap please...I'll be at the RC for a bit...

[L&NTim11060]

Cudaken.. I have a Keurig coffee maker. I,ve had it for about 4 years now and I have never had a bad cup of coffee. It makes one cup at a time so the coffee is not sitting around all day. I found that coffee that does sit for a long time tastes nasty Curt thanks for the site on the tortise machines. The 12 pack is a bargin....Oh by the way good morning all.

[Anonymous]

Good Morning Folks!

What a wonderful feeling - for the first time in months I did not wake up in the middle of the night! I feel refreshed this morning.

Zoe, coffee and a breakfast bagel, please, but hold the artificial flavor - that stuff is bad! The moment you have a sweet taste on your tongue, your brain tells you "hey, there is sugar coming" and makes your body to produce insulin, which is not needed. Better to stay away from it!

I have learned an important lesson in building THAT module. I did not plan it with a layout in mind, but more as an individual diorama. Aside from the mistake with the straight upper edge, I should have watched a little more how it is integrated into the rest of the layout. I am glad I can correct that to some  extent.

There are a few major and minor changes I will make. I just hope they work out!

Dennis - congratulations on being the owner of your own house now. I never made that and had to go through foreclosure. After paying for more than 20 years, All I ´d have needed were another 2 years, but it did not work out -

Well, have a good one - I´ll be back later!

 

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

[Paul W. Beverung]

Evening Gang: It's after 10pm and still hotter then you know where. This is day 26 of 100+ heat and no end in sight. There is a tropical storm forming in the gulf that may head our way. Right now I'm enjoying the new window AC unit in my office. The old one stopped working when it became infested with ants. I'm hoping that the ant spray is going to work. It's supposed to last for a couple of months.

Nothing to report on the MRRing front. It's too hot even in the basement. I will get back down there soon to continue the clean-up. I did clean a portion of the main line last week. The rest will come when I get the stuff off the layout. When I do get running again I need to look into a DCC system. They are so many and all confusing to this old knot head.

Well I think I'll head for bed.

Good Night All

[TMarsh]

Nothing thank you just checking in for a bit.

WELL! I’m sure glad Tom described Starbucks as he did. I was beginning to think I had “uneducated taste buds” like I do with wine.

Ken- Just had a thought. Mom used to put just a dash of salt in the dry grounds in the basket before she ran water through it. Don’t remember why, but it may take some of the edge off it. (edit: oh I see she wasn't the only one) She, and we, have a Bunn and I must say the coffee tastes a bit different with that coffee maker than the traditional drip type coffee makers. Of course they ain’t that cheap either, but I like them the best. Oh, now I see you are drinking instant. (I really need to read farther along before making comments (chuckle)) Sorry, not much you can do with that beast. I don’t really care for the stuff myself. Try a different color sweetner. Sometimes one doesn’t agree with a person like another does depending on what they put it in. May help. And by the way, I’ve been trained that that is NOT nagging....., it's reminding.

Ulrich- Personally I like the waterfall, but I don’t necessarily think it needs the waterfall. But if you go for it, think of Ray's idea of off centered . As for your modeling skills, I think you have that covered. You don’t have to get it right the first time either. That thing isn’t gonna explode if you have to have a do over or two. Mine’s still standing and with the mistakes I’ve had to correct, you should have seen the explosion over there if it did. Have you given any thought to the hillside being a bit shorter? Just a thought.

Jeff- Casey’s (little circle with an R in it) coffee works real well on removing the first layer of skin from you lower lip as well as the tar from your bumpers. Just thought you might be interested in case you need either removed. Doesn’t do half bad on keeping the Mud daubers away either.

Dennis- Congrats on being a real Home OWNER.

MIL is running a fever now (expected, but not really wanted) and is building up fluids, (really not wanted) we’ll see what happens over night. Brenda will be back home for a couple hours rest then go back up late tonight and spend the rest of the night up there, so I best be getting uptown to get a pizza for her when she gets here lest she hurt me.

[howmus]

Evenin' folks!

Janie I'll have the BBQ Chicken a couple ears of fresh picked sweet corn, and a trip to the salad bar.  Add a cup of fresh brewed decaf to THAT if you would.

