Elliot´s Trackside Diner - January 2012 Edition

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Hello everybody ...

Zandoze .... Great to see you returned. I wondered where you were. Sorry you had some recent difficulties. Hope all will be okay now.

Rob ... Looks like Ray provided the link for an NMRA standards guage. You may use it for track guage as well as wheel guage. It's great tool for model railroading. Also, I would make sure the passenger car diaphragms don't cause the problem. I would slowly push and pull the cars back and forth through the problem area with your "0-5-0". Watch the diaphragms first. If they do not rub, then watch to see exactly where the wheels jump off the rails. Out of guage track will cause derailments.

Der John ... We're waiting lab results for Shelley, but doctor was optimistic that it will be okay. Thanks for concern.

My good friend who is an outstanding recently had major surgery. I think he's be okay after a long recovery.

Cheers everbody!

 

[CNCharlie]

Good Evening,

Well our mild weather is supposed to end tonight and we are expecting a wind chill tomorrow afternoon of -30C, brrrr!

Rob, as far as removing track goes to install sidings on your HO layout, I'd just plunge in if that is what you want. What type of track do you have? If it is sectional then just take up enough of the nearest curve so that you can get the track apart. I have Kato Unitrack on my HO and wanted to install a trunout for a siding to a harbour addition I stuck onto the end of the layout. I just pulled the track nails on the curve and nearby straight so I could then get the track apart. I have flex on my N scale fastened to cork with caulk and I did re-do a section which was just as easy. Sidings will make the HO a lot more interesting to operate.

I planned on setting the CV's on my Northern tonight as it is far too loud but left the QSI manual printout at work so I just ran it around a couple of times. It will go around the 19" radius I have on a siding but isn't real happy. TLT says it can handle 18" and #4 turnouts but it would have to be real slow. I really doubt I will run it all that much as it is rather large for my little layout but I'm still glad I bought it.

Well time to sign off.

CN Charlie

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Time for me to call it a night. Looks as though I'll have the heater on low tonight. Expecting a low of 42. I got the vehicle castings set out in two junk yards today. A small one with four or five vehicles just in front of the north engine house next to the fence and the other is near the back of the layout behind the Shell near an old water tower and freight shed. Other than that I didn't do much.

See y'all tomorrow.

[der5997]

Good evening all:

JR:

but I have so many things to do I can just ignore the issue and do something else until I get inspired (see above advice for Rob).

...yes, thanks, and in this case the something else was this truck thing, plus a whole discussion on a Brit military history forum about an ancestor of mine. (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,571698.0.html and on for 4 pages, for those foolish enough to be inveigled)

Barry:

DerJohn:  This reminds me of a typical old pickemup with the loose flapping box..note the tilt here...

...tilt noted when I first had a good look at the photo!  It has the same source as the skew in the frame alignment in the underside shot. It's the seating of the frame on the back of the cab. The "step" molded into the cab resin is wildly inaccurate, and the resin very tough to carve straight.  Result, a two way yaw. Fortunately, my friend, the intended recipient, won't care that much, if he even notices. I just hope the truck jump starts his layout work.

Garry: Hope Shelly is  indeed OK.

Der John .... I like the truck photos you posted. ... How has the N S weather been lately?

  Thanks, and one day warm (for a normal winter) and the next cold - on and off like that for about two weeks. Tonight it gets cold again - probably the coldest so far this year, and then warms up tomorrow ahead of a storm coming in Thursday evening into Friday. Snow first, then rain, and wind withall.

Jeff: Glad the DVD shelf didn't injure you! Worked a bit at our museum today moving a display from one side of a passage to the other. Made sure it was well secured. Also put up a small (and I mean small, 4"x8" LOL) shelf to hold a straight razor we haven't displayed before. I'm putting it behind a plexiglass screen so the public will have a harder time injuring themselves. Given human nature, some fool is bound to try!  "Ooooh, I wonder if that thing is still sharp!"

Rob:

***Garry, one of the spots it si derailing is at a small section of curved track where it has never had a problem previously. Only thing I can think is over time as the foundation has settled and sheetrock mud dried, it has somehow changed the flatness of the track. That said, I do not feel any obvious changes. It's a puzzle to me.

...Um, how's the track gauge at that spot on the curve? Could it be that the wheels are falling in towards the track centre? ...Oh, I see you may have misplaced your a gauge....and Ray is pointing you in the direction of a replacement. It's WAY smaller, but with the exact same settings, as the HO one.

