Elliot's Trackside Diner- MARCH 2012!!

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Howdy ....

TSF ... Your friends care about you and are sad you lost your dog. Don't be shy telling us about how you feel.

Barry ... Prayers for your friend .

Sue ... Happy B'day! .... Yes, I am using Chooch retaining walls. Each end of each sheet has waste to cut off. I make sure I cut at 90 degrees. I install them end-to-end. I have to be careful. If they are too snug, they will bulge outward. If there are too far apart, there is a gapm but that is better than bulging out. I fill the gaps with putty. Then I color the putty the as close to the same as the stone colors as I can.  Then, I cover all the stones with thin washes of acrylic paint.

JimCG ... Your buildings are looking great already. They will be very nice when yoy complete them.

On the layout I worked some more on retainling walls. Plus, I did several miscellaneous things.

Happy Model Railroading.

[teen steam fan]

Ken-I didn't really post about Duke's broken leg, that happened about 2 weeks ago. Since then, I've been helping make him comfortable. Late morning today my mom and I tried to move him and Duke nipped at me, He never did that. (Although a cold nose under warm blankets on my feet in the winter was not too great of a wake up call) My parents and I agreed after that he was in too much pain. I am not one to wear my emotions on my sleeve. I really didn't talk about it in the diner. I tucked Duke's bed he used for about a year under mine, which we used to share. I just can't bring myself to get rid of it, and my parents already took care of his bowls. 

Today was actually my grandpa's birthday. He and I were close, he died ten years ago from a heart attack. So tomorrow I'm going to go to the cemetery where he's buried and then walk a path they have in the back. The bluebells are blooming, so I want to see them and then I'm going to come home. My dad needs me to do some stuff for him. Seeing as how he as federal jury duty this week. 

[cudaken]

 Can you folks help me to a stool? No Berry the kind you sit on!

 Evening Fellow Dinners

 Flo, Beer and a pan to soak my feet in.

 I can hardly walk on my left foot tonight, it was fine till I got off. Guess it has something to do with getting off them for awhile then making the work again that causes them to hurt.

 Teen Steam While I knew Duke was having problems with the broken leg, I did not know the decision was made to put him down. (or did I miss read) I just went thought that with Tiffany our 17 year old American Eskimo.

 

 In my case, while I miss her it was Tiffany's time. That has made it much easier than I when we lost Sonya my first Wolfhound. I still think of both of them in different places in the house. When I was in the bathroom Tiffany would peak around the door, and bark at me and run into the kitchen wanting me to follow her so she could snack. I still look at where Tiffany would sneak a peek and smile.

 Sonya's passing was much harder on me. With in 4 hours of knowing she was in trouble, we lost her.

   

 I smile and think about her when I sit on the couch in the family room. She would come up behind me and places her head on my left shoulder wanting to be petted on the head.

 Todd Only reason I did not miss Ziva is because I got Band Of Brother's from the library. Plus CBS.COM has not been posting any new shows!

 Far as Bank Of Stupid renting me my house? Aren't they doing that all ready? Do you know where I can find out some details by chances? I am sure they will want pretty close to the same as my house payment.  

 Far as the Wrecked Superbird I am 95% sure it has been saved one way or another. (other way is cutting out the hidden vin's and welding them into a 70 Road Runner then adding need parts) While I saw it done, I did not do it I know and saw the parts from a wrecked Superbird sale for $35,000.00 and all the parts fit in the back of a pick up truck.

 Well time to see if I can get a Ziva fix?

 

 My 440-6 Barrel out of a wrecked 1970 Cuda. Want to guess where I want to plant it?

                  Cuda Ken

[Cederstrand]

Grilled chopped steak burgers, please.

Stuck the finished sign on a building and sent a pic to my friend. It looks so amateur hour, I'll not post it in here. Next time I need to use the magnifier to apply the paint. Yikes, it looks so bad enlarged on a puter screen. But I know she'll still appreciate the thought.

Rob

[jeffrey-wimberly]

JimRCGMO

Jeff -I'm sure you're glad to track down what was causing your problems with the power on that loop. Sometimes Mr. Murphy sets us a delayed-fuse trap... You don't have a Bermuda Triangle of your own there on the layout, do you?

Yeah, funny thing was that track has been in place since I put the extension in, say back in 2005. A Bermuda triangle? I don't know. But there's some place in here where tools and handy supplies keep disappearing.