Seamonster

Howmus:  I use artificial sweetener in my coffee and tea as a concession to my high blood sugar.  Considering what else I eat, that's being hypocritical but that's another story.  Anyway, I tried Stevia once.  It was disgusting!  Couldn't use it after a couple of times.  But, to each his own.

Hi Bob!  I think we both have similar tastes in coffee.  I fresh grind dark roast beans every morning and run it through the drip machine.  Nice rich smooth taste!  I have heard about the salt trick and have used it at times when camping...  I'll get the shaker out tomorrow and see if it makes it even better.  I agree with you about some of the early forms of Sweet leaf THAT showed up in the states.  I bought both the powder and the liquid.  The liquid I couldn't make anything taste sweet no matter how much I put in.  The early powder was a bit better but just wasn't right.....  I found a brand (now that the FDA has allowed it to be sold as a sweetener rather than a "Food Additive" in Natural Food Stores and the like only) called Truvia.  It is granulated like sugar and is much, much better.  If you get the chance to try it do.  It also does not raise the glycemic index like the chemical sweeteners like aspertame and that stuff they make from as a side chemical of the paint manufacturing industry...  (which is actually safer than aspertame).

One other thing about having a great cup of coffee....  Serve it in either a glass or ceramic mug!!!  Styrofoam will always make coffee taste BAD!  Makes it bitter and off flavor... every time.  I hate to think what it is THAT is dissolving from the styrofoam into what is being consumed, but I bet it isn't good in any way or shape!  I have even tried having one cup in my reserved ceramic mug at Boy Scout camp, followed by another cup in a styrofoam cup....  Major difference even from the same pot of coffee!  There is so much that used to taste so much better than it does today....  Read the ingredients on the label and I bet you might figure out why.....

Started making the first half of the roof for the Engine House this afternoon.  Got it cut and stained for weathering.  By the end of the evening I should have it installed.  Tomorrow I will add the metal rooing and do some weathering of THAT.  I am also making a list of scratch built buildings I have done to see what I have toward the NMRA AP Structures Certificate.  I think I may have 2 or 3 good enough for Merit Awards....  I will need 6 merit awards and 12 buildings total (at least 6 have to be scratch built and the others can be highly detailed kits of some kind).

Later!

73

[Curt Webb]

Evening All,

Not much happening here at w**k right now. Tomorrow I need to get a haircut then go to Lowe's to get the wood for my back drop. Hopefully I will have it up tomorrow. It is nothing fancy (Scenic Express Industrial background) If successful picture to follow.

Todd- I am glad your MIL's surgery went well.

Dennis- Congrats on paying your house off.

Everyone have a good night.

[Seamonster]

Dennis:  Congrats on paying off your mortgage.  It sure is a good feeling, isn't it.  Free at last!  Be careful of the flames at your mortgage burning party.

Howmus:  I use artificial sweetener in my coffee and tea as a concession to my high blood sugar.  Considering what else I eat, that's being hypocritical but that's another story.  Anyway, I tried Stevia once.  It was disgusting!  Couldn't use it after a couple of times.  But, to each his own.  Obviously, you like it and I'm sure many others do too.  I agree with you that the coffee at convenience stores is insipid dishwater and I rarely drink it.  Even restaurant and coffee shop coffee can range from weak and mild to strong and bitter.  And they all claim they and they alone use only the best beans and brew it just right.  Hogwash.  If you want a good cup of coffee, make it yourself from freshly ground beans.  One trick I use is to put a little sprinkle of salt on top of the grounds in the coffee maker.  Takes the bitterness out.  And I use only a dark roast blend.  This is making me thirsty.  Gotta go.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Dennis: Congratulations on making the last payment on your house. Now you have more model railroad money, or does the wife already have plans?

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good afternoon.. 

The KY lakeside model railroaders (Gus, Dan, Ed, and myself) had lunch in town today to swap lies. 

Dennis ... Congrats on paying off the house!.Debt-free is the only way to be in my opinion. 

Ray ... I really like the photos of the  great scenery.

Ulrich ... You have made great progress on the modules in short time. 

Too much non-model railroad stuff for me today. Not much layout progress. 

