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Elliot's Trackside Diner- MARCH 2012!! Locked

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  • Member since
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  • From: Orig: Tyler Texas. Lived in seven countries, now live in Sundown, Louisiana
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Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Friday, March 23, 2012 9:17 PM

Time for me to call it a night. Went to McDonald's with my parents this morning for breakfast. Came back and got the Atlas Trainmaster up and running. It creeps at 0.5 on the Zephyr's  throttle. Pulled out some Athearn cars and installed Kadee couplers on them. Having some problems with a Front Range 'Shorty' covered hopper. Some weight should fix it. Slapped a McHenry shelf coupler on the last car of the train just for the look of it. I wouldn't trust it to hold onto a speck of air. See y'all tomorrow.

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
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Running Bear Enterprises
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Posted by howmus on Friday, March 23, 2012 9:35 PM

Evenin' folks!

Janie, just a cup of decaf for me.

Curt, I don't know whether I helped or complicated things for you, but you are certainly welcome...Smile, Wink & Grin  I'm waiting for Bachmann to come out with the 2-6-0 in a DCC ready, undecorated model.  I guess they now have it in DCC ready but not in painted/undecorated yet.  I have an email saying they will be....  saves me figuring out how the open up the tender and snip the wires to the annoying sound.....  I have never heard any HO loco sound anything close to prototype.  Never will until they can put a 6" or larger speaker in it...  LOL.  And I don't want to have to strip it and repaint before adding decals to it either.  I have heard they are very nice runners!

Have a great evening everyone!  prayers for all in need!

73

Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO

We'll get there sooner or later! 

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The Morning at the Diner March 24th, 2012!!!
Posted by galaxy on Saturday, March 24, 2012 3:22 AM

GOOD MORNING!!!

Today is Saturday, March 25th, 2012!!!

The weekend is here!!!

Enjoy it!!!

Geeked

-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.

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Good Morning...
Posted by wetidlerjr on Saturday, March 24, 2012 4:39 AM

 

Good Morning! from Tipton IN.

 

 

Cool

 

Edwardsville IL-NKP

 

TIPTON

 

Bill Tidler Jr.

Near a cornfield in Indiana...

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Posted by LSWrr on Saturday, March 24, 2012 5:58 AM

Good Morning,

Curt, Terry check your email…

Been busy at work, I’m running 70-80 projects right now.  I’m normally not this busy until May-June time frame.  I picked up some tar for the garage and some sealer for the east side of the computer room so if the weather cooperates I’ll be mending those leaks.

BM1 Lee Soule USCG (ret)
 L.S.&W Railroad Serving the Lower Great Lakes

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Posted by blownout cylinder on Saturday, March 24, 2012 6:52 AM

Good Morning

We be dull dull dull and raining upon our'n heads today..going to stop the rain part later this afternoon and just be plain ol' dull then...high of 60F forecast...

Had an interesting day with my friend in hospital yesterday..turns out I've been a bad influence on himMischiefWhistling..he gets into trouble with the nurses a little..Whistling...gee, I wonder why...Whistling...actually he is doing a lot better lately..he is supposedly going ot be discharged on Monday...Big Smile

Today, since I am off from on-calls for a bit now...I will be hiding in my trainroom trying to find certain items that seem to go missing in there....Whistling

Ulrich:  We do our "Spring" cleaning in the fallSmile, Wink & Grin..the seasonal one will be started next week...Whistling

Lee: Good progress on that layout!!Thumbs Up

 

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/

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Lunchtime on March 24th, 2012
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 24, 2012 7:20 AM

It´s Lunchtime!

Time for a break - Zoe, I´ll go for a Barry-sized burger & fries, add a RBF to and I´ll be fine, thank you!

Today´s HD list is a mile long. Petra is completely indulged in getting our flat into a state, where MIL´s visit would not be a problem. My task is to get the train room into shape. Most of that is done now, and I have to admit, the place looks much nicer - like a real man cave. All I have to do is to install a TV set and a stereo and Petra can keep the living room for herself ... Smile, Wink & Grin

I hope I can increase my chances of getting some more real estate in that room for another layout.

I am still not happy with the plans I have. My preference would be a layout with a "cityscape" rather than an industrial set-up like the Beer Line. Will be working on some ideas later in the day.

 

Have a good time!

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Posted by LSWrr on Saturday, March 24, 2012 7:36 AM

A German beer line might be a fun project

BM1 Lee Soule USCG (ret)
 L.S.&W Railroad Serving the Lower Great Lakes

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Posted by ChadLRyan on Saturday, March 24, 2012 7:37 AM

Hello Everyone!!!