Zandoz:  Welcome back! An encouraging wife sure is a blessing! Mine's a keeper!

The woodstove nearly went out - I thought I'd built it up, but must have just intended to before coming up to the computer. Kris noticed when she moved the kettle over to heat up for the hot water bottles.

Goodnight all, and God Bless. Prayers for all in need of Healing, Comfort, Prosperity and Peace.

Speaking of turbines

 

[howmus]

Evenin' folks!

Janie, refill on the decaf please!  I'll go back to my seat near the stove in the back.

Currently 36°F outside with a low tonight around 28°.  The wood stove feels great!

galaxy

 

Hey, RAY... I have an idea..MUST you model THAT particular Octagon barn? There are ones that are octagon and round ones down around these here parts that are made of wood, stone, and chiseled blocks that might be easier to model? I am trying to think now of where they all are. I'm thinking out CHenango county out towards Greene, TOmpkins outside of Ithaca {down this side}, MAybe even Northern Broome. I don't think there are any in Tioga, but I could be mistaken on that. They are kinda ones we pass when we venture out to other areas on the blue line county  roads. Maybe a search of "Round barns" or "Octagon barns in NY" would turn up info on them and pics?

Well it was just an idea.

Ah, do I have to do THAT particular octagon building?  Well, no.  I WANT to do THAT particular Octagon building!   I at least want to give it a try.  I have several ideas (some from you folks) to try.  I plan to create a single rubber mold approximating the walls.  One of the walls has no doors or windows, so THAT one would be an easy pour.  I can pour the other walls the same way, but then use a diamond bit to rout out where the doors and windows will go.  I think it will go smoothly once I have the mold made.  Remember this will hopefully be one that will be judged for a merit award, and the more difficult it is and the more that is scratch built, the more points I will receive.   Besides, this could be fun!

Galaxy, I have researched the Octagon (and Round) buildings extensively (there are a couple here in Geneva, BTW).  I may at some time try to build one of the Round Barns unique to Central NY as well, but THAT will be in the future.....  One reason for choosing the Blacksmith's shop is its size is perfect for the location on the layout it will be on.

Later!

73

[galaxy]

howmus

Afternoon folks,

Cloe, I'll have the roast chicken dinner tonight with all the trimmings.  Cup of decaf, nice and hot, in a R&GV RR Museum mug would do well also.

Hey, RAY... I have an idea..MUST you model THAT particular Octagon barn? There are ones that are octagon and round ones down around these here parts that are made of wood, stone, and chiseled blocks that might be easier to model? I am trying to think now of where they all are. I'm thinking out CHenango county out towards Greene, TOmpkins outside of Ithaca {down this side}, MAybe even Northern Broome. I don't think there are any in Tioga, but I could be mistaken on that. They are kinda ones we pass when we venture out to other areas on the blue line county  roads. Maybe a search of "Round barns" or "Octagon barns in NY" would turn up info on them and pics?

Well it was just an idea.

Later guys.

[Curt Webb]

Evening All,

Still at w**k so nothing train wise to report. I've been looking at YouTube videos of layouts. There is some amazing stuff out there. MOH is walking without the walker now and has not had dizziness for several days. She still has to be careful bending down without support but she is recovering very well. She has around a dozen staples behind the right ear that should come out on the 16th.

MOH found a new vet for the critters on the recommendation of another skunk owner. Raine will see him on Saturday.

Ken- Mind if I invite myself to your house for supper? That all sounds great.

 

 

Prayers for all those in need.

[james saunders]

Morning folks,

 

Just popping in, I'll check back later on...

 

Cheers

OzJim

[cudaken]

 Evening Fellow Dinners!

 Flo, I take a Beer please. Whats that smell? It is making you hungry Flo? Just got done BBQ some Rib's, Bratwurst and finishing up some pork steaks! Man the inside of the house smells great!

 Was tired most of the day, so not much was done. Went to the bank, paid some bills and bought the meat.

 Man, just flipped the Pork Steaks, I am ready to eat!

