Looks like I am at the top of the page. Free Sushi for everyone!
Maybe they will think I am a Buddha or a Sumo Wrestler and hire me!
Hum, Sue is not in a good mod, that is odd!
Ken
I hate Rust
Morning folks, very windy saturday morning here. gusts around 35 knots.
JimCG: I assumed as much, Australia post is much the same. Says it's left, then it's been signed for. Slightly frustrating!
It hasn't updated since monday morning US time, it is somewhere between Chicago and Brisbane, Oz. Here is what the track info says:
Looks like we'll be doing a trip or two today to the dump. Hope to do some MR work later this afternoon and tonight.
Just about to add a couple of images to WPF.. Check 'em out!!
TTFN
James, Brisbane Australia
Modelling AT&SF in the 90s
James- I had a CMX track cleaning car delivered about a month ago that the USPS showed as delivered on their website 24 hours before it was.
Ray- Congratulations on your 2 merit awards. What kind of paperwork do they want to see on them?
Ken- I really like Sushi. I developed a taste for it while stationed in Hawaii. MOH not so much.
Curt Webb
The Late Great Pennsylvania Railroad
http://s1082.photobucket.com/albums/j372/curtwbb/
Curt Webb Garry- did you hand paint your backdrop? It looks terrific.
Garry- did you hand paint your backdrop? It looks terrific.
Yes, Curt. Thanks for the comment. I used household flat latex paint. White and two shades of blue.
Here's an early picture while I was painting. If a cloud did not look right, I waited until it dried, and then I used the three colors to change it.
OZ Jim ... Any country will sometimes delay packages at customs (even "Oz") ... All you amy do is wait while the package sits inside a full shipping container.
JimCG ... Thanks for the comments.
Cheers, everybody.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
LSWrr Sue, did you see the ELK RIVER LOGGING layout I posted last week?
Sue, did you see the ELK RIVER LOGGING layout I posted last week?
Sorry I didn't respond. You know I soak up all the logging stuff. We have had a very busy layout push, trying to get the staging yard workable.
I didn't make it in to the diner for morning coffee, but did place a Walther's order before I left for the seminar.
Jim, My climbing trip is rescheduled for October 8/9 due to the heat. If we are lucky it will still be nice. The log camp buildings that Larry used are Rslaser kits.
Garry, Union Station scene is great. Did you use background buildings or are those photos?
Sue
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
Sue ... Thanks for the comment. The buildings in the corner are flats, and much of the wall on the left is commercially made back drops for HO scale layouts. Those included a sky, and I blended my painted sky onto them.
Chips with black bean dip, please.
***Ken, if that mini van doesn't have 500,000 miles on it and the engine and tranny is OK, that sounds like a decent price. They are great for hauling larger stuff when it's raining. We use our inherited caravan as a secondary farm vehicle for everything smaller than a round bale.
I got 8 post holes dug while my wife did some target shooting. No, she wasn't shooting at me. She was at the other end of our property. Tomorrow she will help me set the posts.
Had a scare last night when that same old spot on my pectoral started swelling up. Last time I ended up in the hospital. This time after taking a combo of anti-inflamatories, it went dwon on it's own over night. Whew!
No train time yet. But we do enjoy seeing layout pics here in the Diner. Keep 'em coming folks.
Cheers! Rob
OZJim: A couple of times I ordered something from Musicians Friend and found a UPS tracking from their warehouse to Milwaukee WI, thence to New York city, then to Harrisburg PA, then to Miami FLA...before it got to Toronto ON...
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Good Evening..
Seems pretty quiet tonight here...been doing a few things with the layout that needed done..one being straightening out the overabundance of stuff that tends to accumulate onto any horizontal surface here..
Chloe, I'll just have a refill on the RBF please..
Good Evening All,
Been an interesting couple of days. Got to Watkins Glen before the levee failed in Binghampton driving through heavy rain. Set up the awnings in said pouring rain and finshed up the next morning. We've been up here on the hill since which feels strange doing a race as everything around us is a mess but thats what we get paid to do. Hope G is ok as he got hammered hard. Not sure how we'll get home as the road back is blocked. Guess we'll figure that out Sunday night. Catch y'all later. J.R.
Evenin' folks!
Janie, I think a cup of decaf to go along with a hot fudge sundae would do me very well right now...
