Morning All,
Just sitting here reading my Emails and going through the forum. I think I am going to try to start ballasting after that before MOH gets motivated to do the layout skirt. Next week I need to figure out the problem with the switch before starting to ballast the mains. It may be the wood crossing between the rails is too high that is just before the switch, I had that problem in a different location.
Todd- Happy Birthday to Brenda. Sorry the meal was below par. It sounds like Brenda has the same birthday counting years as Kathy.
Ulrich- Sorry you are down in the dumps. .
Everyone take care.
Curt Webb
The Late Great Pennsylvania Railroad
http://s1082.photobucket.com/albums/j372/curtwbb/
Galaxy!
Morning Dinners.
Not a lot planned today expect take a on line Aptitude Test for the Select Numbers Job. I hate those test, I never seem to do well with them!
Wife wants to do something fun today. So guess we are going to take a drive up to Alton IL. It is pretty up there, and this time I am going to take the camera. Lot of train stuff up there.
Ulrich While I don't know what got you down in the dumps today. I do know how you feel. We are both the same age and facing the same lost feeling. After have a good career for 20 years with the same company and making a above average income and now not knowing what lies head it will get you down.
I will be back later today for some of the .
Ken
I hate Rust
Good Morning All,
Made it back from Canada in good shape. Back in the shop yesterday and today to catch up paperw..k and get some bits made for the Audi race car.
to Galaxy and a belated to Barry and Brenda.
Ulrich - hope you are in better spirits soon. I look forward to seeing what you can do with the houses you won.
Robby and Sam - good to see you back. Don't be such strangers, ok? Robby - my friend used to be a machinist for Eaton and had some lurid stories to tell about the plant. He did think the equipment they turned out wasfirst rate though. Wonder how much of it is still made here vs Asia?
Hope the reat of you are doing ok and hopefully I'll be back to some sort of regular (at least for me) schedule. Only problem with the Canadian trip was the laptop catching a virus and burning down the files to the blue screen of death. Haven't even started sorting that out yet. CUL, J.R.
Thanks, folks, for bearing with me!
I have been trying to keep smiling for the last two years, hoping that there will be better times coming, but I know have to realize that, despite trying numerous different things, they just won´t come anymore. You know I don´t go for riches, just a plain and simple, but mostly undisturbed life, a place for body and soul to rest and neighbors who are not just the folks living next door, but friends, but maybe I am asking too much.
I know I will get out of the dumps, but it´ll take some time.
Ulrich, see what's in my hand? OK, so there's nothing in my hand. Pretend there is. Yes it's a small piece of metal. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated or even expensive. What it is, is a machined key that keeps the crankshaft gear from spinning on the crankshaft. The engine is quite large and powerful doing work keeping that truck running around hauling products for thousands of businesses around the country that supply goods for millions of people. But, without that small insignificant looking piece of metal, the engine will not work. If the engine doesn't work, then all it powers doesn't haul. The companies don't get their products and the people, they can't get theirs either. Companies fold due to lack of sales and more people lose their jobs. All because that small little piece didn't do it's job, or wasn't there. The point is, no matter how insignificant, or small you think your part may be, hold your head up, don't be ashamed or upset, or down because you don't think you are doing much, it's more important than you think. You may not realize what you are doing, but to someone, it is important. Chin up my man....you matter.
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.
Coffee in a SUNNY SOUTHERN mug, please.
***Barry, is that a photo of the Munster's house?
***Ulrich, I sometimes feel that way, too. Hope something turns around for you soon.
Going to work on marking out the last fence posts holes for digging out this next week.
Have a good day all.
Rob
Evening Folks
Flo, thank you, nothing to eat BBQing tonight.
We just got back from Alton IL and Sue had a blast. We went through 8 Antique Shops. I go a lot faster than Sue so there was a lot of waiting.
Found a few items that where train related. Did you know that a Bachmann Santa Fe Caboose is worth $8.00? I am rich now that I know that! Found a old BB F7 A in it boxes, steel wheels, metal side frames. While the prices of $24.50 did not sound to bad, there was no way to test it and not a road name I uses.
I now own stock in the Reading Railroad! Found a Common Stock Certificate in one of the shops. It is in pretty bad shape but for $1.29 with tax, what the heck.
Well, grill is lite and so am I.
Evenin' folks!
Just a decaf for me Janie.....
Didn't get a chance to get here and say Happy Birthday to galaxy this morning! So HAPPY BIRTHDAY GALAXY!!!
