Elliot´s Trackside Diner - January 2012 Edition

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! Coffee and what I had yesterday with just a titch more vanilla in the egg wash, but um…leave off the cheese please. Oh and sub the ham for that thick cut hickory mesquite smoked bacon. Thanks.

Sunny, with a high near 54.

Othern Church deposit, I didn’t get anything done yesterday cept sit around and stew over something that I shouldn’t. I’m over it today.

Rob- Sorry to hear about your friend. Yes. When the floors are done, I will be able to return to my normal shhhedjeool. Oh there will be projects I’m sure. But just the usual things. Actually, I could probably get down there from time to time now IF I wanted. I mean, like I just said, yesterday I did nothing but sit around and think about something. Could have been in the choo choo room at least cleaning up.

That is what will have to happen first. Clean the train room. It is worse than ever. Specially since I’ve been using it as the miter saw room . Whoa.

Jeremy- I don’t own a lot of Snap-On stuff either, but I do own some things of about everything. Mainly what I bought off the trucks that were traded in. Used to call them "used and abused". Cheaper, specially if bought off a competetors truck, but warranty was the same. Personally I’m a MATCO man. IMO they are just as good and they are not as expensive. Or didn’t used to be anyway. They have the same warranty as Snap-On and MAC too. Now that being said. Unless you actually make a living w**king on vehicles, my suggestion is….Craftsman. A FRACTION of the cost of the others and just as good. Warranty is also the same. Difference? Well yes there is a difference I found. BUT, you may only notice that difference if you do it day in and day out on different things. Such as, at one time, the bevel on the inside of the socket on a Craftsman, was deeper than that of say a MATCO. This is theoretically great for getting the socket to slip on the fastener, but some fasteners are thin enough the bevel would not allow the wrenching surface to contact the nut or cap screw deep enough and yup, round that puppy off. The other issue was the wrenches. The Craftsman wrench head was just a weeeeee bit thicker and meatier than the others. Good or bad depending on your point of view. Problem? Getting the wrench into some areas you needed to and if you could, being able to swing the wrench without the wrench head running pushed up against something else. As for the box end, the bevel issue again. All in all If you just want to have a set of the others fine. But if you think you just want a good set of tools, then I would seriously consider Craftsman. Not trying to talk you into or out of either. Just realistic. Sometimes, and I’ve done it myself, there is something just in saying you have a certain brand. Man thing I guess, nothing wrong with that either. I sometimes look at my two toolboxes gracing the south wall of the garage and think, “gee, if I’d have bought Craftsman I’d had all that money saved” Then I think “no I wouldn’t, Ida just spent it on something else”.

Floor Wars Williamsville: Phase….I lost track update. Ok. looks like she may be backing off the wood flooring for the third bedroom. The one we affectionately refer to as Missy’s room. This actually is a good thing, because once the room gets cleaned out and Missy can get back in her bed, yes, the dog has her own bed, she will sleep in there a lot and the wood floor may give her trouble. Unless, she (Brenda)opts for a larger area rug so she (Missy) can jump in and out of bed without slipping. We’ll see. I’d kinda like to add that to the list of flooring for the carpet people myself.

Welp, best get started on….something. Or should I say finishing something. New Years resolution is…finish one project before starting another. That is about my worst habit. Well, that and smoking. I’ve give up on that resolution and just put it off to someday I’m gonna quit. I’m weak.

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

CRUD! I just told my New Years resolution. Bad luck.

[blownout cylinder]

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

 

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

Good morning

Mixture of sun and cloud this morning with clearing later on ..high near 40F today.

Get to spend part of my day today in trainroom getting some stuff sorted out. I got a parcel loaded to the teeth with WS stuff..more treekits, more turf, et cetera..

Last night was just plain annoying..all kinds of material thrown at us to digest for next week...and all kinds of reading material we have to find in the library...The material you need for your research project will not be available when YOU need it

Flo, I'll have a coffee and a toast with jam please....I'll be at the RC...

 

[Curt Webb]

Morning All,

At w**k again today. High today is supposed to be 79 F. Maybe some rain tomorrow with the 2 cold fronts coming through the area.

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.

Jeremy- Hope your neck feels better.

Everyone take care.

