Elliot's Trackside Diner November 2011

[blownout cylinder]

I see I got TOP yet again...have at it ....

[blownout cylinder]

JimRCGMO wrote:  Barry, what was your trick to getting your numbers back in shape? I might want a tip or two... And would you like me to compress and send you a copy of the "I'm the Colo-Rectal Surgeon" song? (Honest, I found such a tune - quite a bit ago - and have kept it around, just to amuse my friends...)

I'd love to hear that song!!....as for the number crunching it came down to food combinations and exercise actually. Seems that what I was eating, too much pasta not enough protein seems to be at issue here..now..having said that it were not that simple. It seems that cut up tomatoes seemed to be also aiding in lowering the numbers..as well as some ghost pepper hot sauces....in my case...very strange this. My walks are doing it as well..extended the walks from about a mile to 3 now.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/04/bofh_2011_episode_17/...there is a whole series of these things...ain't technology wonderful?  

Good Morning...

We are back to dull dull dull with the ever popular chance of rain be falling on our'n heads...basically for all week now.

I get to go to w**k later on this afternoon and finish off some paperw**k for w**k...then tomorrow morning get to run off really early to do that other stuff...on Wednesday it is bloodwork...then I MIGHT get a chance to do something OTHER than runnin' 'roun' doin' stuff...

Flo, I'll have a coffee and a toasted bagel with cream cheese...oh no you don't!!! ...I'll be at the RC for a bit...

Anyone for a roundabout?

[galaxy]

GOOD MORNING!!!

Today is  Monday, November 7th, 2011!!!.

Today is Moon's day!!! SO look up to her and smile!!!..

ESPECIALLY if you see her today during the day!!!

 

[BamaCSX83]

Hey all, good evening.  Just stopping in after I left from w**k this evening.  The wife had dinner made for me when i got home, so that was a blessing, too bad I don't feel like moving now!  Not a whole lot happening, I did get a set of driveshafts for my Bachmann Dash 8, now I just have to adapt them to my locomotive (as I believe that the trucks are missing a component that would allow the driveshafts to snap in place).  I have to do some more work on a Chrysler 300 tomorrow afternoon, but that's about the only thing on my plate.

Ken:  Hope that you continue to learn a whole lot at the job.

Joe: Congratulations on your college acceptance!

Well, guess I'll be heading to bed now as there's nothing else for me to do, and its almost midnight...

[Paul W. Beverung]

Evening Gang:

It's been awhile since I've been in and had anytime to say something. I have been having alot of problems with the Kalmbach web sites. I keep getting a note from Explorer that they couldn't load the page and then a few seconds later that they had recalled the page and it pops up. I called Kalmbach and talked to Jim Heidiger. He said that they have been having a good many problems and were working on it.

Not much happening on the MRRing front. We have finally got some hay to cut and we did two fields last week. We only got 15 bales off of the 18 acres. Not good at all but at least something. We still have to cut one 17 acre field of ours and a 36 acre field and a 20 acre field of our neighbors. I'm getting too old for this. To top it all off now we are finally getting some rain. Oh well, we'll take it when we can get it.

I'm going to say good night and head out.

Take care everyone.

[howmus]

Evenin' Folks!

Janie, just a decaf for me as always....

I have a blood draw first thing in the morning.... Then I'm heading over to the Water St. Cafe here in town and I am planning to be a bad boy....  Yep, THAT #2 special I order in here now and then.   THAT will be my breakfast!  (and lunch probably...)  Gonna have a double order of their sourdough toast too!  They bake it fresh on site... 

I think I am going to be a bit in pain tomorrow because I am already feeling the effects of moving and stacking almost a face cord of firewood today and then leaning over the layout for a couple of hours while ballasting some track.  I also did more on the horrid brickwork on the Power House.  Here is what it looked like right after it was assembled....  UGH!

Then two nights ago I messed it up and made it even worse while trying to stain the mortar....

So, I decided to use a completely different method to make it look up to par...  I painted the entire outside of the structure with gray primer...  looks better already.