I wanted to say it so he could hear me.... You know how hard of hearing people get when they get old.......
All you birthday people out there just remember, we don't stop playing (with trains) because we get old, we get old when we stop playing (with trains....).
Spent all day out at the museum for our Fall Foliage running of Diesel trains. Had a big crowd today including a birthday party for a group of little kids (and their parents who seemed to be just as much fun as the kids...)
Ulrich, Hope you are feeling a bit better....... Go spend some time with your trains........
OK, I am heading down cellar to take my own advise! I have trains waiting for me down there!
Later!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Evening, Janie - I'll have a hot fudge brownie, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the top, and a Santa Fe mug of coffee, please. Thanks!
Well (frogs are rising with the water level in it), looks like Jeffrey's Sundown shops have be busy! You do keep them a-hoppin' there!
We're getting that wet stuff coming here in Cape G.-land - I heard it thunderin' some last night/this morning (didn't turn over to look what time it was, would'nt have mattered, anyway) and at a couple/few points through today it has/had been pouring down. Wonder how much new stuff in the well we have so far. I heard our local weatherguesser (new gal they're training, I think) say that the low that's mostly on top of our area was lassooed by Johnboy and CN Charlie, and they won't turn loose of it! (Truthfully, I might've just guessed if she really said it was their doing...). Though I'm sure all our Eastern Diners wouldn't mind if the rain got delayed a bit longer before it brought more wet stuff thataway.
And Barry is starting his celebration a week early? Okay, Happy Birthday, Barry (but your card will be late; I'm going in with Todd to send you a combined card...)
Ray, I wouldn't mind it if some place around here had one of those pot-bellied stoves. They can put out a bunch of heat, alrighty!
Sam - great to see you back in again, and good to hear about your full-time job prospects. Hope that does w**k out to your favor! Of course, it may cut into your MRR'ing time, but then again, you'll be able to accumulate some more MRR money...
Ken - 18 resumes out in one day? WOW! That kind of persistence should be paying off soon for you.
Curt, sounds like your Stevie was part 'cat', with a fall like that. Good that she was able to "walk it off." I was thinking (dangerous at times...) that if somebody ever broke into your home and saw your pets, they'd probably decide to back out (quickly!).
Galaxy - good to hear that the doctors have decided you do have both halves of your brain! Sure hope THAT restaurant for your birthday celebration stays high and dry so you can go there.
Todd, I see you remembered to take Brenda out for birthday dinner... (didja get her a birthday card?...). Hope your sinuses get drained/cleared out soon.
Good to see you stopping by the place, Robby (been thinking about you and wondering how you've been). Good to hear you're keeping up with some weathering, and good to hear on finding two jobs - talk about your job creation! Careful, or the Prez will be hiring you as his jobs consultant for the economic recovery! But if Sears has only been giving you 10 hours of w**k a week, you do need that second job. I'll have to look up your WPF photo(s); hope to see you get back to posting more of those in here.
DerJohn, better keep those trees in the train room waaayyy up high; you know how some cats can jump pretty high, and you did say that Penny is 'litter box trained', right?
Russell (csxns) - help me out here, is "Mexican hamburger" another term for a taco, or something else? Oh, I can at times relate to your dilemma of "too many cars and locos" (then I get another Walthers sale flyer, and .....)
Johnboy, it's a good thing you have that HHR - with the extra room in back for your return trip home - you'll need it! Woodland Scenics' home base is actually in Missouri, if you want to find Linn Creek (MO 65052) on a map. They're open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., so if you do swing by and call 'em, you might get the 'nickel tour' (hey, worth a try, as long as you're in the neighbourhood!).
OzJim, even if you go with DCC, you may still want to put in some blocks, for helping to track down any possible DCC gremlins (yep, they have 'em in DCC, too!). On my current modules, due to financial restraints, I'm holding off for now on getting all that I would need for DCC, but I'm too impatient to wait that long to run trains (so I'll be blocking and cutting gaps for DC, and then when I switch, I just leave the toggles on (unless I have to gremlin-hunt...)
Ulrich, as Garry said, we're here for you, no matter what's going on. Good deal about your winning all those houses that you can use for the layout modules.
Garry, I haven't been to a skunk show either, but I'm sure once there, we could "catch the drift"... (Maybe there's a point "spread" category?
JR - OUCH! On your laptop's problems, I hope you do have backups (or at least can retrieve your data).