Hope you are all doing well!!!     Happy Weekend!!!

I just made some significant progress twards model railroading!!!!    No, really!   I did!!!
 
A couple weeks ago I tried setting up DCC for the first time. I had everything on hand & had collected it over a period of time to venture into it when I had some time & some research under my belt.  Well, it turned out that I had gotten a USB interface that was not intended for Locomotive Programming, as I had hoped it was. That weekend was not so pretty good... quite a head scratcher...  However, doing some more research, I was led to obtain a usb/serial adapter to work with my system.

This morning I finally got around to trying to make everything work together, & Oh Boy, I programmed my first two locomotives using JMRI from a laptop through an NCE 5amp Power Pro system..

I'm pretty dang happy that I got it to work, I had the research figured out, & although at one point was frustrated, now I knew what to do within the JMRI sware to do very basic programming.

Although I am pretty happy now, I would really suggest that if you want to go that route, please research what interface works with the system you may have. 
When it does work, it is pretty neat!!!

Now I have to go find a 'test loki' to venture into customization that is above & beyond just the road number, model number, & volume settings... (yeah, only basic so far).. it's a start!!

Ten years ago, I would never have dreampt of this, I'm happily impressed.!  

Please Have one on me, I'll pick up the tab guys!!!
Again, hope you are all doing well!!!

Chad L Ryan
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Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Saturday, March 24, 2012 8:08 AM

Lee: Great work shown there. Keep it up!

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


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Morning in the Diner March 24th, 2012
Posted by galaxy on Saturday, March 24, 2012 8:58 AM

Good morning again

I went to pick up a "few things" at the grocery store while they are still on sale. Spent $80 - about $50 more than I would have liked. Trying to get a carry out for the flavored seltzer water {5 12 packs for $12 only $0.20 cents a can! plus return deposit and tax}  and the tonic water amongst other things...was like pulling teeth...they only had three "errand boys" to do it, and had to call a 4th form the soda can redemption center to help me...and NOT busy that early in the Am {8 AM} jeeze lou-eeze I tell ya.

did half the dishes already. I hate doing them after standing and cooking dinner at night as my back doesn't like that, so I leave till AM. Only got half done not much else.

Did 2 loads of laundry already have one yet to fold.

I have NOT been sleeping well lately...I always have a change of sleeping habits around the equinoxes {wonder why?]. I was lucky to get about 4 hours last night, MAybe a nap is soon in order.

Well,according to Sir Isaac Newton, the "end of the world" will NOT be 12/21/12, But rather in 2060!!! I would be ancient if I lived til then, so I may be safe from worry.

Well, now that the funding to help us buy a house is gone, we find a very nice one in my father's neighborhood that about suited our needs...only it didn't have a basement for trains, but it DId have a finished attic space for the trains though! ANd a garage that maybe could be turned totally into a train room. Sigh Actually there was another that is very near our house that is in decent shape, but some fixing up and it would be worth more...needs painting badly and a yard cleanup {curb appeal lacking} to be great. But Sigh nto to be at this time.

Well, I shall go and try a nap, but right now to wound up for sleep I think.

later

Geeked

-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.

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Posted by cudaken on Saturday, March 24, 2012 9:18 AM

 Morning Fellow Dinners!

 Flo, Lemonade please.

 Jim It is a pretty short drive home, maybe 1.5 miles so it should not be that bad.

 Curt I have the Pacific version coming. I did finishes the last DVD last night. I will miss watching it.

 James and Curt Thanks for answer my Knot question. I knew it was some where in that range.

  Mr Dispatcher Car is a 69 Hemi Charger and it is Hemi Orange.

 

 Well, got to get something to eat.

           Ken

I hate Rust

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Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Saturday, March 24, 2012 9:20 AM

galaxy

Well,according to Sir Isaac Newton, the "end of the world" will NOT be 12/21/12, But rather in 2060!!! I would be ancient if I lived til then, so I may be safe from worry.

End of the world pushed back to 2060? I'd only be a hundred then and I don't see that happening. Another important event I'll miss!Laugh

 

 

Good morning. It's 56° and sunny. The high will be 82°.

Sunny today! I like to see that! The lake is almost back down to it's normal level. Yesterday the concrete walk around the boat house was above the water. That's about two feet above the normal level.

I was up until the wee hours this morning trouble-shooting and fixing an electrical problem on the layout. Locos were losing power coming around the 180° turn at the end of the extension. Pressing on the track restored power. Problem areas are the areas in red.



