Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, there are little white thingies floating around outside this morning. What? Oh, THAT's the "partly Cloudy" they predicted... Anyway, I'll have a couple pieces of French Toast with some dark amber NYS Maple Syrup (as long as we are right here in NYS, what else would we use?). Use whole wheat bread if you would, and don't forget the dark roast coffee. Thanks!
Lee.... Nope! No commercial styrene even vaguely similar to it. I would have to buy injection molding equipment, create the original molds, and then create the building...... Besides, I'm not a big fan of styrene for scratch building, although the turbines I am making and many other small project have been made using styrene. Besides the building is solid cobblestone construction with 18" walls..... I need to be able to get this texture on it:
It's going to be a challenge in plaster even.......
I have arranged a special excursion for us on the FGLK today:
Yep THAT's me climbing off. Train is being headed by Finger Lakes GP9 #1703 which has been serving the RR since they started operations back in 1995. Still a beautiful Loco!
Catch you all later!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
cudaken Morning Folks, any one have a Big Hook I can barrow? Flo, Diet Dew Please. Watching TV last night and running the trains did not go to well? Seems my B line train lost its engines and they ran around the bench and hit the back of there train. They derailed onto the A line and caught the Y6 b train about 10 cars behind the engine. I was all so running a second train on the A line, that rear ended the derailed cars of the Y6 b. So I have around 50 derailed cars, and of course they are in the 13 foot long tunnel section! Going to take awhile to clean up this mess. Well I am off today, so I have the time. Later, Ken
Morning Folks, any one have a Big Hook I can barrow?
Flo, Diet Dew Please.
Watching TV last night and running the trains did not go to well? Seems my B line train lost its engines and they ran around the bench and hit the back of there train. They derailed onto the A line and caught the Y6 b train about 10 cars behind the engine. I was all so running a second train on the A line, that rear ended the derailed cars of the Y6 b.
So I have around 50 derailed cars, and of course they are in the 13 foot long tunnel section! Going to take awhile to clean up this mess.
Well I am off today, so I have the time.
Later, Ken
Ah... Welcome to the world of Railroading! And you little engineers do not have signals? Were they texting or something.
LION runs trains of a five minute headway, but since my signals are for looks only and have no bearing on what the trains are doing, they will not help my little engineers. The timing clock is supposed to do that, but sometimes I do have what we call an "unintentional add". The dispatcher is supposed to put up the holding lights if there is a problem, But little 1:87 dispatchers cannot see very far either.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Ray ... I'm getting visions of you working on the model of the stone building. I can see you sifting play sand to a uniform size, and then patiently lining up the particles like tiny soldiers. Next, you work the mortar into place. Then, you become insane. .............
By the way, Ray, I liked your goat story.
Here is a photo I put in WPF and Counting with Trains.
I recall seeing similar looking trains on the Burlington Route west of Chicago.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
howmus Lee.... Nope! No commercial styrene even vaguely similar to it. I would have to buy injection molding equipment, create the original molds, and then create the building...... Besides, I'm not a big fan of styrene for scratch building, although the turbines I am making and many other small project have been made using styrene. Besides the building is solid cobblestone construction with 18" walls..... I need to be able to get this texture on it:
This looks like it should be easy to do. The LION built walls like this once upon a time, more of a random stone than what this building has, but your building only makes it easier.
You go to a pet store and buy the kinds of stones that people put in fish tanks. You spread some window caulk on a surface (chipboard would work nicely) and just start setting the stones in place one by one, let the caulk be the grout between the stones, use a piece of dimensional wood for the line between the courses. You will be done before you know it. This is not a good photo, but it does show some of the walls that I have made this way.
Afternoon, everyone.
Been a busy last few days. Mostly because of teachers trying to cram before exams. Fun stuff, that is.
I've still got some stuff to do, so I can't stay.
Catch ya later!
-Joe
Rail has been laid up to the crossing on the Lackawanna Cutoff.
My Model Railroad: Tri State RailMy Photos on Flickr: FlickrMy Videos on Youtube: YoutubeMy Photos on RRPA: RR Picture Archives
Ray...A goat? what no Christmas Fruit cake to be regurgetated regifted over and over?
Ray..how 'bout this..if you used some heavy modeling clay and took some pencils, and carved the eraser ends into random "stone shapes" and pressed them {dimpled} into the clay in neat rows scored with lines for the "grout" then poured in your favorite modeling plaster...would that worK???
Just an idea. Better than going crazy trying to glue talus or sand and grouting it.