Rob, hope that you're doing better, and feeling same. How's Kudzu Valley coming along? (and do you still have your flamethrower tank fueled up?)
I feel better, since yesterday I went through and cleared out a couple of boxes of (mostly) papers. Took out a rather full bag of shredded paper, and freed up some more floor space. Hey, I'll take the small victories, too! Have also decided that I'm going to sell off a bunch of (12) PS-2 (2893 cu. ft.) covered hoppers (RTR, more Athearn, but a fair number of Walthers Gold Line ones). I've contacted my LHS owner about putting them with him in his shop on consignment. I figured (since all but maybe 4 of the "2893's" had too late of a build date/year for my RR's era. Plus, I was figuring that the ones with build dates in the 1955-1959 time frame either wouldn't be that dirty (so couldn't do much weathering on them), and that the RR's (ATSF, SLSF, D&RGW, SSW, SP) would be more likely to send their newer/bigger covered hoppers to the big elevators that would turn more of them through (making the big RR's more $$), while the other (2003 cu. ft., 2-bay) covered hoppers (and I have more of those) could both justifiably be more weathered and worn, and other RR's might be more likely to share their smaller hoppers with my li'l ol' bridge line RR. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
Started on some homemade pine trees also. Bought some clearanced balsa sticks (about 1/2" square, but the 3' length was about broken in half - no problem) and some dried caspia at Hobby Lobby, and started cutting the sticks to appropriate lengths, and whittling them more into roundish shape. Once I get further along, I'll post pics. Wanted some variety in my 'pine' trees.
Think I'll head for home now, and turn things back over to Duke and Barry in the back booths...
Blessings and prayers,
Jim in Cape G.
Morning all.
w*rk is not too bad today so far... we shall see what the afternoon brings...
CapeJim : my layout is only small, single track with a passing loop and a four track staging yard at one end. I think I should be "OK", we shall see... I'm going to see about getting a few decoders and converting my Kato locomotives first.
TTFN
James, Brisbane Australia
Modelling AT&SF in the 90s
Evening folks....
We had a somewhat busy day today...ended up going to a medical drop in center today to get checked out for a sore throat...find out it is strep throat...yay
So, after I found that lovely piece of news I went and phoned my sup and told her..she also went....yay..that meant getting the other PSW sup to take over the rest of my shift until I get over this dang thing....yay
BUT!!! It does allow for some time playing with the choochoos.....is that not right Todd?
Oh...and no need for any birthday cards here Todd ... you may use that extra money for Brenda's card...
Chloe, I'll have a coffee and a chicken noodle soup please...I'll be at the corner booth with Duke and Jim..
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/
Evening All,
Sitting here watching a Criminal Minds Marathon. I think tomorrow it is off to Chiro. My neck has been bothering me for a couple of days.
I got a lot done on the layout today. I took down the back drop and trouble shot the derail problem. It turned out to be the wood RR crossing in between the rails. Since it is in the back and hard to see I removed it and painted in a road crossing. I ballasted the yard, painted the simulated oily residue between the rails, planted weeds and ballasted a 4 ft section of double main. I will take a picture tomorrow when I have better light.
The layout skirt did not go as well. The panels are made but we need some additional mounting hardware.
Have a good night.
Well, I made a start on the redneck caboose project today. I removed the sides at one end starting at the bay window and going to the rear wall. After the sides were out I removed the end wall. The roof, ladder and platform railing are being left in place. I also painted out the Soo markings on the Walthers GP9m shell. The speed and lighting problems of the H24-66 have been dealt with. The front light is a MARS light and the rear light is a double pulse strobe.
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
Evening all, just stopping in with a platter of peanut butter cookies that the wife made! Y'all enjoy them.
Jeff: Wow, the Sundown shops are definitely putting out business, congratulations on fixing your H26-66.
Robby: You're right, 10 hours a week isn't enough, perhaps with the job at Eaton you'll be able to leave Sears and just work one job full time, or at least it'll be somewhat less stressful.
Galaxy: Happy birthday sir, may you have a great one!
Todd: Happy birthday to your better half sir! Sorry that you had bad service at the restaurant, and I'm like you with getting the meal comped, I'll do the same thing if that ever happens to me, its not the server's fault that the kitchen can't get their act together.
Ulrich: We are here for you sir, and I'll agree with Todd's vision, you are a vital part of the bigger machine, don't get yourself down!