[ChadLRyan]

Jim in the Cape,

Oh yeah I totally hear that!!!
I'm a Hardware guy, I like buiding servers & such, & making modified gunsmithish things on a big mill & lathe. I've always had the mechanical Hardware sense & understanding of it, & venture that into simple electronics. I guess it's in my blood, that way..

Programming, not so much, as dyslexia tends to alter the approch to otherwise simple software questions.  Sort of when they say on the TV 'Winds are North...'   Well, is that out of the North or Going Northlery, now I'm confused, show them arrow thingies!
Right? That is my conundrum with DCC, one manufacturer has a Function here & the other does something different, ...To toggle my Dynamic, unleases my consist, depending on the loco.. Hmmm.   Oh well..

Enjoy!!  

[JimRCGMO]

Hey, Flo, since Chad's buying... okay, I'll just have a hot fudge brownie sundae and a Santa Fe mug of coffee, please. Thanks!

Chad, depends on if you're a hardware IT guy, software IT guy, or both!  The computer end is the 'easy' part of things. Of course, I've held that DCC is its own special sometimes.. I'm just trying to set back the $$$ needed for the fascia panel, the radio remote throttle (not to count decoders and installing them in all my locos)...  I had picked up a Digitrax DB150 (smart booster) at a good price (guy selling off some/all of his layout stuff) earlier. Once I get those pieces of the puzzle...THEN I get to learn CV's and all the fun stuff of "Why isn't this w**king?" For now, my main challenge is to get the layout wired for DC, with the aim of later adapting to DCC. Thanks for the compliments on the buildings - the brick one you saw in the photo (built from DPM modules and some Plastruct reinforcing pieces) had to be stripped down and repainted a second time (maybe a third; I try not to recall that part of things...) after a not-so-successful attempt at grouting first go-round.

And that's been waaaay too much thinking for one space of time - Flo, how's that hot fudge sundae coming along? I could definitely use that now....Thanks, doll.

OzJIm - sounds like you're doing fine, as "wild and wooly" it does look! Stopboards, eh? How thick and sturdy do those have to be for a SD70ACe? Looking forward to seeing things as you get even more done on that part of the layout. You could also add some tall grasses in spots, and maybe some stumps in the underbrush near the bridges.

Ray, I did find a description of your "Western New York" (as I think it was Google - or Wikipedia? - described it) delicacy, even down to the Kennelweck bun (and photos, also). Hey, thanks for the clouds mini-tutorial (which is now converted to a Pages document for future reference off-line).

Time to get back to my hot fudge - yesindeedee!

 

Jim in Cape G.

[howmus]

Evenin' folks!

Chloe, I'll just have a decaf right now, still full from the "Beef on Weck I had for lunch.  I don't dare take my blood pressure right now as I had about 3 tasblespoons of salt that came with it (actually scraped off about 3/4 of it.  It was loaded, but Goooooooooooddd!

Oh Jim, "Beef on Weck" (also called "Beef on Wick" in some places is a regional western NY delicacy....  Kind of like "Buffalo" wings.  Buffalo NY is the source of both. Basically it is about a half inch of finely shaved rare roast beef served on a Kummelweck Roll topped with tons of salt and caraway seed.

Sue,  No I do not like Bachmann for the Tsunami Sound....  I hate the sound!  I do like Bachmann as I think they are the best for the money out there for steam.  They are also just about it for good running small steam.

TSF, my deepest condolences on the loss of the pet.  Labs are wonderful, loving dogs....  Hopefully he didn't suffer long.

Barry, my prayers for your friend.  Hope he can recover!

Train Show was a great one.  Lots and lots of folks spending $$$ on hobby stuff.  Talked to several vendors.  All said they had a great day!  Talked about the hobby with a lot of folks, and hope we picked up a few new members.  Pouring rains all the way to Batavia today.  Stopped raining just long enough for me to get our stuff into Batavia Downs.  By the time I left the sun  was shining.  Drove home into grayness.  Sun has now appeared here as well.

Later!

73

[james saunders]

Moaning all, Monday Morn here...

 

Lee - Thanks. I do plan on giving the pier a wash to tone it down, I might use RAY'S technique to give it a bit of a mortar look.

CapeJim - Thanks, that is the look I'm going for. I plan on planting a few small tree's and bushes to get the overall feel of an overgrown river. I plan on putting in a few dead tree's to simulate the river been flooded some time in the past. Still very much a work in progress. I think I will go with black and a light dusting of rust chalk powder.

 

Rob - Thanks alot, There will be stop boards either side when the bridges are out, so no errant N scale engineer can swan dive an SD70ACe into the valley below.