Welp...another do nothing day. GOod for the back, bad for the brain.
Maybe get some more laundry done.
Swai fish is on the menu tonight. MOH said is mild like haddock or pollack { tried at work}, we will see, I've never had it. SOmeone said it is like white fish, which neither MOH nor I like at all. Have to trust MOH's judgement?
Ken...derails will always happen in the most inconvenient places with the longest train you wish to run...Murphy's law...You need one of the "reacher thingys" for seniors who can't bend over to pick up things or reach up to get things to get trains out! "Help. I've derail and I can't get them out!"
Well. I had my outing for the day..to a pharmacy for scripts.
Posta be some snow somewhere today? don't see it. Nice 35* now. We will see..they have yet to be right about snow fall this year.
Later
-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.
Afternoon, all!
Got the additional staging installed on the lower level, makes 5 tracks between 12' and 20'. Hope that's enough! Still need to hook up the feeders and add a safety barrier out of 1/8" masonite. Slowly crossing off the to-do list, next project will be second half of the Spooner roundhouse.
Speaking of Spooner, I mailed the plat maps to a fellow MRR in Owatonna,MN. I STILL can't reply to a PM or start a new thread out in the forum. Wife says she (or I, for that matter!) can't see the "torn piece of paper" thingy that has been suggested to click on then all will be right. I think we have IE7. Does that mean anything? John's been trying to help,too. (Derjohn)
Son arrived safe and sound back at Ft. Benning ,Georgia to continue basic. Should finish in March ,then to Ft. Bragg for Airborne training, I believe with the 82nd. Seems a Staff Sergeant with the 75th Rangers stopped by to invite Steve to explore that option, also. He's still leaning toward the Special Forces, though.
Newest grandson is growing like a weed!
Got the trusses set and most of the roof sheeted at the lakehome build . Lots of different roof angles.
Ken, I got a chuckle out of your derailment issues. As I run more and more trains ,Murphy is very dilligent in pointing out my "short-comings". Makes for a better layout, though!
Rob, nice tractor! Wish I had one!
JR, hope you find the leak!
Hi back, Sue!
Better get to wiring, be back later. Prayers for those that want'em!
Terry in NW Wisconsin
Queenbogey715 is my Youtube channel
Afternoon folks!
Chloe, I'll have a cup of hot chocolate if you please. I'll be relaxing by the stove in back.
Thanks for the suggestions, guys! Lion.... Aquarium Gravel.... Hmmmm. I have some sitting in a cupboard in the living room. Probably way too big. May be able to find some smaller stuff. The rows of stone are 4.5" wide.... That means there are not quite 3 rows of cobblestones on the facing in every scale foot and I am working in HO..... (grin) What I think I am going to do is create one complete wall of the cobblestone by hand most likely using scale wood for the mortar lines (glued to a wood block the size of the wall). Then I will glue the cobblestones in place between the scale wood pieces. I will probably use rock dust to fill the the resulting fixture half way so only the tops of the stones are showing. From THAT, I will create a rubber mold I can use to pour the 8 sides needed for the building. Those 8 sides will be solid, but it won't be hard with the Dremel and some diamond cutters to rout out the windows and doors. I will likely set up a work jig on my Dremel drill press that can make every window cut the same on the sides that have windows, and then set up to cut the doorways out of the walls that have doors..... Any way I look at it, this will be a bit of work for a very small building. I will end up with something very unique! (At least until the guy who did the drawings for me - from my measurements and photos - sells the plans to a kit maker and the rest of you can build it.....)
Oh, on our excursion today, be careful when you detrain to take photos!
Always be aware of your surrounding near the ROW!
Later!
Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood afternoon, pot of coffee and a stack of cheeseburgers please and thank-you.
RAY: I've been trying to come up with an idea for your little building since you first brought it up. I don't know if this would w**k or not, but it might be an option. Maybe you could get some brass tubing THAT would be about the right size for the cobblestones. Sharpen the heck out of the ends, crimp the ends to be more cobblestone-shaped rather than round, then punch out a bazillion-or so cobblestones out of really thin styrene. The "cobblestones" would then be glued onto styrene walls with strips for the mortar lines.
I don't see any way of doing THAT building THAT won't be mind-numbingly tedious, be it hand-carving plaster walls, building and casting walls, etc., etc., etc. If WHEN you get this built, if you're not a resident of the funny farm, it should be stunning. However you end up crafting it, we'll understand if you come into the Diner with a glazed look to your eyes, maybe a twitch or two; and perhaps mumbling incoherently about cobblestones and mortar lines.