If I get time tomorrow the brick face will be colored with a terra cotta art pencil, then individual bricks will get some other colors.  i tried it out on a spare piece of builkding left over, and I think it will look good.

Jeffrey, now don't go messing up that beautiful Airstream Camper!  Folks that could afford stuff like that (I price a few of them, and went back to my tent...) tended to keep them polished and shiney!!!

I have to check the blood sugar, take a couple night time meds, and then I think I will turn in a bit early for me.

73

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Time for me to call it a night. See y'all tomorrow.

[cudaken]

 Evening Folks!

 Flo, I take a Beer Please.

 Far as training today, really was none. Manger was off and the store was being ran by the services writer. Well, he has no vested interest if I make it plus if I sell something I take away from his commission so I did not press. I hate to cut into any ones pay, besides I am not making commission anyway. Getting way better with the computer! I am up to just slow!

 It seems like everyone now knows I know the Division Manager and that was why I was hired. Might be part of the reason some people are a little stand offish. It came up today that I was a Manger In Training Today. I asked about taking my lunch break and was told take a 1/2 and make sure I clock out. I was told I did not have to clock out and that I got a hour break. That is when i was asked what I was hired for and I had to tell him I am a MIT. We will see if the hours change.

  I am losing weight! Going to have to make a new belt hole, pants keep slipping down.

 I am off Monday! Will spend a lot of the day getting More Paper Work done so I can get the house loan done. Plus lots of running, it is taking a total being down to 1 running car. Sure hope I can pull off getting the other car this check!

 Well I drop by later.

          Ken

[galaxy]

Ok

Outen the lights

Quiet the noise

fluffen the pillows

loggen the fire

{as they might say in PA dutch country}

beddy-bye time is near!

G'nite!

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Jim ..... Thanks for saying something about the pictures.

Last night I put the Grand Canyon pictures in the wrong photobucket album.Today I moved them not thinking it messed up my post here.

Anyhow, my Grand Canyon pictures are back and you can now see them here in the diner if you look back to last night's post.

 

[JimRCGMO]

Evenin', Flo - I'll have a bowl of the  chili please, with grated cheddar, crackers and some chopped onions, and a chocolate malt, too. Thank you!

Thanks, Rob, Garry, Thayne - we'll see how they look once I get the right size foliage and add THAT to the caspia branches. The nice part is, these trees don't cost that much (even your local R/C type hobby shop may have the balsa) to make, and a lot of the stuff you probably already have (Polly S Roof Brown paint, etc.). For now, I could be happy with this tree as being on the desert side of a mountain (like they didn't get enough to drink in those thirsty roots). I need to make some signs for businesses (the Acme Manufacturing (where Wiley E. Coyote orders all his stuff), an electronics company, and "Big Al's Stacks of Wax" record shop. I've done the measurements for how big the finished signs need to be, just need to get going on the 'puter.

Ken, good to hear you're getting some actual training (and the bankers' hours is a bonus). I would about bet that the guy training you is one of their better managers, if he has a good attitude about getting you trained right.

Garry, did you move your photos? I'm seeing a (Photobucket?) marker for them that says they were moved or deleted. That, or maybe there's one tiny character in the whole link that isn't correct... As for the pine cones, I think I might farm out making those to DerJohn. He does great with the itsy-bitsy stuff. Thanks for the photos of the Arizona RR's!

Ray, I must've jumped the gun on Switch-Your-Bank-Day (but I didn't send Todd the card for it yet...) - I quit BofA a few years ago (to go, as you did, with my local credit union). Don't overdo with the wood and end up with the aches and pains, though. And ditto on Thayne's request - I would like to hear more about Robby's idea for the bricks (think I may have missed that day in the Diner).

Anybody heard from Robby lately, or is he swamped with w**k at his (full-time) job, I wonder?

NS Joe, good progress on your layout! And have fun with M.E. - I was initially an engineering major in M.E. I enjoyed the drafting class - but watch out for good ol' calculus. You will need to learn VERY well how to set up your rate and flow problems (had to take over Calc.I because I would get stuck on trying to figure those out). Best wishes on your other acceptance letters coming in before Christmas. Then you'll have all of break to decide.