           Ken

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Somewhere on these forums I saw a photo of a Chrysler Turbine car and it got me thinking about the short history of the Chrysler Turbine. If I remember correctly there were originally four 1962 model year cars fitted with the turbine engine. Two Dodge Darts and two Plymouth Fury's. In 1963 the now famous Turbine Car was brought out. Elwood Engel, head of Chrysler styling had worked on the 61-63 Thunderbird when he worked for Ford and it showed in the Turbine Cars styling so much that some referred to it as the Engelbird. Of course there were many differences. The Turbo Car was three inches trimmer than the T-bird. The front was simple if not blunt but the back was absolutely wild. It had boomerang cavities with large angled taillights. The backup lights were in turbine styled housings. Then there was the paint. A bronze body with a black vinyl roof. Under the hood was Chrysler's fourth generation turbine engine, the A-831. Fifty examples were built by Ghia in Italy. The field test of the cars were done by residents of all 48 continental states with each using a Turbine Car for about three months. A total of 203 people drove the cars between 1963 and 1966. Very little maintenance was required in comparison to comparable piston engine cars. Acceleration lag was one to one and a half seconds. Gas mileage on low grade fuel was disappointing, about eleven miles per gallon. Chrysler never released any official gas mileage numbers. Acceleration from zero to sixty was under ten seconds. Not bad for a 4,100 pound car. Meanwhile Chrysler was testing a fifth generation engine, the A-875 in a 1964 Plymouth. That was short-lived as a sixth generation engine was ready by 1966. This was fitted to a Dodge Charger fastback and a Dodge Coronet 500 hardtop. Chrysler planned to build five hundred turbine-powered Coronets for retail sale but new government emission standards nixed the idea. Only one turbine-powered Coronet was built. It hung around Chrysler engineering until 1972.

[howmus]

Afternoon folks,

Cloe, I'll have the roast chicken dinner tonight with all the trimmings.  Cup of decaf, nice and hot, in a R&GV RR Museum mug would do well also.

Spent almost all day writing documents and checking facts and information for the division newsletter.   Think i have it finished for this month now.  I did spend about a half hour in the layout room and got a bit more done on the second turbine.  Had to take a break!!!

Cederstrand

Where does one get a gauge for checking N scale wheels? Not sure, but I do not recall having one.

-Rob

Rob, they should be available at any LHS that sells n scale items...  Well, they should be!  May not be though.  I looked at Walthers, and they don't have them, but discount trains on line says they do.  You can also get it direct from the NMRA here: https://www.nmrastores.com/Public_Store/product_info.php?products_id=55&osCsid=j5hlhhajlte5qp7jb7df87kkj7

I have a last minute meeting of the MLK committee to make sure all is set for the Service next Monday here in Geneva.  Busy time of year.

Later!

73

[Zandoz]

Hello folks.  It's been a long time.  Unfortunately health and financial problems have kept me away.  Recently there's been a big change in my situation...we moved (I should say we're still in the process of moving), and I've acquired  some space that could be used for model railroading.  Between that space calling me, and my wife's encouragement the model railroad bug has bitten me again.

Anyway, I thought I should stop in and say hello.   Have a good one, folks.

[galaxy]

Hi all

I, too, have never had a problem at my local Sears returning Craftsman tools..even ones I've damaged. I took back two sockets that were regular sockets and I had used them on my Impact wrench. NAturally they didn't stand up to the abuse. SO they split. I took them back, even explained what I did adn they replaced them with regular sockets again. No questions or attitude or anything..jsut opend up the lock case and gave me two new ones. naturally I was pleased. ANy other tools...including a reatchet wrench that had plastic insides I took backa nd they replaced them..knowing they were likely to break. I understand all their socket wrenches are now for sure made with metal insides.

Well, I have a head ache,naturally. the weather has changed form the beautiful days we had to ugly yukky stuff. Anormal gray day around here. I won't get much done.

well, check in with y'all later if i feel up to it.

EDIT:

NOW I got top, so here's my CC, eat up guys! I will be in the corner booth trying to sleep.

 

[Cederstrand]

***Garry, thanks! Where does one get a gauge for checking N scale wheels? Not sure, but I do not recall having one.

Just back from the P.O. and the Union Pacifc calendar has arrived. My favorite photo is January.

-Rob

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Rob .... For the track, Jeff has a good idea. Also, place a flexible straight edge on top of each rail at each rail joint to be sure there are no verticle kinks. ... For the passenger cars watch the diaphragms to see if they rub each other going through curves. Make sure the trucks pivot freely, and loosen the pivot screw if needed. If trucks are attached another way, see if the pivots can be loosend another way. ... Couplers are better if mounted to body than on trucks. I use long shank couplers mounted to the bodies. .. Weight of the car is important, too. The formula for HO is 1 OZ + 1/2 OZ for each inch of the car. N scale is 1/2 OZ plus 0.15 for each inch of car length.

edit ... Use a guage to make sure wheels are spaced correctly on the axles.