And yes, just watch. Your draftsman WILL sell the drawings and some manufacturer will come out with the building in exsquisite relief and detail...just in time for you to present your finished structure for judging. On an unrelated related note, I drafted elevation drawings of every building (at the time) in the Usher's Ferry Historical Village in Cedar Rapids for a project our Cedar Rapids Model Railroad Society was doing. One of our brethren tried to interest a publisher in a book deal...might've been Kalmbach, don't remember. Obviously, it went nowhere.
**WARNING** the following may be considered a "rant":
I've been w**king on a Walthers GP15-1 for some time now, and went to dress-out the front pilot yesterday. I quickly remembered THAT I had forgotten THAT where Walthers thinks the eyebolts for the coupler lift bar should go is quite different from where they HAVE to go to fit a Details Associates part. I also remembered THAT I had forgotten THAT the two eyebolts either side of the coupler pocket have to be shortened. The way Walthers built the locomotive, you can't put a full-length eyebolt in...you can't drill through. It's the same with the grab irons on the noses...one side has to be cut short, very short; to install them. Naturally, I remembered what I had forgotten after breaking several #80 drill bits, launching several eye bolts to some unknown place, and saying a plethora of those words our Moms said we should never say.
Rerun went into hiding for the afternoon.
In a weak moment, I placed the first Walthers order of the year, including two "this will be the only run of these road numbers EVER, limited edition, get them now or never see them ever again" boxcars. These are the Evans flat-top boxcars first made under the Life-Like label. I have two of 'em obtained from TheBay. Strip the heavy paint, replace the underframe/trucks/couplers, paint/decal...they come out as a decent representation of a Penn Central X72 or X72A boxcar.
Naturally, after building these, I see Walthers has offered the same thing in the past under their "Proto 1000" line. Now they're just "Walthers RTR." I looked a bit closer at the picture online of their product...$20 per car and I'm still going to have to replace the underframe (Details West FF-163 50' Evans 20" cushion underframe is a perfect fit). I'm also going to have to carve off the stirrup steps and replace them. In other words, its still the Life-Like car, just with better paint and hopefully better trucks/wheels.
RTR = Ready To Re-do...
Funny thing, to "roll my own" would come out about the same price-wise as buying the "RTR" version...
*sigh*
***Rant ends***
Chris
The Cedar cRapids Industrial Branch: Proudly Shipping Yesterday's CrunchBerries Tomorrow!
Good afternoon. Got my day shot down this morning. My mother decided she wanted to go shopping this morning. First Wal-Mart (hour) then Stage (Two hours). Stopped at Las Mayos for late lunch the back home. I just got back a short while ago. Now my ankle husts too much to even think about cleaning up the layout. Now I need to rewrap my ankle then I may see if I can get a little sleep.
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,
Sitting here trying to figure out what I want to fix for supper. I am doing a time trade at w**k tomorrow so I have 16 extra hours this week then the new schedule starts on Sunday. I got everything done I wanted to today on the layout. Everything is installed under the layout and just needs connecting to the blok animator and then adjusting the IR sensors. Hopefully Friday or Saturday the signalling install will be complete then onto the next project, a partial scratch built coaling trestle where the diesel servicing is now (moving to the engine addition). I also put another piece of fascia board lower down next to the first set of signals (on the edge of the layout) to try to prevent accidently pulling wires out.
I burnt the heck out of my little finger by a gob of solder when I was soldering under the layout. Can't seem to avoid it.
Ken- I feel your pain but did you think that the derailment would of occured anywhere but where it did?
Jeff- I hope your ankle feels better soon.
Everybody have a good night.
Curt Webb
The Late Great Pennsylvania Railroad
http://s1082.photobucket.com/albums/j372/curtwbb/
And here comes the rain! It's now at a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms. I can safely say we're getting 50%ed on!
Evening Fellow Dinners!
Flo, [please!
Hum, Ray did you do anything wrong on the train?
Sure looks like a Polices Officer is waiting for you!
Big Hook Well it was still a pain in the caboose to clear, not nearly as bad as I thought. Seems the accident happen just before I shut down the layout. Fast freight being pulled by the Santa Fe F7's On the A line did not hit the Y6 b train. So I did not have to pull the mountains off to get the trains going again.
See you all later.
Ken
I hate Rust
Decaf coffee, please.
Have really enjoyed the pics being posted in here. Keep it up, folks!