(Psssst! Can somebody slip Galaxy a knockout pill tonight, so he doesn't keep us up all night again with his town cryer routine?)

Ulrich, your new loco and cars look great - and have fun with the next module, too! You sound like your Christmas arrived way early this year. As for how your friend knew just what you wanted, maybe Petra spilled the beans to your friend?

Barry, what was your trick to getting your numbers back in shape? I might want a tip or two... And would you like me to compress and send you a copy of the "I'm the Colo-Rectal Surgeon" song? (Honest, I found such a tune - quite a bit ago - and have kept it around, just to amuse my friends...)

Hey Curt - I'm CapeJim (on this side of the Pacific), but thanks for the tip. I do still have a can (or two) of Matte Medium (retouching) and/or Matte spray around from when I had a photo studio (a lonnnng while back). I know one place I read suggested using some of that scenic glue that W-S makes (and I have both a spray bottle and some of that around). Still need to get the finer (fine or medium at least) conifer foliage first. Hey, tell me about that 'applied smoke' - ? Is that done on the computer, or are you talking about something else? (Thanks for telling us how ya did it. )

Speaking about coyotes, I think I had read recently (maybe in here?) that in some areas where they were trying to restock (coyotes, I think), and there were some wolves in the area already, they cross-bred (leaving you with a breed that has more of a liking for farmyard critters such as chickens, goats, etc.). At least, I sorta think I remember reading about that... Hey, Rob, your father wasn't an Arizona coyote, was he? (well, you did talk about howling...)

But you're right about those dust storms - I was outside an eatery when I was visiting my Dad in the Phoenix area (couple of decades or so ago), and one of those came up (about like a rain storm, but dust coming down). Time to dash inside, yup!

Todd, best wishes on finding more floor there. (Wish me the same if you would...) And hope you got a nice nap in this afternoon.

A bit bummed at the moment. Was watching (and planning to bid on) a Magnuson kit that Scale Structures Ltd. isn't (re-)making now, and the price was within a reasonable range. Except that, the program I was using to do my bidding apparently has a glitch in it - while it's in the last few minutes of the auction (and I'm looking at something in my browser), the program loses sync on the time and goes back to DST (therefore it had one hour more to go, it thinks), and I missed the end of the auction. Sent off an error report (and log) to the author, suggesting that he needed to w**k on it a wee bit more... (I used nice language, didn't just vent on him) This particular kit, I've trouble finding (or at least, finding in a reasonable price range, i.e., not getting into "rich collectors" price range) - I think the last time I saw it on deBay was 3 months ago, and maybe six months or more before that.

Think I'll commiserate with a hot chocolate at the corner booth...

 

Blessings and prayers,

Jim in Cape G. (not Australia)

[james saunders]

Morning all

Another sunny day here 28c and not a cloud in the sky, perfect for w*rk (indoors.)

Someone mention Krylon matte spray. Wish I could find it here! So far I've only found gloss finish and it's around $12 for a big can, as opposed to $10 for those small dullcote cans. I have two dullcote cans and I don't do much painting so that will last me a while.

 

Painted some models yesterday anyway, check out the pic in WPF.

 

TTFN

 

[Curt Webb]

Afternoon All,

Well we got 5 of the 10 outlets in the kitchen done. It is starting to get dark and the 2 light switches my wife put in had to be pulled out and redone. We need to start earlier for the last 5. If you remember she wanted to change from white outlets to ivory.

Tomorrow morning I have a ABD Ultrasound at 9 AM then I'm going to work on bench work.

MOH is making Swiss steak for dinner-Yum-Yum. It's my favorite meal.

Joe- I stretch out a cotton ball, spray with grimy black and jam a stiff piece of wire into the cotton ball and the other end into the chimney. I think I am going to give it a try on a steam loco.

Here is my Interlocking tower with smoke.

 

 

Have a good night.

 

 

[TMarsh]

Howdy. Yup, twice in one day. Whaddaya know. Coffee please thank you.