Curt Webb Ray- Congratulations on your 2 merit awards. What kind of paperwork do they want to see on them?
Thanks Curt! I emailed the guy in charge of the judging and he says the model is definitely worth every point they gave me.... they will work out between the 2 of them... The paperwork for the item is a bit complex, but gives the examiner (or judge if entered in an NMRA contest) a basis for awarding complexity points in several areas. The model is compared to a matrix which is partly how difficult was the model to build, and how well was it done. An easy structure can be limited in how many points they can award, placing a much stronger emphasis on how well it is made. The categories are:
Construction (40 pts): The basis of the model. Is it a complete scratch build, partial, craftsman kit, Major modification of a kit, etc.? What were the construction techniques. Did the modeler draw his own plans? Did he use published or commercial plans, or come from an article? How much cutting and fitting in various materials was involved, etc.
Detail (20 pts): Describe complexity, difficulty, refinement, & quantity of detail parts. Were the details scratch built or commercial?
Conformity (25 pts): Describe prototype design. Include documentation.
Finish and Lettering (25 pts.): Weathered, hand lettered, decals, dry transfers, spray, airbrush, dry brush? Describe methods and materials.
Scratch Built (15pts): List all parts; note special refinements.
I will be rewriting the paperwork for the 2 that received Merit Awards to better describe what was done. The paperwork is one thing that keeps some modelers from trying to get the certificates.... But, is very much necessary to document for others all the way up the line who have to approve it. Rather like the paperwork needed for By Scout Merit Badges, keeps us honest! I should have been doing the paperwork as I did the model, it would have been much easier in the long run. I am a slow learner sometimes.
Oz Jim, If I put a letter in the mail to my next door neighbor, the letter will go to the local post office where it is sorted, then to Rochester 50 miles away, where it is canceled and then sorted into a group to be sent to Syracuse, where it is sorted and then sent to Geneva, where it is sorted and will go out on the same truck as picked it up most likely to be put into the mail box of a different neighbor who will then in a few days drop it off to my neighbor...... Or he may draw some circles and arrows stating that it was delivered to the wrong mailbox where upon the same truck picks it up from his mailbox and it once again goes through the entire route. Sooner or later it will eventually find its way into my neighbors mailbox and she will drop it on her driveway as she goes to the house. Her husband will find it when he mows the lawn.... Hopefully before he runs over it. Sounds simple to me..... Make sense? One of my NMRA Members is waiting on a certificate that he completed about 6 months ago. It took 4 months to get it to the guy in Canada who had to approve the application and then send it to national where it receives final approval. They then print the certificate and send it back to Canada for the guy there to sign, put it in a frame, and mail it out to the guy here in NYS... It was mailed from Toronto, Canada about 2 months ago, and he has yet to see it. He is not happy! I think it is stuck at the border awaiting approval (to make sure it doesn't explode or something) to ship to the local post office here where it then goes to Rochester...... Never mind! Somehow as the Superintendent of the Division this all becomes my fault you know......
[edit] JR if you ended up stranded in Watkins and have time on your hands, you are always welcome to drive up to where I am and get a tour of the SLOW.....
Later!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Evening all! Just a RBF for me, maybe a hot fudge sundae later... Just spending a little time relaxing here at the house while Amy works on disassembling a double stroller that she just picked up at her consignment sale this evening...its fun and funny to watch her....
JimCG, yeah she's getting big, almost 2 now....she likes trains, but as of right now she doesn't like the noise (guess she's not going to be a fan of airshows either)
Ken, the Aerostar is a good van, kinda like a Chevy Astro van, its based on the Ford Ranger chassis, is rear-wheel drive, and can haul a pretty good bit of stuff (and all of this is being said by someone whom is NOT a Ford person). On the fish place, no I don't think that lying would be a good idea, but having outside input to help you make a decision is completely ok in my book.
Well (still full, frogs swimming around happy) I think I'm going to check out everything else, then pop back in and have that sundae.
Good Evening!
Another hot day here in Winterpeg. It was in the high '80s and is supposed to stay that way until Monday when the temp will start dropping to the normal this time of year which is about 65F. No rain though so we are now over 2 months with hardly any.