Should have stayed out of the train room tonight. Two cars of the Daylight train kept derailing in two different spots. Have never had that problem with this train. Then I decided to run a few vintage steamers. That didn't go "smoothly" either. Looking around at the unfinished HO layout and the barely begun N layout, started feeling quite overwhelmed and knew it was time to get out of there.
Have a good night all.
Rob
Curt.... Thursdays is Leftover day in here in the monastery. Sunday evening is euphemistically called a "Buffet" but actually it is Leftover Leftovers, also known as "The Revenge of the Leftovers", or "Leftover's Last Stand".
Watch about soldering Irons and fingers. This is why the LION no longer does any wiring under the tables. Everything leads out to the fascia where I can work on it like a gentle-lion.
The LION was working on his layout this weekend. all weekend and all I have to show for it is about 100' of new third rail installed. Four track main line sure goes through a lot of resources.
Ken .... Shhhhh ... Ray does not wish others to know his SLOW 2-6-6-2 was doubled parked and he got a ticket.
galaxy
Ray... Here's another idea...you didn't quite like the idea of aquarium gravel...what about "ta da"!!! Cat litter??? Cat litter might be jsut the right size and random enough to be cobblestones??ANd it could be painted in various colors??
Just an idea!
Welp, Time for bed..so I will see you all on the morrow....
Time for me to call it a night. Thunderstorms have moved through heading north. Looks like the folks up around Shreveport and Monroe are enjoying them at this time. Got a lot of nothing done on the layout today due to circumstances beyond my control. I didn't so much as lift a paint brush. Maybe tomorrow. See y'all then.
Evenin' folks!
Janie, just my usual decaf right now! Maybe some dessert after a bit.
As the sun sets (yeah, I know the sun set several hours ago...) here in the Finger Lakes our passenger excursion heads back to the Geneva Station (They actually do board near the old NYC Geneva Station even though it is now a collection of stores). You have a great view of the local scenery from the coaches:
You can also get some beautiful sunset shots as we cross the bridges over the North end of Cayuga Lake (2nd largest of the Finger Lakes, we are almost to Seneca Falls [just in case Selector is looking in]):
Lots of good ideas from you folks on the Octagon Blacksmiths shop... Several of them may be of help. Thanks!
I basically finished the first of two Turbines for the Power House today. Pretty much a scratch build except for a large electric motor that represents the generator and a small piece from a Walthers Modular set. I think when completely finished it should do the job well. Before painting:
After Painting:
Hope each of you has a restfull and safe night!
GOOD MORNING!!!
Today is Monday, January 9th, 2012!!!
Make it a GREAT Day!!!
Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
Good Morning!! Coffee and let’s try this. An order of French Toast, on top lay a few slices of that deli thin sliced ham, and on that a couple slices of Swiss cheese. Yes and maple syrup too please. Thanks. I saw that on the menu at Baker’s Square yesterday and was curious. I’m not a big fan of Baker’s Square, I didn’t try it because we opted for two burgers and two fries and two pieces of pie. Counting the two drinks, $32. Yup. $32 for a couple burgers and fries, a couple cokes and a couple pices of pie. Quite possibly the smallest piece of pie too and not really that great. Shoot, a Mrs Smiths beats those all to pieces. But I was curious about the French Toast thing.. Sunny, with a high near 49. Wow, wasn’t that a beautiful sunset last night? Thanks for pointing that out Ray. Lion- When I was growing up Saturday was “buffet night” at our house. Or “clean the refrigerator night” as Mom called it. Sunday dinner was the base for either Monday or Tuesdays dinner or a good foundation for Clean The Refrigerator Night!
Good Morning!! Coffee and let’s try this. An order of French Toast, on top lay a few slices of that deli thin sliced ham, and on that a couple slices of Swiss cheese. Yes and maple syrup too please. Thanks. I saw that on the menu at Baker’s Square yesterday and was curious. I’m not a big fan of Baker’s Square, I didn’t try it because we opted for two burgers and two fries and two pieces of pie. Counting the two drinks, $32. Yup. $32 for a couple burgers and fries, a couple cokes and a couple pices of pie. Quite possibly the smallest piece of pie too and not really that great. Shoot, a Mrs Smiths beats those all to pieces. But I was curious about the French Toast thing..
Sunny, with a high near 49.
Wow, wasn’t that a beautiful sunset last night? Thanks for pointing that out Ray.
