ELLIOT'S TRACKSIDE DINER - AUGUST, 2011

[Curt Webb]

Evening All,

I found a cheap solution for my mounting dilemma. I am going to use 1/2 inch PVC end caps that are flat on the top. I painted them a concrete color and I will apply some weathering to them. I also drilled a hole on top to feed the wires through. Cost $1.94. I also made new track pans, painted and glued them down.

I did a video of the layout today. It's pretty bad. My camera here is pretty basic. 

[howmus]

Evenin' Folks!

Flo just a glass of iced tea for the moment.

My sister and the student (Awa) arrived mid afternoon and we have been busy catching up on all kinds of things.  Turns our i was wrong about the student (gotta read my emails better.....), she is from the Ivory Coast and is a graduate student studying accounting.  Lovely girl!  Very fluent in English but doesn't understand all the nuances (my sister had to explain half my jokes to her).  They are out to the informal gathering for my sister's 55th. reunion tonight.

One of the reasons Awa made the trip with my sister is because she found out I am a Model Railroader.  When my sister mentioned it she immediately wanted to know more about it.  My sister showed her some photos I have sent, and seeing the interest she told her if she wanted to come East with her she could see it in person...  We spent an hour or so this afternoon running trains!

Today I have managed to tear apart the old desk assembly and have removed all but the main part of the desk.  Once I get everything done, I will post a before and after photo (if I can find a before...)

OK, back to w*rk!

Later!

73

 

[galaxy]

Hi

evening guys,

RAY- I think we are heading up your way tomorrow to Penn Yan area and Windmill Farm, Craft and MArket!!

I think, that is cuz Depends how my back feels tomorrow. I got injections in the nerves Thursday, so i'm feeling it now! Will feel MUCH better next week. Then it will depend how much my back holds out AT windmill!

Overnight guest guesting at another house tonight, so I'll be able to post early in the AM if we go, we will be up early! Watch this space for AM announcements!

Later

have a great night's sleep!

 

 

 

[blownout cylinder]

Good Evening...

I'm typing this out on our back deck tonight..hardly any mosquitoes or other things and it is nice and dry out!!

I was up to not much of anything tonight what with watching the hummingbirds going after the feeders and each other...we will see what the weekend will bring us in terms of rain and humidity...

Chloe, I'll have a ribeye dinner as well as a RBF please...I'll be at the corner booth...checking for whoopie cushions..find none...aaahh good......sssssshhhhhhhpppplllaaaaatt!!!...oh sigh...someone used the pie catapault  I see......can I have a spatula please...thanks...

[cudaken]

 Evening Folks

 Just dropped by to say HI. Work was pretty good today.

 Talk at you later.

       Ken

[cats think well of me]

Bacon cheeseburger, fries w/salt and a strawberry milk-shake please. Yeah, it's that kind of day.

Getting a call last week from my friend up the street, he asks if I'm looking for a job and I had been at that point, ready to finally finish college (more on that in a moment) worrying about the what's next aspect of college graduation, and I get this call to take a job at a local chewing tobacco factory, one of the last in the city. So, I now have a BA and a good job packing chewing tobacco 4-days a week. It's a full time job and I'm thankful to have it. I've never worked in a factory before so I rather like the atmosphere of old brickwork, old machinery and working a blue-collar job. 

My college degree is finished, at least as far as classwork goes, so now I technically have a degree in English and Sociology. I'll figure out something one day, but for now tobacco packing will work just fine for me. 

Alvie

 

[wetidlerjr]

 

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

 

[tomikawaTT]

Good evening, 1:10 later from a couple of time zones west.

Just stopped by to reset the thread title.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[Anonymous]

Good Morning!

It is Saturday, August 13th, 2011.

On this date 50 years ago, the Berlin Wall was built. An estimated 245 people were killed trying to overcome this wall, the correct figure not being known.

My prayers go out to the victims and their families.

It was quite a busy day yesterday. Reading through all the posts takes some time, but it appears that I miss all the "fun" due to the time difference . My feature on the Japan Railway Modelers of Washington home page kept me quite busy - answering questions. Folks just don´t seem to believe that it does not take many skills to come up with something nice looking. All it takes is an eye for scenery and the right kind of (quality) materials. The key issue, however, that one should accept his/her limitations.