Ken, we had sushi tonight for supper. We often get it for take-away on a Friday night. We had a Baku Dan roll, Dynamite Roll, beef teriyaki roll and a umeku maki roll. I had a look at the menu and that seems to be more of a high end Japanese restaurant as opposed to a sushi place which are usually fairly simple affairs at least up here. We do like Japanese food. Not fond of the squid though. Stay away from wasabi though unless you like hot and I do mean hot.
Not much to report on the RR front except that I am finally starting to get ready to put down the cork roadbed and the risers for the incline on my door layout. I put up one of those plug in flourescent light fixtures and it really helped with the lighting. At least I can now see what I'm doing.
Ray , congrats on those Merit awards. To me your layout is a work of art. Any award should just be a formality.
Hope everyone is well,
CN Charlie
Told ya I'd be back. I'll have that hot fudge sundae now and then its off to bed for me. This weekend is my w**rking weekend, so I'll be there today and tomorrow, gotta get a little rest.
Goodnight and prayers to all.
Good Morning Gang!
In terms of weather, this will not be a pretty weekend. It´s overcast, with the odd spell of r*in expected, windy, and the temperatures not exceeding 60 F. This has been the most miserable summer I remember!
I will have plenty of MRRing time today and tomorrow. After w*rking down the weekend HD list, I have scheduled a run to our home improvement place to get some pieces of strip lumber. I decided to build that highway overpass from strip wood, takes the same amount of time as making the parts from Styrofoam, probably looks better and - if it works out nicely, will be there to stay. No chance to get that Rix Product highway overpass here in Germany for anything below $ 65 - out of reach!
Janie, coffee and a stack of hot cakes & maple syrup, please.
Ray - congratulation on those two merit awards! Your model work is just . Garryy´s and your layout just intimidate me and make me feel what I am - a mediocre guy doing mediocre work
Ken - while working for Toshiba Electronics in the 1980´s, I spent some time in Japan, where I had to eat plenty of Sushi. Believe me, I had my fill of it In a top-notch place, it can be quite nice, though. Good luck with the upcoming interview!
Stan - I think the picture of your recent painting beats the all
Well, I must be getting ready to start the day - have a good one!
Afternoon all,
Well I guess I can give up on the track and trace updating until it turns up.
Howmus: Your story made me laugh, I'm sure is actually quite true though, it certainly decribes Australia Post well.
Curt: That gives me alot of confidence
Garry: Australia is pretty good on customs, we deal alot with them at work as we import bathroom products and they are not too restrictive. The last few orders I used UPS both from MTS and B&H photo video and the 3-4 day delivery has spoilt me I think, Just need to be patient and wait.
Well I'm going to do some work on the layout now.
Good Morning..
Well, I'm up and getting ready for the weekend seminars and on-call..with 2 of us on-call it will amke it easier on me to actually get some of this other stuff done...
I just might get a chance to go to the Home Desperate to pick up some foam and other stiff for the layout...
Flo, I'll have a coffee for now please..I'll be at the RC for a bit...
Good Morning!! Just coffee please thanks. Gotta make this quick. Don’t have time to get caught up on the happenings of yesterday, the Fall Festival starts at 10 and there is much setup to do. According to Brenda, we were supposed to have been uptown at about 0600 local time. I said “Gee Honey, you didn’t get up until 6” That didn’t go over well. Why don’t I think before I speak. I am walking on eggshells today, not because of anything I did or did not do…, yet, but because of the weather. It’s been dryer than an expulsion of intestinal gas caused by eating popcorn for two months or more, and it chooses to rain yesterday and today. A misty sprinkle drizzle. It is supposed to rain today also with a better chance than yesterday. The NWS and the Weather Channel differ tomorrow, but NOAA says sunny and dry for the rest of the week. Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!
Good Morning!! Just coffee please thanks. Gotta make this quick.
Don’t have time to get caught up on the happenings of yesterday, the Fall Festival starts at 10 and there is much setup to do. According to Brenda, we were supposed to have been uptown at about 0600 local time. I said “Gee Honey, you didn’t get up until 6” That didn’t go over well. Why don’t I think before I speak.