Well (maintaining at the moment) I think I'm going to check out everything else then head off to bed.
GOOD MORNING!!!
Today is MONDAY September 26th, 2011!!!
Thanks to ALL who gave me birthday wishes!!! I have the "older" part down pat, it's the "wiser" part I struggle with!!!
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
Good Morning
mmmmmm...we are actually going up to 76F and we are supposed to feel like 88F today....interesting.
Lots of good posts in the not so big WPF...
mmmmmm...was I supposed to get wiser when I got older? mmmmmm...I'm having trouble with that one....
Flo...I'll have coffee for now please...I'll be at the window booth watching the sun rise....
Good morning all...well I have my TT installed and I hooked it up to a temporary power source it runs smooth until I place one of my steamers on it, then it quivers slightly nothing major I can live with it, I just can,t seem to figure out why it,s doing this other than that I,m very pleased with it.
L&N.....Gone but not forgotten
Good Morning!! Coffee please. And some fruit thank you. Scattered showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 62. West wind between 7 and 16 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Not much going on today other than the usual Monday stuff. Book wo*k for the Church and a quick trip to the grocery store. I’m bound to find something else to do. Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!
Good Morning!! Coffee please. And some fruit thank you.
Scattered showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 62. West wind between 7 and 16 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Not much going on today other than the usual Monday stuff. Book wo*k for the Church and a quick trip to the grocery store. I’m bound to find something else to do.
Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!
Hot and humid again today but no rain forecast so we can start loading for Millville NJ today. I'll have a regular and a blueberry bagel please Zoe.
Tim - the quivering in the TT has to be the motor deflecting under load. If the mesh of the teeth is ok, check the bushings to see if they are binding. with luck the quiver will go away once it's all worn in. If not you may need to add bracing to the motor or drive mechanism. Is there a forum for the TT manufacturer where you can discuss this also?
Jim - the laptop is old enough to consider replacing anyway. The only bummer is it has my gearing program and all the files from the individual cars stored. I have paper copies but never downloaded them to a memory stick or the like. Silly me.
Looking back now, the Amtrak vs VIA experience is no comparison. The tour level with VIA and the equipment and trackage is superior. The VIA sleeper cars were chunnel cars from the England/France run that never were shipped to use as they decided against overnight runs so they are new and were gotten cheaply. One drawback is they are about a foot narrower overall to fit through the English tunnel so the berths are a bit tight. The VIA observation cars are 50's era Budd equipment with the smaller domes but though shop worn in good shape. Interestingly Amtrak had 10031 the Ocean View in the southbound consist out of Montreal on our return, a later super dome(?) with full length viewing. It can only run part way due to height restrictions in NYC and was taken off when we changed crews and power in Albany.
Besides CP and MEC freight power we saw a pair of Finger Lakes Railway engines on a siding north of Schenectedy. I thought they ran further west ?
The sorry track may improve at least in the short term as Canadian Pacific is now running the old D&H trackage north of Albany and is putting in welded rail. U.S. Immigration took about 2 hours to get through but I believe there must be a more efficient way to do it than waiting until the border is reached. There is a considerable distance between Plattsburg, N.Y. and Saint Lambert, Q.C. where the train doesn't stop so no reason the Immigration teams for the respective countries can't board there and get done while we're rolling. Overall, the rail experience was much more relaxing than driving or flying.
Time to get back to the shop. CUL, J.R.
Good morning, Chloe. Please serve me one of those cinnamon rolls with my coffee today.
We got back yesterday from eastern Washington. We were at Larry's niece's wedding and family feud. I am looking forward to going back to work.
Later, Sue
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
Morning All
Flo, just ice water and a muffin please.
Been drinking way to little water of late, need to head off a pending balder infection.
Aptitude Test Well that is done. So we will see how I did. I do hate taking them, never know for sure what they want in a answer.
Todd Belated to Brenda
See you all later today.
Good morning folks: An unexpectedly warm night for late September. The house was warm enough to satisfy Todd this morning, 73.4˚ - that's at 7:30. We didn't have temps like that in July! I've windows open to try and cool things a bit, but there's not much air movement either.
CapeJim:
That didn't sound quite right!
JR:
... One drawback is they are about a foot narrower overall to fit through the English tunnel so the berths are a bit tight.
The sorry track may improve at least in the short term as Canadian Pacific is now running the old D&H trackage north of Albany and is putting in welded rail.
Things to do...TTFN, John.
"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.