[gear-jammer]

Good morning, Chloe.  I will have my quick coffee on the way to the pool

Our modem died, so we haven't had internet since Thursday.  It was intermittent at that time.  For about a week,  I could only look at one page at a time.  Some of my posts actually arrived on this thread.

Later,  Sue

[GMTRacing]

Good Morning All,

    24F this morning - not sure if it's sunny or not as the sun wasn't up when I got to the shop and I haven't stuck my head outside yet to see. Weather guessers say sunny today though.

   Jeremy - I don't have a lot of Snap On stuff - too expensive even forme. The exceptions are ratchets, pliers and screwdrivers. The ratchets just feel better and the screwdrivers are available in all the bizarre configurations I need. The warranty (lifetime - no questions asked) is good too. I have both the old smooth handles and the new "ergonomic" ones not much to recommend one to the other. The blades are excellent metal nicely smoothed and hardened and rarely break (even when abused not that I ever would do that ) or wear out. Some I've had for 30 years or more. The ratchets wear out and fall apart but have better handles and finer mechanisms that the other available choices when I got them. I reckon both they and the pliers are not worth what they charge for them now.

   Rob - as suggested, just ignore the undone and set a realistic goal when you do go to w..k on the layout. It'll go faster and be more enjoyable. Between my own and the museums and no time I'd be overwhelmed if I didn't look at the one step at a time deal.

   Speaking of which we start the afterschool trains sessions again at the local elementary school. We should have some fun as we have 8 second and third graders this time (though they've promised us some parental assistance). Not sure what we'll find for a layout left as last time they had it laid up against a wall in the boiler room which added some unplanned contours. Maybe time to start over, no?

   Ray - the interesting thing on your walls as the variation in consrtuction from the base to the top. I agree you have a challenge but I'm sure you're up to it. I''d second coloring talus and putting it in place perhaps fixing it with clay or latex sealant to the bottom of the form. If you used a thin layer of clay you could also scribe the lines found on the upper levels, add the surrounds for the doors and windows and cast it all in place. Using a single mold frame and hand laying each wall will give super realism though placing all the rocks will be tedious (see above advice to Rob). I love they way the turbines are coming out.

   Der - good to see you back. I'm sure you'll overcome your "builders block". We all get it from time to time but I have so many things to do I can just ignore the issue and so something else until I get inspired (see above advice for Rob).

   Hope the rest of you have a good day and my prayers for those recovering or just trying to get along.

     CUL, J.R.

[JeremyB]

Morning fellas

Wow, I have been up all night. Literally I have been up all night and its now 5am. I have had a stiff neck all day yesterday and I was hoping a good nights sleep would have taken care of that but nope soon as I put my head down the throbbing started. The only good thing over the hours is the pain has pretty much gone away for the most part. Well Im hungry so Im going to make some eggs and a pot of coffee and jump in the shower.

Jeremy

Do any of you guys own any Snap on screwdrivers? Im thinking about ordering a couple as I have always wanted some snap on stuff, I hear the quality of them are great.

[wetidlerjr]

 

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

 

 

 

 

 

[galaxy]

GOOD MORNING!!!

Today is Tuesday, Jaunary 10th, 2012!!!

At the sound of the tone it will be 3:11 AM EST.

[howmus]

Evenin' folks!

Janie, just a decaf for me right now.  I'll be in the back booth staying warm by the stove.

Been a long and busy day.  I spent about an hour at the Scout office chatting with the new District Executive.  We discussed both the good and the not so good in the district.  He should do very well in the position as he is bright and has the right attitude.....

Stopped in at the LHS and got some square styrene tubing I had run out of a couple months ago and still needed a bit more of for the support of the flooring in the Powerhouse where the Boilers and turbines will go.  Amazingly they had it in stock......

Finished the floor support this afternoon, and tonight I almost finished building the second turbine.  This one is easier because I just copy the first one.....  I also typed up the minutes from the very first meeting of the Lakeshores Division of the NMRA.  Interesting document from 1962.  Sent along to the Editor of our newsletter for inclusion in this months edition.  We are celebrating our 50th. year now as a division. 

John (der), good to see you sir.  Glad to hear you are back at modeling!