I am walking on eggshells today, not because of anything I did or did not do…, yet, but because of the weather. It’s been dryer than an expulsion of intestinal gas caused by eating popcorn for two months or more, and it chooses to rain yesterday and today. A misty sprinkle drizzle. It is supposed to rain today also with a better chance than yesterday. The NWS and the Weather Channel differ tomorrow, but NOAA says sunny and dry for the rest of the week.
Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!
Todd
Central Illinoyz
In order to keep my position as Master and Supreme Ruler of the House, I don't argue with my wife.
I'm a small town boy. A product of two people from even smaller towns. I don’t talk on topic….. I just talk.
Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
TMarshIt is supposed to rain today also with a better chance than yesterday. The NWS and the Weather Channel differ tomorrow, but NOAA says sunny and dry for the rest of the week.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Good morning. It's 64° and sunny. The high will be 89°.Well today will be the beginning of the end of the Monon name on my BL2. The Monon paint will be left intact for the most part but the Monon name and herald will be painted over and the L&A patched in on the side of the cab. Two Stewart Santa Fe F unit shells will be getting a dunk in alcohol today providing something else doesn't get in the way. Time for the yellow on blue cigar stripe to bite the dust. No plans as yet for the classic SF war bonnet on the E7. I have to find another coupler pocket clip for the front of the BL2. It uses the little black plastic clip-on coupler pocket Athearn loco owners love to hate. I keep them in place with a spot of hot glue on each side. It holds the clip securely yet can be easily removed. If I can't find one laying around I'll have to see if I can use part of a Kadee coupler box.
Morning Fellow Dinners!
Flo, a beef teriyaki roll and a cup of coffee pleases. What no sushi? OK, muffin please.
On the mini van. It does have the Ford 4.0 litter in it and has a heavy duty trailer hitch. I will check it out more Monday. Back of it has no seats installed which is fine with me. Sue on the other hand thinks it needs seats? Have no idea why. Bob is charging me $450.00 for the van it self. Needed title work will cost another $200.00.
Monday when I have more time I will check the van out better. First thing is the clean the steering wheel, feels like someone spilled a milk shake on it. Then we will start it up see what the mileage is and how it runs. Bob said the 4.0 liter is a pretty good engine, where the 3.0's like to blow head gaskets. If it runs and drives and most things work, it is a good deal.
Drunken Fish Been a long time scenes I have been in the restaurant business. But management is management. Main thing I am worried about is pronouncing Japanese words and names. Guessing there will be a lot of traveling and late nights if I get this job. Interview is at 5:00 PM, that is the latest interview I will ever had.
Bank Of America Outreach Event. Well, I have a appointment to go at 2:00 PM today. I would feel a lot better if I had a job. More than likely there going to be nothing they will do for us. Only thing it will show is we still want to keep the house. Plus with us heading into the winter months that may help, they won't want to pay to heat the house.
Gary New section looks good! Did you say the bench is only around 5 X 10 ? Sure gives the illusion of being way bigger.
Lee Well ever cloud has a silver lining. Sorry about the axle but because of it you got a good deal on a engine.
Got somethings to get done, so I will drop in later.
Good morning, everybody.
Ken, you were asking about the size of my Union Station section.
It is being built above my storage cabinets in the work area of the train room. The layout extension has two levels with the lower level for storing freight trains. This extension is about 14' X 2'.
Here's an older photo of my cabinets.
The new extension connects with the layout at the left of the photo. That area is also under construction.
Here's an old picture of the wide area, and now the benchwork has two levels of tracks. The upper level will be the downtown of the city. A streetcar line will loop around down town, follow a shelf behind the Union STation track, and loop around Union Station.
This older picture show how I make my benchwork. I build "tables", and bolt them together. I do this because, I want to be able to move the layout if we move again. So it is possible to move the layout if need be. With the new extension into the work area, the layout is now 64' long.
Good morning all, it's 12.40am.
Out of the blue the tracking info has updated, It's in OZ and cleared customs so I should receive it monday or tuesday!
Will check back in the morning... 6 hours or so.
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, couple eggs over easy, side of bacon, and whole wheat toast for me this morning. Don't forget the dark roast coffee in a R&GV RR Mug.... thanks!