Well it’s windy today and all the leaves are now off our trees. Like Ray I don’t…..what? Huh? Ray’s coffee mug? OH! Sorry, I thought it was a funny looking chair. Guess there is no other place to put something that big. Ah, there we go. Softer too. Anyway, like I was saying, I don’t rake either. I just chop them up with the mower but I don’t bag. They’re gone by spring.

Just came back from the Chinese boofay so I’m stuffed. Maybe a nap will happen, you never know.

In the meantime, I’ve been straightening up my office. I found more floor, which is nice, and the dog now has a wider path to the window so she can break more corner slats off the blinds when she peeks out to see what's going on across the street. She's nosey. Soon, if all goes according to plan, I will once again be able to get to the edges of the room.

Welp, guess I’ll slink on out of here and see what else I can get accomplished around the house.

 

[galaxy]

I see ULRICH is play with his toy again.  At least it keeps him happy.

Well, I did hte Wally world shopping and the grocery shopping this AM early. It was light early now. But will be dark by about 5:15! We will have Lamb for din-din tonight,. I found a good price on it. ANd we haven't had it in awhile. I will use my new wallyworld burnertop griller pan. Wanted one for while. Probably shoulda bought the cast iron one, but didn't like the way it was designed, so got the non-stick one, which if any of you guys cook, knows it means will stick to everything. Or rather everything will stick...even when laced down with vegetable oil.

Did 2 loads of laundry and finished up a few dishes...haven't run the DW yet...later.

Getting warm here now...put the AC on as house was getting to be 74*. Too warm. The brilliant sun's heat will bring us some 60s tomorrow and tuesday...when we havet o finsih battening down the hatches for winter time.

Whew...that all tired me out. Doesn't take much these days. but with the radio frequency frying teh nerve endings thingy I DO get more done than I did before, and maybe when the left side gets done I will be able to do even more. Just have to watch I don't overdo it.

Well...catch you all later.

[ns3010]

Afternoon all.

Chloe, I'll take a taylor ham, egg, & cheese and a coffee, please. What? Whaddya mean "what's taylor ham"?!?!?! Oh, right, I forgot that they don't have it anywhere outside of Jersey... Well, then sausage will do...

Ulrich, neat package you got there! I wouldn't mind having THAT show up on my doorstep either!

Curt,  what's the smoke made of! Looks good!

Garry, cool pictures! Thanks for sharing.

Curt and Garry, thanks for the comments on the layout! It's coming along. Unfortunately, I'm somewhat rushing it to get it done before August (in reality, March, since lacrosse season is March-May and I'm down the shore from the end of June until September), so it would look better if I took my time, but whatever. It's exciting to know THAT it's almost "done," so I'm somewhat eager to get there and be able to say that I have a full, complete layout. If I had unlimited funds, it would be done by now, but I'm happy to just be able to make do with what I have.

 Well (glistening in the sunlight), it's already almost 12:30 and I haven't done a thing yet. A lot to do today, so I better head out.

Catch ya later,

-Joe

[Anonymous]

Just adding another picture of my new "toy".

[Cederstrand]

Coffee refill, please.

I loved growing up in AZ.. If I close my eyes, I can still see and smell the desert air. Some unique critters, too. Nothing quite like it. And then there are the dust storms and interesting lightning. As was pointed out, BIG difference between northern and southern AZ. Please ignore me if I howl out the window a few times. The AZ desert will always hold a part of my heart. Rob

[BroadwayLion]

The Virtual LIONS continues his visit to NYC. Here they are at the Dyckman Street Station

 

And again...

 

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Ray and Sue... Glad you liked the the photos of AZ.

One of our daughters is in southern AZ near Tuscan where it stays warm all the time. They have the big, tall cacti there. We go to AZ from time to time, and we might go back again this winter.  

Northern AZ is cooler because of higher elevations. Grand Canyon is a one mile deep, and so the elevation must be greater than that of course. 

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe, I'll have a short stack of buttermilk pancakes, NYS Maple syrup, a side order of bacon, and lots of dark roast coffee to start the day.  Thanks!

Nice sunny Fall day here in the Finger Lakes today.  Currently 48°F on it's way up to 59°F this afternoon.