Oh, Ken, I was going to tell you yesterday and forgot...  Nice try, but the gentleman looking very official standing and helping people off the train was just one of the crew, no police around all day.  LOL

Guess I will load the wood stove one last time and head out to bed for the night.

Have a safe and warm night all!  Hope those who are not feeling up to par will be better tomorrow.

73

[cudaken]

 Evening Dinners!

 Flo, Beer please.

 Ulrich and others that are under the weather. Flo, make them some Chicken Soup and I will pay the tab.

 I talk at you later.

                  Ken

[der5997]

Good evening Diners:   I'm happy to report that I'm officially over the blue funk I was in vis-à-vis modeling and mmr.  I got discouraged over the lack of progress in working out how to mass produce convincing N Scale lupine flowers for the layout (I still have a technique to try, but not just now) and that "writer's block" if you will, halted everything since well before Christmas.  (Reading on, I see CN Charlie has an Ap for that! ) Well, visiting our friends  in New Glasgow, I learned that he had stopped work on his layout in favour of concentrating on some scheme or other for making money via the computer.  Wishing to save him from getting too involved with that, I decided to practice for when I have to do the 1:700 scale warship resin kit for our local museum by putting together a simple HO resin truck kit for his layout. My thought being that it would inspire him to get busy building again.

The kit as supplied was just 3 pieces and the wheels. Very rough casting, and much flash. I've not made a resin kit before.  I started before Jeff posted that he had just spray primered a resin model. I wish I had done that first. Never mind...too late by then. Anyway, once the cab and frame (horribly non-prototypical - even for t his non-rivet counter who knows nothing about trucks!) and flat bed were in place, I began on the real exercise, super-details. The parts had to be scratch built, but some were as small, or smaller than the parts I will be using in the ship model. I've fitted the truck with wing mirrors, partial sides for the flat bed (Atlas N Scale stacked lumber from the scrap box) windshield wipers (each made from 3 separate parts) exhaust system, fuel tank with filler pipe (tank made from Fimo© bought over 20 years ago in Campbell River B.C.and still very useable ) mud flaps, rear light assembly, number plates. The mirrors and the head lights are silvered with mylar from a Russell Stover no-sugar-added chocolate bag. The cab roof lights and turn signals are done with Tamyia X 26 Clear Orange - the rear lights with X27 Clear Red over Testors Silver. Since the cab is solid, I had to do the windows with something and chose a mix of pale blue and silver. Rubber gaskets were drawn on with a fine black marker (waterproof - but it ran in the Dulcoat!)

Turns out the truck is some breed of Dodge RAM - judging by the grill - but the casting is very low definition, and doesn't bear close inspection (as I found out when I photographed the finished product with Super Macro setting on the museum's camera today!) These photos were done on just plain Macro setting:

So, now that's done I'm all fired up to get back to the scenery - ignoring the need for lupines - and finish the scene I was stuck on so I can get the layout uncovered again, and who knows, maybe RUN A TRAIN!!

Ray: 

The guy whose layout I was at yesterday says to do a mold of the wall, and then pour them using dental plaster....  Of course then I have to cut the openings from the solid plaster.  Easier said than done. 

...when I read that, I thought "I've read about building the mold with the window openings etc. formed as part of the mold"...I haven't read further on Page 19 than your post, so I don't know if anyone else has said that. Now of course I see Todd immediately said much the same, but my would be to position and fix the window / door frames to the bottom of the mold being sure they are firmly in place before the pour.

Those turbines look great BTW

Chris:

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. 

...my experience of using sharpened brass tubing as a punch for styrene is that the usual tubing is soft, and one has to re-sharpen the punch very frequently. Hard brass tubing I've not tried to source. El Cheepo  brass tubing for me is the ink tubes of ball point pens!

Weather goes day by day warm to cold to warm - then we've a storm for Thursday evening / Friday. Should be mostly rain and wind for us, but other places will get more snow. Either way Uck! Winter is just one inconvenience after another.

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

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Time for me to call it a night. It's still raining and storms are still threatening. I worked on the Accurail DT&I covered hopper today. It now sports Kadee #242 gear boxes with #118 couplers. I also tossed those ridiculous truck pivot pins and put brass screws in their place, so now the trucks won't fall off at some inopportune or location. I still need the end sill and ladders for one end but maybe I'll stumble across one some day. No cleanup work on the layout I'm afraid. Too busy watching some old Mission Impossible shows from the first season. That was before Peter Graves joined the cast.