Going to be another busy day for today. Need to continue to mow the lawn as it is now about 6" tall. This afternoon I have an appointment to visit the LV Museum in Shortsville, NY to check things over for using it this fall for out NMRA Meet. Then I will be going out to dinner with my sister who is still livid that the other sister didn't spend any time with her when she was in town for her class reunion....... Of course she told her sister very tersely a few months ago she was going to be busy that weekend! So far I have just repeated that the problem needs to be worked out between the two of them and I am not involved....... Could be a difficult evening?!?
Ken, I seem to remember BoA was in some "hot water" over their foreclosures a while back.... You may be surprised as i think they are trying to regain their.... Ah..... "image" Good luck!
Ulrich, believe me you have no reason to think your modeling isn't just as good as others. I love what you are doing with modules.... And in "n"early invisible scale as well.... Thanks!
Best get moving. Need to get some lawn mowed!
Good Morning, Janie - I'll have a ham, egg & cheese omelot, with some hash browns and a Santa Fe mug of coffee, please. Thanks!
Curt, thanks for the info - now I'll start looking through what they have.
Barry, do you mean you took that when hot-air ballooning? Cool! Hey, sounds like you and I have the same, uh... challenge with available horizontal surfaces, eh?
Ray, congrats on the 2 Merit awards, and can you transfer any of those 'surplus' points on your enginehouse over to another building? (No? Oh, well...). I am kinda wondering too, about how they want their documentation.
Ken, you may want to weigh getting THAT job at the DFish (after I saw their video) vs. keeping your marriage... I've known of some restaurants where - after they close for the evening - a bunch of the crew goes out to the bars (probably would NOT sit well with most wives).
[Edit}: Ken and Ray - on the BoA, I used to have an account with one of their local branches, and a few weeks back got a postcard that some attorneys (I guess) filed some class action suit about their charging through the big checks/charges first, and then they would run all the smaller checks (for more overdraft charges). So there's some settlement coming (which I'm sure the attorneys will gobble up most of THAT), but I'll be surprised if I get anything more than soda money out of the settlement. We'll see...
OzJim, yep, that looks like the usual USPS tracking... It may be that your package shipped by air from Chicago to Brisbane (or another Aussie airport, anyway), and that's why no change. Then again, not sure how the tracking would show the time going through customs. Hopefully, it'll be there shortly for you. [Edit] Hey, it made it to customs! Hang in there, won't be long.
JR, how many spare tires do you have that you could tie to the bottom of your trailers and vans (maybe float across the flooded area? Nah, maybe not!)...
Ulrich, you need not be embarrassed by Ray's layout. You do excellent w**k on yours (and, as Ray said, in iNvisible scale, too!). I get a lot of great ideas for my layout from both of you.
About have laundry done across the way there, so I'll be heading out for now. I don't have on-call this weekend, so plan to get some MRR'ing stuff done (kits, structures to get further along or signs made, etc.)
Prayers for those dealing with not-so-great weather and it aftermath (Paul, Galaxy, JR and others), and for healing, comfort and a good night's rest.
Blessings,
Jim in Cape G.
Good Afternoon!
Spend a few hours making that mock-up highway overpass. Well, here it is:
Way too big! I must have had my head set on HO scale dimensions. It looks awful on that station module! I am not sure whether I want that highway overpass, but I lack any other feasible idea
Guess I need a break!
The logo and road name on the BL2 is painted out and an area on the side of the cab has been painted out in silver for the L&A logo to go in. And I just finished aging and weathering five Plasticville structures. A barn, shed, corn crib, chicken coop and a dog house. Something I noticed about the BL2. On DC it runs in the opposite direction of all my other DC locos. I thought the trucks must be reversed but that's not it. They only fit one way. If I wire the motor the opposite way that should correct it. It'll be easy enough to fix when I put a decoder in it. Just set the proper CV for reverse direction.
It is a sad weekend in the USA. I just watched the Flight 93 memorial dedication service in Shanksville, PA. It was very emotional. Next to the USA flag were flags from Germany and from Japan because victims included citizens from those countries. The passengers and flight crew were heros for certain.
On 9/11/01, Shelley and I were in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and I am recalling that trip. We spent 9/11 watching the horrors on the hotel TV.
Coffee in a UNION PACIFIC mug, please.
Had a rough night with more swelling in that pectoral. Kept me up all night. Just trying to stay out of the ER, so doing nothing at all today. The swelling has gone down some.
Hope y'all are doing well.
Very frustrated here. Rob