The black section between two red sections is where feeder wires connect to the track. The red areas either side of that point (to the turnout on the one side to the end of the red on the other side) were getting spotty power at best and at worst were failing entirely. Turns out that not a single rail joiner in those areas was soldered. So I spent most of my night carefully digging out the scenery at those joiners, cleaning the sides of the rails to either side of each joiner and soldering each and every joint. It took a bit but a train coming around that long curve now has steady power all the way around. That curve was put in years ago and I can't believe I missed all those joints when I went around the layout soldering joiners. Makes me wonder what else I missed.

Today I'll be going to the voting place to cast my vote in the presidential primary then go into town to the mail drop to return a a DVD to the History Channel Club. After that back home to get some rest then maybe work on the layout some more.


Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


  • Member since
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  • From: Finger Lakes
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Posted by howmus on Saturday, March 24, 2012 9:54 AM

Mornin' evryone!

Zoe, I'll have a waffle with real maple syrup and several cups of dark roast coffee to wash it down.  Thank you ma'am.

Barry sent some dullness this way after he was done with it, so today will be dull until it starts precipitating the liquid sunshine later.  THAT should happen right about the time my #2 Granddaughter's 3rd. Birthday Party starts.....  At least then it won't be dull anymore even if it is icky outside.  Currently 55°F outside and going up to 60° this afternoon.  Finally March has returned to the Finger Lakes!  All the trees have started to bud out and most are showing leaves already.  That is about a month early.  Fruit trees are already in blossom and if it now turns cold, they won't be pollinated, meaning a very small apple and cherry harvest......  Not good!

2060, eh?  I think the world will have ended for me long before the year happens.....  LOL

Need to get a move on.  have to make sure I have everything I need for the Great Batavia Train Show tomorrow.  If you happen to go to it, be sure to stop over to the NMRA Modelers Corner tables and say hi!

Later!

73

Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO

We'll get there sooner or later! 

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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Saturday, March 24, 2012 10:10 AM

Howdy, everybody

It's good to see progress being made by the diners with their model railroads. (and other stuff, too).

Chad ... Good to see you here. Sounds like your railroad is going high tech! Glad you are happy with it.

Ulrich ... I hope the MIL visit goes well and you end up with more right-of-way.

 

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

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Posted by ChadLRyan on Saturday, March 24, 2012 10:23 AM

Thank you Garry,

'bout time I get into the '90's.... no?

Chad L Ryan
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  • From: Western transplant to the Deep South
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Posted by Cederstrand on Saturday, March 24, 2012 11:27 AM

Extra strong coffee in a  UNION PACIFIC  mug, please.

Some good progress being made by some on their RRs in here and cool pics being posted, too.

***Jeffrey, I hope you won't be patching over that beautiful steamer!?!

Going to make time later today for a little sign project. It will be a representation of a friend of mine's actual business, except under a nickname I gave her.  We'll see if she gets enough customers in the little (HO) town of "Sherman's Crossing". Whistling

Have a great day all. Cowboy Rob

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 24, 2012 11:41 AM

Good Afternoon Gang!

The annual spring cleaning contest is over!

The windows are washed, so are all the curtains. The floor is scrubbed and washed. The furniture has been dusted and polished. The bathtub has received a new caulking job - Spring can now come!

Aside from the doing the annual chores it was a nice day - bright and sunny. Both Petra and I are really tired now - we will go to bed early tonight. We also change to Daylight Saving Time tonight, that means an hour less sleep - Sleep

I did find some time to play with another layout idea. It is a "Germanized" adaption of a layout I found in a UK forum. The original layout is an N scale layout, very well executed.

This is the plan:

Only a very small part of it will be actually scenicked - focusing on a typical turn of the century urban train station, featuring a big train hall. It will have non-working catenary, which I will have to make myself. Basically, it is a two-loup roundy-rounder, so nothing really special. The whole lot is just 20" by 60"

Now I only need to get Petra´s buy-in ... Cool

CUL!

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Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Saturday, March 24, 2012 11:47 AM

Cederstrand

***Jeffrey, I hope you won't be patching over that beautiful steamer!?!

I'll take a peach mango green tea - with a few dashes of Tabasco sauce.

No need to worry Rob. It's safe. It doesn't fit my general time period plus it's a nightmare on turnouts. It's tender drive yet there are no pickup wheels on the tender. All the pickup is done through the locos drivers.

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


  • Member since
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  • From: Cresco, IA
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Posted by ChadLRyan on Saturday, March 24, 2012 1:08 PM

Although I offered to buy a round before, I got top!