Jeff - congrats on your haul, I hope you get the brass steamer up and running!

Ray - catching all the nuances in a foreign language is a nearly unsurmountable task. More than any other language, the English language allows for playing with words. You need to be a native speaker to catch that. I think I am pretty good, but I still have a hard time to find out when someone takes the mickey out of me 

Out again - CUL and have a good one!

[galaxy]

GOOD MORNING!!

GOOD MORNING!!

GOOD MORNING TO YOU!!

It is Saturn's Day, Saturday, August 13, 2011!!

I think we are going on day trip out RAY'S way... Dunno yet...my back feels OK now, but don't know how much walking I will be able to stand, or how much sitting to get there {about 1.5 hours} I can stand. WE have to go through Watkins GLen, which some of you may know, will be filled with Racing fans this weekend day. We could take the trip a little longer and traips by on the soon-to-be interstate to by-pass it, but dunno....

So You have your self a gorgeous day

{hang, I'm too cheerful this early to stand myself!!}

[LSWrr]

good morning,

All went well at the DDS, going to work on backdrops today for the main room.

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning

Woke up to all kinds of birds outside...including a couple of hummingbirds argying with each other...they were loud!!

Well(not so deep and filled with carp)...need to find a few more boxcars to add to the general mish mash of rolling stock tied to the grain market...this oughta be fun

Flo, I'l just have a coffee for now please..and a breakfast bagel....I'll be at the RC for a bit...

[cats think well of me]

Flo, I'll take a cup of coffee, no cream or sugar, and a couple donuts.

It's early enough so that I still hear crickets outside. Plans for the day include depositing money in my credit union and getting a hair-cut. Later on, a buddy from the south will visit and that makes me happy.

Alvie

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Sir Madog

Jeff - congrats on your haul, I hope you get the brass steamer up and running!

I would get it running if I had any interest in it besides it's value as a paper weight. I don't run steam except for an occasional tourist train and I already have a loco for that. I have an individual on my forum who's expressed an interest in it. I've told him of it's problems and I'm waiting on his answer.

[L&NTim11060]

Good morning all. Well the worm problem is over the company that was hired to rid us of these things did an exellent job. They are coming back to spray one more time.Not going to do to much today may just paint some more boxcars,

[cudaken]

 Morning Folks

 Flo, some coffee please.

 Speaking Of Coffee Bought some of the house brand from Shop and Save, Pretty much sums it up. I am going to try if till Sunday, if it still taste like  I take it back and buy some Maxwell House.

 New Spiff Bed We got is a close out mattress that we will be showing  called "The Wonder". Berry must have got a great deal on them because he is offering a $25.00 spiff. I sure hope I like them, it sure helps selling them if you believe in them!

 Todd Brenda working you to death? Have not seen you for 24 hours now.

 Just in case you don't catch it, here is the link again for NCIS.

http://www.cbs.com/shows/ncis/

 Ulrich Well, how is the Water Fall coming a long?

 Simon You lurking in the back of the dinner? I seen your posting in WFP. Stop by and say hello here at the dinner.

 Well, store opens early today, so i got to run.

             Ken

[cudaken]

 Hum, looks like I am buying this morning.

        Ken

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! Coffee and a breakfast burrito….., on a stick please. Thank you.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 86. West wind between 5 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Curt- I like the video. You’ve come quite a long way in a pretty short time too. Looks good.

Alvie- Congrats on the job. And you are right, a job is a job.

Ken- Thanks. Thanks a lot. That’s all I need…. A link to something to keep me in front of this thing. Luckily though, I spent a HUUUGE amount of time yesterday morn trying to find these videos, but alas I could not so it appears I am safe. I did then remember some sight called Hulu. After sometime figuring THAT thing out (not the smartest guy here) I found only one complete episode. Funny thing, it just linked me back to CBS.com where I could not find them before. Complete with commercials!! If I here that Vodka commercial one more time...... But THAT”S OK! I will be juuuust fine with it on TV.

I also found out, through my wanderings, that season 8, most of which I have not seen and the one I'm looking for to see, will be released on DVD the 23^rd of this month courtesy Wallyworld. Problem solved if I start putting back now.