 

Cheers,

OzJim

[ChadLRyan]

Jim of the Cape, Thanks, it is so easy to get past the frustration challenges, after you finally get things working right, ha hah.  (The funny thing is that I am an IT person & 'I' should be able to 'conquer' those challenges.... RIGHT....) Ummm Hmmm...  I really love your buildings!!! Those look great! Please keep updating us!

Did someone say Airsoft?  I practice with an KJWorks 45 & a P93, green gas versions, in the room 1-15ft, & I am a better shot when using real units from the little .22's (favorites) all the way up to heavy mags (cost intesive)!! Hope you work out your AR issues.

Cuda Ken, I ABSOLUTELY love that '69 Charger 500, that is awesome!!!  & no 'I' piece, are those still hard to come by, or has the after market made improvements & nicer versions of NOS?

Hey, I didn't mean to leave anyone out, but enjoyed the conversations,
You all take care!!!!

Whoa!!! Two days in a row!!!
Chadley is buying Weekend,  Yippeee
Dinner (anything) is on me, Enjoy!!! 

[csxns]

Its been a while,I just got back from KFC and it was ok but had no choice because the Fish Camp was closed.The LHS called and said that the Genesis ditch lights came in so i am happy about it,pick them up next week.

[JimRCGMO]

Okay, Todd, how long have you had your little gal in black staying with you and Brenda in that other room? Or did you just go to her restaurant for lunch today?

 

Jim in Cape G.

[galaxy]

Evenin'

I've been thinking about Ten Joo Berry Muds.

Ever feel like this??? {especially when talking ot a credit card company, internet provider, or online banking service?}

By the time you read through this YOU WILL UNDERSTAND TENJOOBERRYMUDS...

In order to continue getting-by in America (our home land), we all need to learn the NEW English language! Practice by reading the following conversation until you are able to understand the term "TENJOOBERRYMUDS".

With a little patience, you'll be able to fit right in with the growing trend!!!
Now, here goes...............................

The following is a telephone exchange between a hotel guest and
room-service:

Room Service (RS): "Morrin. Roon sirbees."

Guest (G): "Sorry, I thought I dialed room-service."

RS: " Rye Roon sirbees...morrin! Joowish to oddor sunteen???"

G: "Uh..... Yes, I'd like to order bacon and eggs."

RS: "Ow July den?"

G: ".....What??"

RS: "Ow July den?!?... pryed, boyud, poochd?"

G: "Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry... scrambled, please."

RS: "Ow July dee baykem? Crease?"

G: "Crisp will be fine."

RS: "Hokay. An Sahn toes?"

G: "What?"

RS: "An toes. July Sahn toes?"

G: "I... don't think so."

RS: "No? Judo wan sahn toes???"

G: "I feel really bad about this, but I don't know what 'judo wan sahn
toes' means."

RS: "Toes! Toes!..Why Joo don Juan toes? Ow bow Anglish moppin we
bodder?"

G: "Oh, English muffin!!! I've got it! You were saying 'toast'... Fine...Yes, an English muffin will be fine."

RS: "We bodder?"

G: "No, just put the bodder on the side."

RS: "Wad?!?"

G: "I mean butter... just put the butter on the side."

RS: "Copy?"

G: "Excuse me?"

RS: "Copy...tea...meel?"

G: "Yes. Coffee, please... and that's everything."

RS: "One Minnie. Scramah egg, crease baykem, Anglish moppin, we bodder on sigh and copy... rye??"

G: "Whatever you say."

RS: "Tenjooberrymuds."

G: "You're welcome"

Dinner will be roast of Beast with gravy over noodles with a side of Broccoli, OR should I say " rose beefe wid graby oer noo-dells wid a sigh ov broggolee"?

Tenjooberrymuds!

Hab a nighz ebening.

[JimRCGMO]

Good Afternoon, Flo - I'll have a bowl of chili and a RBF, please. Thank you!

I'm beginning to think our weatherguessers got their days turned around - they said yesterday we'd have some scattered showers and today sunny. Yesterday afternoon it was sunny (I was able to do some painting that I'd planned for this afternoon). Then today when I came out from church, it had clouded over and looked like it might (so far, it hasn't...). Go figure!

Gabe, your railroad there sounds like the flipside of what I've sort of expected nowadays (usually a RR might start out, maybe with support of businesses that it will serve (but privately owned RR), and then when the RR gets absorbed into a megarailconglomerate, they drop service in some outlying areas, and then local businesses/communities get a little shortline to connect them the rest of the way to a bigger railroad. Hey, takes all kinds of RR's, I guess.