See y'all tomorrow.

[Cederstrand]

Regarding the couplers, Thanks guys! That makes perfect sense and should work well for the small car groups I want to put them on.

Now, if I could just solve the new (and very frustrating) derail troubles running the Daylight train. 

Wish I had added a siding or two to the HO layout when laying the track. It was unimportant to my wife at the time, but sure would be nice to have now. I'm not as brave as some of you who dig up track to add switches and such.

Rob

[CNCharlie]

Good Evening,

Well we had +5C which is about 40F and again tommorrow. Normally we would have a high of maybe 5F but I'm not complaining as it will make the actual winter seem a lot shorter.

Rob, I suspect those intermountain couplers mean that they are non-opening unlike mico trains. I have some Red Caboose couplers like that on a few ConCor passenger cars. They will couple fine to micro trains couplers.  Sure wish I was on a tractor today instead of trying to explain finance to some sales people.

Well my U2g arrived today!!! It is 895/1000 so not many left to go and after making that many they should have the bugs ironed out by now.  I haven't run it yet but they now test all of them at TLT in Toronto before shipping out and there is a test card in the loco that all functions are working as they should. If you want to see what the real one was like there is a great photo of a U2g on page 72 of Kalmach's special mag on Northerns. I really have never seen a plastic loco with that much detail, even more than a PK2.

Must get back at the N scale and finish laying the siding track. I do sympathize Rob with having 2 layouts in different scales and mine are a lot smaller than yours. I find that the only way to keep moving and not get discouraged is to set a goal to complete something and not worry about the other stuff. I have 14 buidlings to assemble but I just say, I'll get to it someday but right now I just want to get the track down and it all wired up.  When I want to run trains, I fire up the HO. Mind you there are some things I want to do on it such as install a set of Walthers hydro poles. A lot more work than I thought but I'll leave it until I've done my track and wire on the N scale. Anyway, its not a race.

Well think I'll see about that Northern. Connecting the tender/loco plugs isn't an easy task on these and will likely be a half hour job. They hid the plug connectors so well, they really didn't think about how you were supposed to hook them up.

CN Charlie

[GMTRacing]

Getting ready to head out home finally. More computer wiring stuff.

Rob - the fixed couplers pivot the same as normal but do not open or close. I used them on the museum display cars and have eliminated the uncoupling that used to be epidemic. They are brilliant on cars that stay in one unchanging consist. Once hooked together you need to lift them apart to unhook the cars. Think dummy coupler.     CUL, J.R.

[Curt Webb]

Evening All,

Still at work so nothing much going on this way. MOH , my daughter, SIL and I are going on a 7 day cruise the end of March. I was able to get time trades today for the cruise so I don't have to use vacation time which makes me happy.

Rob- I am sorry to hear about your friend. I am sending prayers for his wife.. The fixed coupler may mean that it does not open and close like a Kadee does. That would be my best guess.

Prayers for all those in need.

[galaxy]

Well, Anoter day over.

We went shopping for as long as MOH's back allowed. Looked for work shoes for MOH...on feet all day takes a toll on feet and shoes.

MOH Had to talk to corporate Worker's comp. about the back injury. MOH questioned why they asked so many times what happened and what MOH was doing at the time. I said they want to see consistancy in your story and know what you are doing about it and what the Dr. did/said. ANd you have teo tell EVERYONE you come into contact about it as they don't know the story even o though you filed a report. It's relatively minor as MOH only has "light duty" work for 2 weeks, a muscle relaxer prescription. Simple enough. MOH has lost NO days working over {we can't afford it now}. So simple case.

My body aches form belly button on down...quite severely...I think it means we are getting weather of some type.Minor storm moving in form west, and the storm Jeffrey has been talking about will be carried ont he Jet Stream up here...may bring sn*w.