Hm, I guess we’ve been “Good Morning” for a couple days huh? Wonder how that happens. I see back to Good Morning. But the title on the front page still says Elliot's.. Guess I don't know how these things work. Oh well, I won't lose sleep over it.

Today I am w**king for another kid. Or I guess tonight is correct. So today, I don’t know what I’ll get involved in. I know tomorrow is Veterans Day at the ILL-innoyz STATE Fairrrr, so we will go then. Free admission for card carrying members.

But that is tomorrow. Today I shall at least even up the crunchy brownish green stuff in the yard. Maybe.

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

[tcwright973]

Galaxy -  We could take the trip a little longer and traips by on the soon-to-be interstate to by-pass it, but dunno....

Can you explain further on this "by-pass" of Watkins Glen. I'm not familar with it.

Thanks, Tom

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 79° and mostly cloudy. The high should be 99° (feel like 113°) and it will be mostly cloudy.

Took my parents dogs to the groomers this morning. My father will pick them up later when he gets off work. Yesterday I worked on a couple of the diesel locos i got recently. They're both Athearn's and both had the old black ring magnet motors. I changed out the motor in the PA1 with a modern motor I scavenged from a PB1 that has a broken truck. The motor, mounts and shafts were a near perfect fit but it seems there's an intermittent short in one of the trucks. It runs like a champ on DC but with a decoder attached it stops every time the truck shorts. On the SD45 I tested the old motor and it doesn't pull much power but is still too much of a load for a decoder. I'll have the wait until I can get a new motor for it.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

August 13

Good morning. I am so happy.  It was August 13, 2008, I was "dead". My heart stopped beating six times before the helicopter bought me to the hospital in Nashville, TN. I am thankful for modern medicine for adding three years to my life so far. (This allows me to continue picking on everybody here. )

Ken said it is his turn to pick up the tab, but I bet he won't mind if I take over. Chow down. I'll handle the tab. Celebrate with me.

Our son is coming from CIncinnati today with his young family. If weather cooperates, we'll have a boat ride late in the day.

Cheers.

 

 

 

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Jeff ... Your lighted observation car looks good.

[Curt Webb]

Morning All,

Not much going on here. Last night I ran trains for awhile and did my first switching to pickup cars at the coaling facility. I dropped them off in the stub yard and picked up freight, so I had a good time. Later today I am going to the train club. I picked up 12 hours OT tomorrow. The money will go toward our Sept. cruise.

Jeff- Did the car come prewired or did you put in the lights?

Lee- Glad to hear that the dentist wasn't too bad.

Everybody have a good day.

[Anonymous]

Garry - - second time around!

Two days ago, I poured the water on my bridge module. It took 4 layers to complete, but now it looks OK.

Jeff - no chance to keep the brass loco and get it running again, just as a reserve should your regular rail fan special loco refuse to go to work?

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Sir Madog

Jeff - no chance to keep the brass loco and get it running again, just as a reserve should your regular rail fan special loco refuse to go to work?

No chance. It's too small for that need. I have a member of my forum who has expressed an interest in it. We're working out a price.

EDIT: Looks like the Olympia is sold. My forum member accepted my price.

 

Curt Webb

Jeff- Did the car come prewired or did you put in the lights?

It looks like it pre-wired. I have a set of four. (clerestory roof) RPO, Diner, Coach, Observation. I also have a four car set of Penn Line 60' coaches (clerestory roof). Not lighted but they have the silhouettes in the windows. There are also two 60' Athearn cars (stream liners). An RPO and a coach.

 