Lion- When I was growing up Saturday was “buffet night” at our house. Or “clean the refrigerator night” as Mom called it. Sunday dinner was the base for either Monday or Tuesdays dinner or a good foundation for Clean The Refrigerator Night!
Another wall idea: How abooooouuut this. (now I can type refridgerator and the spell check/ auto correct has no idea what I mean. But it can take abooooouuut and come up with “bailout”) Anywho, lay some caulk as a base. Press in that the “boards” for your mortar lines I guess you call them, then use clay oil dry, or I guess that’s the same thing as cat litter as long as you get the clay kind. If there is any other kind I don’t know. Press them in as your stones as Galaxy suggested. Once all that dries, you can pour your roober, (rubber, but I wanted to see what the spell check/ auto correct would come up with. Just a red squiggle.) If you have something other than an exacto blade to cut the windows, then I would not use the method I suggested earlier. And it sounds like cutting openings for you will be no issue at all. I however may try something like that just to see what happens. Someday…..if I remember. Nice looking turbine by the way.
All this talk of soldering has kinda put a hankerin on me to get back to completing the wiring for what I have got laid. BUT:
Floor Wars Williamsville: Phase.....I lost track. The kitchen floor will be next. That is what the wife said…. So it is written, so it shall be done. It of course, will have to be done in stages due to the lack of space to put the appliances. This little room, will probably take the longest. Not for the w**k that needs to be done, but for the way it will have to be done.
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 All,
22F and sunny just now. Busy weekend including a trip to New Hampster Saturday to deliver the Cooper to the panel basher and a rescue mission to get #2 son and loaner car which went dead on him that evening. He is now driving the new Fiesta and I have the Aspire (its' aspiration is to grow up to be a car). No word on the clutch problem diagnosis yet from the dealership. No we didn't take on the clutch job here as it involves disassembly of half the drivetrain and it's just too big a PITA to deal with along with the rest of the nonsense. Looks like the loaner Focus lost another alternator BTW.
Haven't been in or gone through the backlog of posts so I'll withhold comment until I do. CUL, J.R.
Good Morning
Welp, I have returned from a weekend stint of on-call and am now getting ready for back to school....mmmm...why does that sound kind of oddodd...
It were a busy time this weekend...too many things went worgn...
Anyways..weatherbeguessers are now forecasting snow instead of rain for Thursday..today? Sunny with increasing cloudiness this afternoon with a 60% chance of little tiny snowflurries for us...
Flo, I'll try what Todd is having please..sounds good!!
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 morning. It's 65° and raining. the high will be 68° and it looks like it will still be raining. Where was the rain last summer? Showers and isolated thunderstorms with heavy rain at times. Chance of rain near 100% all day and tonight. Anybody wants any bring your buckets!Very wet today. Glad I don't have any outdoor projects. With the weather the way it is I just might get the chance to clean up the layout a bit. I also have an Accurail DT&I covered hopper that still has those terrible looking dummy couplers on it. What was Accurail thinking when they made those worthless things? That would be like Mary Shelley putting hooks on Frankenstein instead of hands. I'll be lucky to get the coupler pocket covers off without breaking the pins. If they do break I'll have to file the pockets off and put on Kadee #242 gear boxes. Come to think about it that would be an improvement. Another thing is the trucks are held on with those worthless plastic pins that work loose and fall out in some inaccessible area. Maybe I can replace those with a couple of brass screws. That would be another big improvement. The car is missing an endsill and ladders on one end. Nothing I can do about that. Just gonna have to live with it I guess.
Italian roast coffee in a SOGGY SOUTHERN mug, please.
***Todd, when all the floors are done, will you be able to spend more time with trains or does your boss have other ideas?
***Ray, your scratch building skills are impressive. Well done!
Have a good day all.
Morning All,
Flo I would love a cup of coffee please.
At w**k today and high of 79 F today. If I was off today I could finish connecting my last set of signals. Oh well. Next day off is Friday and will probably have to take Raine back to the vet again. Not mch else to say at this point.
Ray- That is great scratch building. I ws thinking of your rock issue. How about WS Talus? It comes in three sizes and it can be dyed by soaking in a very thinned latex type paint (watery consistency). I did that for my rockfall next to my mountain.
Everyone take care.
Morning All.
Flo, Diet Dew Pleases.
Hum, they messed with my schedule at work, seems I go in today at 3:00 PM? Just seems odd to go in for only 6 hours? What can you say?
Thunderstorms coming through. I'm outta here!
The cat wants to be fed.
I told her to wait her tern...