September MR features a great layout of a good friend of mine in MI. Dan Lewis is the pastor who married Shelley and I plus he is a great N-scale modeler. I have seen both his old layout and his present layout and have participated in a few operating sessions. You can view parts of the layout and see a great video pf it in this website. 

 

 

[Train Master]

Ulrich I am with Jeff. I think it is better without the waterfall

Ditto! Same here.

[yougottawanta]

Good evening all. Crazy day at w**k yesterday,I threw a City site inspector off the site . Normally not a very good plan of action. I know this is going to hurt later. But he just would not listen to reason. He wanted to inspect stuff outside of his scope of authoritity. I told him politely that he could not inspect that stuff.Then I went away to do something else and when I came back around he was inspecting and directing my crews! That was the last straw. I invited him to leave and when he would not called his supervisor ,then he left. Next ensued an e-mail war. After which I invited his superviser out to the site and we had a discussion this morning. After we argued for an hour he finally admitted he had no authoritity in that area,. Unbelievable !  The day ended with some young ladies using our parking lot as a turn around and backing over a three foot high pot with a shrub in it and pushing that into our sales office door. The reaction from our sales person was classic! . He came outside thru the broken door with the mannerisms of Steve Martin yelling "you ran into my door !" what a day!

Dennis - congrats to paying the house off

Ulrich I am with Jeff. I think it is better without the waterfall

Tom - are you NUTS ! Taking in a teenager again! He will eat you out of house and home and then eat the house ! Better get a second job to buy groceries for THAT horse.

LsWerr - Man you live dangerous , talking about ex wives ? Do you sleep with one eye open ?

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

 

Sir Madog:

 

Hi Ulrich,

I think you are on the right track now.

I would gently make two slight curves in the backdrop to the right. (not too much) just enough to get away from that straight line up there. As it then gets close to the right rear corner I would install a slim but out standing waterfall at that point.  Maybe even a two staged waterfall. That would accentuate that the outcropping of that rock is significant to the point that the water has not worn it away much and of course your railroad had to go through it.

I say go for it.  Love what you have done so far.

By the way, forgot to pass on our congratulations to you and Petra on your big day.   Glad you folks got out for a special luncheon. My wife and I will celebrate 38 years this November.

Seems to have gone very quickly.

 

Bill Tidler,old boy,

Never let it be said that I didn't like the waitresses that you have hired,  cause I sure do.  But I'm okay with your new fare as well. Watermelon and RBFs  or ice cream and lemonade are great in this weather.  I'll think about what Specials you should have for the off summer seasons.

Hey Guys take a look at my post count.   After my next one I'll no longer be in the tree didgets.

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

[wetidlerjr]

*****

[howmus]

Afternoon folks!

Flo, I'll take a RBF to cool me off.

Just finished up the front lawn.  Sure is nice to have a lawn mower THAT w*rks right.  I find THAT even the 10 -12 lbs. I have lost it is easier to walk behind the mower and not get tired out.  Actually if I trust my scales, they say I have lost about 15 so far.  I feel more like getting a bit of exercise these days so THAT helps too.

Dennis, My congratulations on owning the house free and clear.  Nice feeling, yes?

Sir Madog

 

That last module requires more than just some touch up w*rk, I am afraid. Does not look good to me!

Ulrich, I think what looks "wrong" is that the top of the hillside at the back is straight and level.  nature doesn't often seem to do THAT....  I agree lowering the back to be a long valley in the mountains would be an improvement.  I do think that a mountain waterfall would look very nice in there as well.  Those modules are nice!

73

[cudaken]

Dennis Congrats On Paying Off Your House!

[Anonymous]

Folks,

I am getting confused, i.e. I cannot make up my mind! A rare occasion!

Here is what I will do: I will make the cut and round off the upper edge, add the detail to the module that´s still missing and then re-visit the issue of the waterfall. Should it be still an option, I am going to add it.

How does that sound?

I put all four modules together now:

That last module requires more than just some touch up w*rk, I am afraid. Does not look good to me!

[LSWrr]

Ulrich,

 

I second what Ray said, the water effects you can lay it out on a non-stick cookie sheet, let it dry then peel it off and place it on the module. If you’re lacking in skills you can do it several times on the cookie sheet until you get the desired results.