The Maple trees here in town always seem to lose their leaves all at once.... happens over a couple days.  Yesterday and today are the days this year.  For the moment I have no Maples or other large trees on my property, so I can just sit back and watch all the neighbors out raking or burning gas blowing leaves around and into piles or MallWart bags for the city to collect and cart away to become something called "mulch" they can sell back to the same people for putting around their flowers and shrubs.  Personally I will run the mower one last time and bag the leaves and make a pile out in the garden which will become fertilizer for it next summer.

Thayne, yes I will be doing a photo shoot as I go along with the icky red brick improvement project.  I will keep everyone posted (or bored).  The Octagon Blacksmith's shop will be a project for over the Winter and I hope will be able to get a Merit Award (or at least be one of the other buildings I need for the Structure Certificate). 

I have to do wash today, and then this afternoon I shall start stacking wood......  Since I have lost over 20 lbs., I think it will go easier this year.... 

Barry, I have a blood test tomorrow....  You are in my prayers for good results on all your tests coming up!

Garry, very nice photos!!!

Best get a move on. 

73

[gear-jammer]

Good morning, Chloe.  Standard time, yuk.  It will be dark by dinner time.  On a happier note, I will have my morning coffee in a NP mug, please.

The dispatching went fairly well.  My friend, Jim dispatched in the morning, and I dispatched in the afternoon.  The dispatcher's speaker phone died at the end of my shift.   Once we figured out which phone had the problem, they sent a runner.  My group of operators made my job lots of fun.

Garry,  Looks like you had a great trip.  It's hard to believe that it is that warm anywhere.  It is in the 20's here.

Later,  Sue

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! Coffee and I’ll have the Breakfast buffet please. Thanks.

Sure is a lot of talk about Model Railroading going on in here. Maybe I’ll take up the hobby. Oh wait, I have already. Gee it’s been so long I almost forgot.

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Breezy, with a south wind between 16 and 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.
Still seems like I should be doing something. Brenda of course agrees and helps with me by listing all the things I could be doing to help me with my sense of nothing to do. I tell her it’s not that I don’t feel I have nothing to do, I have plenty. It’s just I feel I should be doing something I’m not. She says “exactly my point” and relists. I know she’s only trying to help, that’s the way my little pooky butt is, but it’s getting rather pesky.

Jim- Whoa! Nice job on the trees so far! Can’t wait to see the finished product.

Ken- Now that I read your post where someone is training you, I wonder if maybe I may have been a bit trigger happy about the resentment theory. It could be, and I have seen this done in the past a few times, they stuck you somewhere because they started you before they really had a spot and just let you kinda mill around and get your feet wet before they started your actual training. I used to get someone that wasn’t even going to be a mechanic sent to me and they would say just give him busy work until he gets to where he/she is really going. OR, they could just see if you would cut it by a little test. Managers should actually be a little less stand backish than worker bees. They may just have wanted to see what you would do. Possible you know. Maybe a combo of both.

I’ve noticed folks are talking about Coyotes. If anyone wants some, we have plenty. I don't think anyone but activists who don't have them around would mind you taking a few. They are thick here. Haven’t seen any actually in town, (of course we still haven't determined exactly what "in town" is ) but you can sure hear them sometimes howling and yapping in the distance. Stirring up all the dogs in the neighborhood. Used to watch them all the time when I was in the tractor. They’d just stop and watch when you got close and then carry on foraging for mice I guess when I passed. Hated it when I didn’t notice a den dug out. That’ll bout pitch you through the windshield. Still amaze the front spindles didn’t snap there a couple times over the years.

Thayne- I’m surprised you have to even look up Williamsville, Illinoyz. I though most everyone new about it . Have you downloaded Google Earth? It’s free and pretty neat. You get to see the town itself.

Best get a move on I suppose.

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Curt .... I like the station!

Jeff ... I see Sundown Shops are busy with rolling stock. Nice!

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Here is the link to Verde Canyon Railroad.

http://www.verdecanyonrr.com/

They have unique open cars made from flat cars and coupled between the coaches. The train slowly goes through a spectacular canyon, and you may see eagles flying high above the train.