[Cederstrand]

jeffrey-wimberly

Cederstrand:

***Garry, one of the spots it si derailing is at a small section of curved track where it has never had a problem previously. Only thing I can think is over time as the foundation has settled and sheetrock mud dried, it has somehow changed the flatness of the track. That said, I do not feel any obvious changes. It's a puzzle to me.

 

Put a level on the track. You'll likely find one rail is lower than the other.

***Jeffrey, I'll do that. It is the Daylight accordian cars that are having the derail porblem there. Excellent work on your boxcar.

There are a couple packages at the P.O.. Sure hope one of them is the Union Pacific calendar from my sister. I use them for appointments and some record keeping.

 Rob

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Cederstrand

***Garry, one of the spots it si derailing is at a small section of curved track where it has never had a problem previously. Only thing I can think is over time as the foundation has settled and sheetrock mud dried, it has somehow changed the flatness of the track. That said, I do not feel any obvious changes. It's a puzzle to me.

Put a level on the track. You'll likely find one rail is lower than the other.

[Cederstrand]

***Garry, one of the spots it si derailing is at a small section of curved track where it has never had a problem previously. Only thing I can think is over time as the foundation has settled and sheetrock mud dried, it has somehow changed the flatness of the track. That said, I do not feel any obvious changes. It's a puzzle to me.

Seriously thinking of heading in the opposite direction and returning to diesel power for the N layout. Only exceptions would be the Daylight train (providing I can figure out how to keep it from derailing), the BigBoy loco and a couple smaller locos which never have any trackage issues. Also, setting a diesel on the tracks by feel is easier than with a steamer. Can't see a thing that close anymore. 

Soooo, the HO layout could become the place to play with steamers. Have wanted a Mantua 2-6-6-2 logger loco for the logging train for some time now. Will keep the CSX diesel for track cleaning duties. Would sure like to figure out how to add a siding or two on the HO layout without seriously messing things up.

Just thinking out loud here. I obviously change my mind a LOT. Heck, sometimes I think about selling it all off and starting over with O gauge, a scale very easy to see. Sure wouldn't want to start over on all the benchwork though. Rob

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe, I'll have a short stack of buttermilk pancakes, a side order of bacon, and lots of dark roast coffee in a FGLK mug.  (And leave the bottle of NYS dark amber Maple Syrup right here at the table.)

Currently 40°F outside with a high later on of 39°F.  Well... THAT is what it says!  Cloudy and gray out there.  Think it will be a good day to do some yard work........ On the layout, that is.

Have to finish some odds and ends for the newsletter before I can do anything else.

Tools,  Mine are mostly "Brand X".......

Later!

73

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I've never had a problem getting Sears to replace a Craftsman tool, be it a screwdriver, wrench, ratchet, socket or whatever. That moron who said a ratchet isn't a hand tool was totally in the wrong and should have been canned on the spot!

 

Good morning. It's 57° and cloudy. The high is expected to be 62° with 50% chance of rain and thunderstorms.

I woke up this morning to find myself in a most unusual situation. Sometime during the night a fully loaded metal DVD rack containing over a hundred DVD's broke loose from the wall and landed on the upper part of my back. It only had a few feet to fall so it didn't hurt much. The whole thing together probably weighs a few dozen pounds. It seems that what happened was a thin hanger strip across the back of the unit broke off. In any event that was the only piece still on the wall. So after getting out from under it I unloaded the thing, drilled several holes through the upper part of it's back then several more through the lower part and reattached it to the wall with six one and a half inch wood screws with washers and did away with the chintzy hanging strip it came with. It had been on the wall for around ten years. It should be able to stay there for another twenty years without a problem. I got it reloaded with the DVD's all in alphabetical order. All that kept me busy for the better part of three hours. I'm just happy it wasn't a rack like the one standing on the other side of the room. It holds at least another hundred DVD cases, about a third of which are movie collections holding three or DVD's per case. It also holds about two hundred VHS video cassettes, several emergency lights, spare batteries for said lights, a 13" antique computer monitor, a rice box, a Pioneer stereo and several dozen large books and a myriad of miscellaneous items. You could say that the floor on that side of the room is well anchored! That rack is well worth the $40 I paid for it! It's a four shelf book case that measures four feet high, four feet wide and a foot thick. And I wouldn't like it if something that big fell on me.