Talking about sn*w...how about 20 FEET of it over a constant snow fall of 23 days????? THat's what a small town in Alaska has dealt with. Showed pics on the news...better them than me. THe newscaster who did the story form warm climes asked the "resident reporter" up there via internet "well, forgive me, but isn't that what you sign up for when you are in ALaska?" LOL

WEll, soon for bed time. We ahve yet to put out trash, debating. We ahve a resident black bear in the woods nearby who has seen fit to attack what he can. Apparently with 40* days he doesn't think it time to hibernate somewhere.

So, Good night, Mrs. Calabash, where ever you are!

[Cederstrand]

Chips & salsa, please.

On (N) Intermountain trucks with fixed couplers, what does "fixed" mean? Do they not move separately from the truck or what exactly? Thanks!

Healing thoughts to those in need. Looks like a number of our Diners are under the weather.

Rob

[Attaboy]

Good evening everyone.  Been a while so I decide to stop by for a diet Dew and cinnamon roll.  Yeah, I know, it's like ordering a Big Mac, fries, and diet drink but I like 'em.

Anyone else get the 75 yrs of MR on discs?  Just got mine a couple days ago.  After having to get one surgically removed from the drive on my laptop I got to check it out a little.  Basically just the magazines scanned in pdf format but it's nice to have it all at your fingertips.  Finding a specific item will take some searching if you don't know where it is to start with.  I know it is not the case now but some of the earlier mags had good kitbashing and scratch building articles.

Not much else happening around here right now since I have to save cash for a new roof on the house in the spring.

See you later.

[Cederstrand]

Coffee refill, please.

I learned today a dear old friend of mine passed away. He was my go-to welder for all the giant space ships, dragon costumes and Milk Carton boats I used to make back in WA.. He had a kind soul. His wife is a sweetheart and must be in her 80's now. She said his suffering is over. He had a major stroke a couple years back. I feel for her.

Got on the tractor and once again successfully grappled a round bale out into the muddy pasture without getting stuck. What a nice upgrade!

Will be in the corner booth awhile. Rob

[Anonymous]

I guess I will do that, too!

It is past 8 pm and I feel lousy, runny nose, sore throat and a slight headache. It´s probably the weather, 7 °C and ra*ny. Not my day today.

Flo, hot tea, with a generous swig outta that bottle over there, please!

CU tomorrow, Gang!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

V8Vega

I am going back to bed at least for awhile.

That sounds like a good idea. I may do the same.

[cudaken]

 Afternoon Folks.

 Flo, Diet Dew if you please.

 Far as the Schedule being changed, I saw that one coming. Jim, the new and does not know what he is doing manager is having a hard time with the schedule. If I remember correctly I was schedule 10 hours today, but he all so had Bill that is no longer at this store closing 2 days this week? Kind of hard to do with him work at another store! 

 I will see what the schedule looks like when I going in later today. Pretty sure they have me closing the rest of the week.

 Later, Ken

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe, I'll have a breakfast bagel w/ cheese and sausage and a pot of dark roast coffee in a FGLK mug.

Nice sunny day so far outside here in the Finger Lakes. Currently 34°F with a high late this afternoon around 40°F.  It is supposed to look like this around here at this time of year....

THAT was a year ago!

Ken, I think what they are doing is slowly reducing your hours and hoping you don't notice the pay reduction...  They may have found you are too honest to be working there!   We had a District Exec. at the Scout office many years ago who had made more than a few enemies (including the staff at the office) and several of us, once a week, moved the portable walls of his office together about an inch.  Took him several months to figure out what was happening.........  He was a lot of fun to pick on because he had NO sense of humor!

I have been busier than a cat covering poop on a marble floor this morning.  Have already dealt with several issues requiring my immediate attention (like getting information on next weeks MLK Service to the local paper for an article.  Should have been there at least a week ago!).  Also have a meeting with the new District Executive at the local Scout office early this afternoon and have 3 articles to get done for the Newsletter today.  The editor has all the patience of a boiling teakettle.....

Catch you all later!

73

[GMTRacing]

Altered schedule with no warning? Heads up Ken!

[BroadwayLion]

The cat wants to be fed.

I told her to wait her tern...

ROAR

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Thunderstorms coming through. I'm outta here!

[cudaken]

 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?

 See you all later.

                 Ken

[Curt Webb]

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.

[Cederstrand]

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.

Rob