There are remains of Native American cliff dwellings in the area. Unfortunately. the ones visable from the train have been severely damaged over the years. Clarkdale is an easy drive from Sadona or from the Interstate Highway running north and south. There are some well preserved remains of Native American cliff dwellings you may drive to see.

Here are photos I took, excpet Shelley took the one of me.

 

 

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Ray ... I'll have to phone your answerring machine to leave a "totally incoherent messages because ... " I  "..... could stop laughing and catch their breath........"

Rob ... I'm concerned about your health. I hope you can solve the heat problem so you can save your health.

JimCG ... As I said, I really like your trees.  Are you working on pine cones next?

Joe ... Nice pictures.

Ulrich ... I like the little 2-6-4T ! ... Wow. If you were surprised, I bet somebody really likes you!

Galaxy ... You're doing a great job moving the diner this month. Looks like the diner moved on the Amtrak train that runs on the old Santa Fe line, now BNSF to get to Williams and Grand Canyon. We could move the diner on the back of a BNSF freight train to Phoenix, and connect with UP to go to Tuscan. There we could couple to Amtrak's Sunset Limited to move eastward.

The BNSF line from Williams to Phoenix is very scenic. A short line called Arizona Central connects with it and goes to Clakdale, AZ. My next post will show a tourist railroad, The Verde Canyon Railroad, which uses the tracks of Arizona Central.

 

I took these pictures of the Arizona Central.

 

[Curt Webb]

Morning All,

Last night I went to the club and was running my J1 (BLI-QSI)with no issue. I came to a red signal and stopped. When I tried to go again-nothing. I tried all the usual things without success and even went so far as to check track power. I thought maybe I had lost the address so I took it to the programming table. It appeared it should work but the only thing I could get it to do was the background noise that happens when power is applied but the loco has not been given any commands. I took it to a yard to mess with it without getting in everyones way. I thought the reset code for QSI was double 8 but nothing happened. I was punching random key pad numbers to see if I could get a response when all of the sudden it started up and ran for about 90 minutes without issue. I have to locate the instruction manual for the loco and see if there is a different reset code.

I have work to do in the kitchen today so probably no MRR today.

Joe- The layout is nicely done. 

Ray- I was thinking can you get a red brick and crush some of it into a powder and add it to your casting material for the proper color?

Oz Jim- Instead of Dullcote I use a Krylon Matte Finish. To me it looks the same and is much cheaper for much more.

Lee- Thanks for your advice, and that is what I will do.

Jim- Great looking trees.

Ulrich- What a great surprise to get.

This is the station with the applied smoke

 

 

Everybody have a good day.

[Anonymous]

Good Afternoon!

It´s a dull day today - the period of nice weather is over

I was really surprised to see the package at my doorstep when we came home yesterday. It is a thank you from a friend whom I had helped getting his business into shape. I remember having mentioned to him that I am into modeling N scale Japanese prototype, but I still don´t know how he could have guessed, that this loco and the cars where on the list of my "me wants".

I definitively need to put up the racks for the shelf, so I can continue to w*rk on my layout.

Starting to get dark - it´s only 3.25 pm!

Chloe, I´ll have a mug of coffee and some of that sweet lookin´ cake you got there on the counter!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Ulrich: That's quite a surprise you got.

 

Good morning. It's 60° and cloudy. Weather guesser says the high will be 75°. Wind SE 10 to 15 mph. It will be partly cloudy.

Just general cleanup today. What with getting the laundry done yesterday I didn't have much time for other things. I did get the L&A decals on the Front Range covered hopper and I did a fast paint and weathering job on the track cleaner tank car and applied Willamette Western decals to it. I still have to apply the Clear Flat to it to secure the weathering.

[cudaken]

 Morning Dinners

 Flo, coffee to go please.

 Ulrich, good to see you working with the trains again. I sure would not mind having a package like that showing up!

 Felt good to get a little extra sleep, but we all will be paying for it at the end of the day.

 See you all after work.

             Ken