[blownout cylinder]

I have a melange of different tools from different companies....Craftsman, Snap-On, and the odd assorted Harbour Freight, Lee Valley stuff...

[JeremyB]

Thanks guys for all your thoughts on Snap On, Yeah Ken I have alot of craftsman screwdrivers but I kind of wanted to get a nice set of snap on drivers. I guess Im kind of a tool junkie,lol

[cudaken]

 Morning All!

 Flo, just a Diet Dew.

 What to do, what to do today? Work on the trains, do some yard work or pay bills? My wife seems to be planing to clean out the checking account today! That is not going to happen!

 Snap On Tools Only way I would buy Snap On again is if I was using them daily and no one else was using them! When I ran the body shop my guys where in my tool box more then me! They could not find there this or that but could fine mine. I let them because I need to get the car done. But of course my stuff started to come up missing so I replaced them with the cheapest stuff I could.

 Jeremy, If the screw driver set is a specialty set that only snap on has or you will use them a lot then go with the snap on. If they are just normal everyday screw drives, I would go with Sears.

 Later, Ken 

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Curt Webb

Morning All,

Speaking of tools. I have a friend that bought a Sears Craftsman ratchet that broke after 2 uses. He tried to replace it but was told it was not a hand tool by both the clerk and department manager and they would not replace it. He threw the tool in the garbage in front of them and refuses to ever go back to Sears.

Curt. It sounds like your friend gave up way too easily. I would have taken the ratchet to the store manager, and I would have made sure the manager took care of the problem. Having a temper outburst cost your friend his ratchet in my opinion....  The department manager should have been fired.

Jeremy ... Hope the neck will be okay.

Der John .... I like the truck photos you posted. ... How has the N S weather been lately?

Rob ... Sorry to hear about your friend. ... Also, you are having troubles with derailing passenger trains. What is happening?

My portfolio includes Kansas City Southern stock. I've held it for a few years thinking the company would sooner or later be the target for acquisition. The stock price has jumped up significantly since October. Reading the financial news a couple of weeks ago, I saw lots of shares are being purchased by the same hedge fund that bought large numbers of CSX shares a few years ago. Now, I'm speculating the hedge fund would attempt to combine the two companies although I did not read that part. .... I did very well when I owned BNSF stock. Warren Buffet's company bought the shares for almost four times what I paid for them in 2002 plus it paid dividends.

We were in Nashville, TN yesterday. It was Shelley's turn for medical procedures at Vanderbilt clinic.  Looks like she will be okay.

On the layout, I'm working on some background buildings. 

Also, I just tried an idea for tinting "glass" (clear plastic). I used some green cellophane. I purchased a sheet of the cellophane from Hobby Lobby. I cut it to fit inside the dome of a ConCor Budd dome car. I taped it with Scotch transparent tape. Worked well. Perhaps I'll take a picture.

 

 

 

[Cederstrand]

Italian roast coffee in a  CSX  mug, please.

Have a good day all.

 Rob

[BroadwayLion]

Thank You Mr. Seamonster!

I'll have a plate of French Toast with light Grade A New York Maple Syrup.

 

ROAR

[Seamonster]

Oops, managed to get the top again.  Breakfast is on me.  Eat up.

 

[Seamonster]

Almost all my screwdrivers are Craftsman.  I like the handles.  They fit my big paws well.  I've had to exchange a broken one only once.  I broke the corner off one of the screwdrivers in a set of jewellers screwdrivers.  No questions asked, they just took a new set off the shelf and sent me on my way.  I don't like their phillips screwdrivers though.  The ends have thicker points and a shallower angle than others and tend to slip off the screws.

 

[GMTRacing]

Todd,

   Besides the cheapness (really what does a plastic handle cost them anyway) I prefer the replace the blade thingy after I've gone through the trouble of wearing in the handle to my very own hand. Yeah,

 The rest of my stuff is Mac because it was lots less expensive when I started out and the salesman would carry me for 2-300 on payments (always bought more before I paid down the debt so.....). The Snap On guy wanted to do proper financing with interest, etc. Those were the good old days, eh? The Macguy was actually sad when I changed jobs and paid him off in full.

[TMarsh]

Curt- Never heard of something like that with Sears. Now they will want to put a rebuild kit and not replace the whole thing, but all will do that.

The other issue is, and it is small really no issue, but if you break a tip on a Snap-On, they will pull the blade off the handle and slam a new blade into your old handle. OK I guess, but Matco just gives you a shiny new screwdiver, new handle and all. I like that better.