Well the motor in the old Athearn SD45 has been changed out. I suddenly remembered that I have a model of the KCS 666. It's an Athearn blue box SD40-2 that I built into the KCS model a couple of years ago. I never intended for it to run. Indeed when it was test run it sounded like two tom cats in a sack and all the noise was coming from the trucks. So there was a perfectly good modern motor doing nothing. I opened up both the SD40-2 and the SD45 and did some quick comparisons. Other than the fact that Athearn for some reason mounted the SD40-2's motor backward (commutator pointing to the rear instead of the front) the motor, flywheels and shafts looked like a perfect match. Changing them out took about twenty minutes. The SD40 had the newer screw in mounts so I used them on the SD45 as well. When I finished I looked at my work with a sense of accomplishment. Then I looked at the wheels of the SD45. Sintered iron. There had to be something better. Once again I went back to the SD40. Nickel silver wheels. Just what I needed. Now there are some things to consider here. The newer Athearn's use (and have used since at least the early 80's) square bronze bearings for a two-fold purpose. They hold the wheels in place and they conduct power from the axles to the truck frame. The older Athearn's (my SD45 included) have metal side frames that conduct power from the axle ends. Also I didn't know if the gears were the same size. I may have to disassemble the wheelsets and reassemble them so they'd fit the SD45. I tried a test first. After wasting thirty seconds figuring out how to get the trucks to let go of the axle ends (the side frames spread apart enough to allow this -- DUH!) I pulled out one the iron wheelsets and pushed in one of the ns wheelsets. It clicked right in. I checked it's meshing  of the gears. Good. Now the acid test. I put the loco on the track and punched in address 00 and put the throttle to forward. The loco ran OK. Good. I changed out the rest of the wheelsets then put the iron wheelsets in the SD40. Not a good fit. They go in but the won't turn. No problem. As I said before. I never intended the model to run. So the SD45 has a new motor that a decoder can handle and it has nice shiny nickel silver wheels. Just to make sure there were no problems I sent tyhe loco on a trip around the layout. Excellent run.

Now for those wondering why I just didn't change the trucks out and avoid that wheel business the answer is. The SD40's trucks aren't compatible with the Old SD45 frame.

 

[twhite]

Morning all from SunnyCal:  Supposed to be in the high 80's for the weekend, we've got some kind of Alaskan thingie hovering around the coast that's keeping our normal summer temps down--but unfortunately causing those Midwestern heat waves at the same time.   I don't know how it works, but normally WE should be around 105 or so this time of year and the rest of the country--well, MOST of the rest of the country--in the 80's.  Not so. 

Well, the big Railyard Project is nearing completion--spent the entire day yesterday in the garage re-laying the track.  It's New and Improved (photos to follow when I get it done--I'm always embarrassed to post 'in-progress' shots).  I've got more staging tracks now, and the engine facility section actually makes SENSE!   Still don't have room for a turntable, have to use my lower return loop as a sort of 'balloon track' to get my locos turned--but that's OK, Southern Pacific used balloon tracks on their Donner Pass line, anyway.   It's a little noisier on the raw foam, but that should hopefully cure itself to a degree as I get the ballast and ground cover on.  Those Peco turnouts are VERY sensitive--ended up having to solder the connections on the entire yard ladder, then tested the track with my lightest (Spectrum 2-10--0) and heaviest locos (the Yellowstones, natch!). and everything works nice and smooth.   So it's Goodbye to my 'roller-coaster' and Hello to some smooth yard-work.  Yay! 

Todd:  Oboy, buddy, did you NAIL us with your "California" comments, LOL!   Those of us who can actually refer to ourselves as "Native" Californians (which means our ancestors arrived here before the post WWII influxes) just kind of shake our heads at the rest of them.  Where DID they come from, and WHY did they choose THIS state, LOL?  And PS:  I cannot ABIDE the taste of Cilantro.  Yuck!!     And no, I'm not going to teach Gay History to my classes this year--of course, I teach at a Catholic high school, so you can imagine how THAT would go over, LOL!

Jeff:  Holy Cow, what a HAUL you made!!   If i'd been following the Diner the past several days, I'd have chimed in with an offer for that brass Pennsy Mogul--that's a cutie!   And as you know, I love tinkering with brass and getting the stuff up and running.  And despite the tender drive, that little Pemco should work pretty darned well for you.   Love that Pennsy observation car.  I don't know if this helps, but the Bowser Pittman DC-70 motor might make a good replacement for the Mantua 2-8-2--it's got the worm gear already attached to the shaft.  But new ones are pretty pricey.  I thought I might have an old one lying around that I could send you, but I don't.  However, I'll keep looking.

Ray:  Was that a TEST on the "Show Me Something" thread, LOL?  I mean about the water column in your photo (terrific photo, BTW )?   I got a kick out of one of the "What's a Water Column?" responses.  But then, I'd probably be the first to ask "What's an ACE-70, or whatever?" 