So any late joiners, Enjoy, it's on the Chadley this afternoon!!! 

Chad L Ryan
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Posted by cudaken on Saturday, March 24, 2012 1:42 PM

 Afternoon Fellow Dinners!

 Flo, Diet Dew Please.

 Ulrich Like the plan's, yes both of them. You go from no Rail Empire, to two! Looking forward to seeing if you can get the right away! Whistling

 Well, here in a little bit I have to get ready for the wedding. (I rather cut the grass) But we have been friends with Sheila for 28 years? Hard to believe it has been that long. Heck, I have spent 28 years in Indiana and now 28 years in Illinois. Where does time go?

 Guess it is time to hit the showers.

        Ken

 

 Yes, that is a real Plymouth Superbird Sigh

I hate Rust

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Posted by LSWrr on Saturday, March 24, 2012 3:20 PM

Chad, start a list for each locomotive and make a note of each CV setting. It will save you some headaches in the future.

Jeff & Barry, thanks. Those trees are the “seconds” the vendor sold me that were crushed.  I had to buy a wide gaped comb and salvage the branches.

Terry check your email.

Galaxy & Jeff, the world will not end until 2029, the year I retire and probably they year I have all my credit paid off including the house, LOL!

I just finished tarring the garage roof between thunderstorms.  Hopefully it won’t rain for 30 more minutes….

BM1 Lee Soule USCG (ret)
 L.S.&W Railroad Serving the Lower Great Lakes

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Posted by ChadLRyan on Saturday, March 24, 2012 3:26 PM

Thank you Lee,

Will do, this is a great way to account for them with consistency!

Thanks!

Chad L Ryan
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Posted by saronaterry on Saturday, March 24, 2012 4:27 PM
Thanks, Lee!! Terry in NW Wisconsin

Terry in NW Wisconsin

Queenbogey715 is my Youtube channel

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Posted by Cederstrand on Saturday, March 24, 2012 4:54 PM

Coffee refill, please.

Printed out the lettered portion for a sign which will be going over a new business opening up in Sherman's Crossing (HO town). Expect to get back to it before long. Need to start on evening critter rounds soon.

Planted some bell pepper and tomato plants in pots today. Hope they produce - produce.Hmm

Cheers! Cowboy Rob

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Evening in the Diner March 24th, 2012
Posted by galaxy on Saturday, March 24, 2012 5:32 PM

good evening.

Well, did some laundry- now caught up. Tomorrow take a vaccuum to the carpets. and scrub the kitchen floor.

Reduced a pile of "important stuff" to shredded nothingness. Need to do more of that. But for now the shred bin is full. After the recycling goes out the next day or so I will. MOH is after me to "brighten up and clear out stuff". Once I get MY stuff done, then I can pick on MOH's PILES of ..ohwell yuo get teh idea!!!

tonight, so I can finally sleep well {i hope} I will take a prescription sleep aid. since i haven;t been sleeping much and its been so hot in the BR due to heat and the AC window unit not in yet, I am EXHAUSTED. I managed to sleep for an hour this afternoon.

MOH works til 8 tonight,,,,long night to wait till home. Not much on TV either, so I am bored, but exhausted.

Dinner will be ROast turkey over...hmm noodles , taters, or rice- havent decided yet. Have some leftover mashed so I think that.

Have a great night.

Geeked

-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.

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Posted by JeremyB on Saturday, March 24, 2012 6:18 PM

Hey Jeff, do you still drink the lemonade with tobasco? I know you use to.

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Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Saturday, March 24, 2012 6:32 PM

JeremyB

Hey Jeff, do you still drink the lemonade with tobasco? I know you use to.

No used to about it, I still do.

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


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Posted by teen steam fan on Saturday, March 24, 2012 7:08 PM

Hey fellas

Jeff- I might ask you for the tabassco lemonade one of these days. Sounds actually pretty good. 

Sad day for me. My dog Duke might be dying. He's a yellow lab, about 11 years old. I decided that depending on how he does the rest of the weekend, I may put him down. Man this thing is tearing me up. He came into my life when I started having problems at school, he helped me though that. He broke his leg about a week and a half ago and rebroke it a couple days ago. I just never felt so useless. 

 

Thanks girls, but I don't want anything. I'll be in the back for a while. 

If you can read this... thank a teacher. If you are reading this in english... thank a veteran

When in doubt. grab a hammer. 

If it moves and isn't supposed to, get a hammer

If it doesn't move and is supposed to, get a hammer

If it's broken, get a hammer

If it can't be fixed with a hammer... DUCK TAPE!

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