Good morning. It's 78° and mostly cloudy. The high will be 93°. It will be mostly cloudy and humid. There's a 10% chance of rain for the afternoon.Today I'll see if I can get the L&A decals on the GP9m and get some more work done on the caboose project. Other than that there's nothing on the schedule for today. I have a lot of pain today and really don't feel like doing anything.
Der,
Could have been a flat spotted wheel too. They had one on the vestibule end of our dining car on the way out and it was unbelieveably loud. Besides TV doesn't have a really swell rep for research anyway J.R.
Good Afternoon Gang,
coming home from a wasted day at the STALAG, I found a little package at my doorstep - the one I was long waiting for. Assembling the structure was a matter of minutes, just "clicking" them together. The parts have a perfect fit and I just added a dab of super glue here and there for extra stability. The buildings come fully painted and lightly weathered and really nice to look at. Coming weekend will see some more action on that module, as the packaged also contained a few vehicles and a pack of 24 oriental folks I now need to plant on the platforms and streets. Guess I will be able to finish the module by then.
I am really glad the package arrived today - it takes away a little of my sadnessand gives me something to be happy about!
Sue - cinnamon rolls, a good idea! Flo, mind bringing me a couple and a mug of coffee, please?
You all have a good one!
Mornin' everyone!
Huh...! Oh, sorry Zoe! I'll have the breakfast bagel with sausage this morning along with a cup of dark roast coffee in a FGLK Mug.
Slept in this morning. Guess I needed some extra . Had several mornings in a row where I needed to get up early, so I'm just catching up I think. My right foot is talking to me this morning. Spent too much time standing yesterday I guess.......
Der, love THAT picture! Took a bit for me to figure out what it was........
J.R., You are right, the FGLK only goes as far East is Solvay, NY just West of Syracuse. I'm thinking they may a crew helping with track work after the flooding, or the engines are being borrowed for extra power. Do you remember which engines they were, or the paint scheme?
Oh, Barry, meant to say I loved the photo of the octagon house the other day!
Got a bit more scenery foam in place last night, and made a few decisions on how a few details can be best installed at the quarry last night. Engine house is completely finished (weathered the roof and sides of the building), but won't be installed until the scenery is finished in the area at least to where the building won't be in the way as I do it.
Since I have a long list of "must get done" items for the day, I best get moving!
Ray,
Black with white lettering - gp38ish (they were at the back of a siding by hugew piles of dirt so maybe something to do with contaminated soil removal. J.R.
Cinnamon Rolls ! ..... Did I hear cinnamon rolls !.... I'll have some of those!
JR ... Sounds like a very interesting train trip!
Jeff ... Sundown Shops is definitely creative.
Der John ... I really like the picture with the refection in teh windows.
Ray ... I'm glad to hear about your porgress with scenery and teh enginehouse.
JimCG ... Good you could visit the diner.
Ken .. I hope you do well on the test.
Ulrich ... I hope everything gets better. The European financial crisis is getting a lot of attention in financial news hear.
Progress continues with my Union Station. Streetcars are running around the building now. I'm working on the pavement next to the building now.
Cheers, everybody!
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Heartland Division CB&Q Ulrich ... I hope everything gets better. The European financial crisis is getting a lot of attention in financial news hear.
Garry - for whatever reason, the German economy is not (yet) affected by the European financial crisis. And it won´t be, as long as we don´t have to pick up the tab for the other countries. Funny enough, our national debt equals just about the same amount of money as our net contributions to the European Union
Voices are getting louder claiming to get us out of the Euro zone and go back to our beloved Deutschmark, but that would have severe detrimental effects on the US $ and the remaining Euro zone countries.
Unfortunately, the strength of the German economy, coming from a well balanced mix of industrial production and service sector, does not filter through onto the job market, especially for old farts like me.
Flo, I´ll be stepping off the right now, no need to bash me with that frying pan!
Clonk!
Ouch!
GMTRacing Ray, Black with white lettering - gp38ish (they were at the back of a siding by hugew piles of dirt so maybe something to do with contaminated soil removal. J.R.
Hi J.R.
FGLK doesn't own any GP38s and has most of their fleet in a varient of the NYC "Cat's whisker" paint. They have several GP9s in the scheme are some of the GE B23-7s. Here is a photo of some of them I took last Winter. Number 2303 is a GE B23-7, the others are GP9s. [edit] At closer look, the 3rd. unit is also one of the GE B37-7s. The middle one is a GP9.