Ken:  Can you get Peet's Coffee out where you live?  If so, try it.  Beats the tar out of Maxwell House, LOL!  Major Dickensons blend--that'll wake you RIGHT up, buddy!  Nice, full taste, not bitter.

Garry:  BIG congratulations on your "Second Birthday".  I for one, am extremely happy you're still with us!   Long Live the "Q" !

Well, time to hit the garage.  I've got to get as much work as I can done, today, as Chad, my brilliant ex-student who starts college in a week, has challenged me to an on-line game of Bejeweled 3 this evening.  He won 350,000 points in the Diamond Mine game and thinks he can actually BEAT this Old Expert.  Hah!  Little does the boy know-----

Best to all--prayers to those in need.

Tom

[Curt Webb]

Tom- I am like you. I was embarrassed to show my photos here because of the outstanding quality of modeling the diners have, especially as a new modeler with limited skills. I took a chance and everybody was extremely supportive and made some very good suggestions to improve my layout. Based on this I say, go for it. 

[TMarsh]

   I’ve been working on the railroad….Aaaaaall the live long……..past couple hours. Learned something too. Make sure you remove the paper towel strips you laid on the tracks before running a train over that area. Of course it was in a tunnel. Laid them there to keep the plaster from dripping on the tracks so the train would not stall out there. Good thing I did huh?

 

Also set my bridge (vehicle type) and after a bit, I decided the weathering was too faint. Naturally after I set it in place and applied the glue mixture and dirt around the supports, did it appear that way. I’ll live. Aaaand I ran the main bus wires and attached the feeders on the lower level. Have not soldered them yet but the choo choo runes great and maintains a constant speed around whatever part of the world I’m modeling. So, I got that going for me. Runs a bit bumpy, but that’s expected as I haven’t filed the joints down yet.

Tom- Yup we also chuckle at California’s laws. Or should I say USED to. Anymore we grumble because sooner than later the same things work their way East.

Garry- Happy Second Birthday Anniversary! Glad your still around.

Curt- I agree with you on the in progress photo thing. Never have a problem especially in here. Always get good and helpful advice if needed. Never a criticism. Some say there is no difference, I think there is and it’s all in how it’s put. I can take criticism, but there is no reason to get personal. We are ALL learning no matter how long or good we get. Just like education, when you think you know it all, well…can’t say in here, but the phrase contains the term “true idiot”.  

Well (Paul’s is filling up I see though when the rain quits he'll be basking in a ball of sweat from the humidity) I best get outside and level the…..whatever that stuff is dying in the dirt around the house before (gulp) w**k. And I was having so much fun too.

[twhite]

Curt Webb

Tom- I am like you. I was embarrassed to show my photos here because of the outstanding quality of modeling the diners have, especially as a new modeler with limited skills. I took a chance and everybody was extremely supportive and made some very good suggestions to improve my layout. Based on this I say, go for it. 

Curt: 

You're right, of course--I never have any problems posting 'finished' shots--I'm pretty proud of the Yuba River Sub, and I've recieved some really GREAT compliments on it from my fellow modelers.  Let's just say that I get so involved in the construction  work that I leave the camera in the house, LOL!   So anyway, I'll get the Sony out and snap a few photos before I start staining the tracks and putting in the ground cover. 

Of course, just after I said everything runs nice and smooth, one of my Pecos started to act up--naturally after all the connections were soldered--and I was just about to tear it out when I discovered that the little Devil isn't lying FLAT.  It's got a teeny-tiny rise in it right behind the points.  I press it down on the foam and it works fine.  Talk about SENSITIVE!   Oh well, I haven't nick-named this layout the "Murphy's Law & Western" for nothing. 

Tom

[twhite]

Okay, Curt talked me into it, LOL!  And BTW, Curt, don't ever denigrate your own skills--your photos show some EXCELLENT work, IMO. 

Anyhow, here's an overview and mock-up of the New and Improved engine terminal (I have to find a two-stall engine house for the tracks on the far right).

And opposite, the new Staging Yard.  It holds more cars than the old one, but not as many as I'd REALLY like (does any staging yard? ).

So there it is--I'll post photos as it comes along.  I promise.

Tom