Jeff - like your 'shorty' KCS cov'd. hopper there. I'm sure you're glad to track down what was causing your problems with the power on that loop. Sometimes Mr. Murphy sets us a delayed-fuse trap... You don't have a Bermuda Triangle of your own there on the layout, do you?

Bill T. - nice semaphore shot there at Edwardsville (yesterday's). (I like semaphores, though I'm partial to the upper quadrant one...)

Lee, I like your 'hiding' your mine back in the trees a bit. Nice touch there! (Even better if you were able to do all that with 'seconds' trees!)

Ulrich, I'm guessing that since you have your layout started in the one room, it's safe from being taken over when MIL arrives? Somehow, the lady of the house has her way of getting the HD list into even a 'mancave', it seems (no escaping those...) Nice little layout design there - but all that nice yard on the other side would be a shame not to put ballast on, and do some train make-ups there! Good luck on getting your CFO's approval of the expansion, too! Hey, how far across is the width on your photo of the Z scale stuff that's spread out? Never mind, I sorta figured it out from the red switcher's size that you mentioned. That's a bunch of Z scale trains!

Chad, congratulations on getting going with a 'computerized' layout (AND getting DCC going successfully, which is more than I've managed yet)!

Well, Galaxy and Jeff. after hunting down Newton's thoughts on that, I think the second one I went to read said that they recalculated Newton's stuff, and it looks like 2013 might (yeah, might...) be the EOTW date instead of 2060. So hang on, you might get to see it after all! (Just don't ask for a clerk to take out your supplies to your vehicle for any EOTW parties...)

Galaxy, hope your sleep improves for you (and soon enough). If you don't have your AC put back in yet, I can understand your not getting sleep (equinox or not)! Hard part, if you're like me, is that when it's hot it saps so much of my energy, too.

Guess if EOTW comes in 2013, no matter who ends up getting elected, we won't have to put up with them for long, eh?

Ken, that SuperBird doesn't look like it feels very Super... Poor thing!

Rob, will you be posting any photos of your sign?

TSF, sorry to hear about your dog Duke's health (especially with his being a lab, as they're pretty much always friendly!).As Jeff said, sometimes it's the humane thing when one of our furry friends' time to go has arrived.

Russell (csxns) - not sure if it's been a while or you're new to the Diner, but

Ray, hope you had/have a good day at the train show. You had me looking up.. "What's a weck?"

Barry, that video was hilarious! As the guy said, "I'm not sure what to do..." Little bitty chippee it was!

CatsThinkWell, better be careful, or your cat will develop a "taste" for bluegrass. Feel free to post photos of your X-29's once you get them weathered and all.

OzJim, good progress on the scenery! Looking like some rough woods and terrain in the vicinity of those bridges. As for painting/colour, I'd say that depends on your taste in rust/weathering, eh? I've seen bridges in black or silver (some of which had varying degrees of rust, depending on how well-kept the bridge is).

Barry, just read your post about your friend in the hospital.

Todd, sounds like you... almost... made it back to the basement and that rumored train room(!). Hope you get a bit closer next time. I'm beginning to think that your HD list is one of those - what are they... - Möbius bands? Where you take a piece of paper and give one end a half-turn and glue it back to the other, so you can go and go, but you never run out of list? Sounds like some HD lists I've heard about in here... y'know.. only hypothetically speaking, of course.

Sue, sounds like you trained Larry well, with early presents AND dinner out, plus parties next week, too. Enjoy!

So, Matt - is your band more traditional Croatian music, or the Croatian punk-rock kind?  I saw both kinds mentioned when I did a search on that.

I mentioned getting some painting in yesterday. That was on my double-wide Heritage Furniture (background) building, which is about 20 inches across. I also today got the window frames all glued into the back of the wall openings (and when there are about 80 individual ones, that can get a wee bit tedious, let me tell ya). Here's the wall structure before painting:

and here 'tis after painting:

Then today, after putting the window frames, here are a few of the walls, and a couple of close-ups:

I didn't put the doors in yet, as I want to paint them a silver color first instead of the black color that the plastic is. I've also decided that this won't be a furniture factory but some other kind. Part of that will be because of my RR's setting (Southwestern US), where having the supply of enough wood might be a bit of a stretch. I may instead make this my Acme Manufacturing Co., and use the brick background building that I'd been w**king on into a furniture factory (smaller footprint and therefore less implied need for wood as raw materials) instead. For those who hadn't seen it, this is the other building:

I'll be at the window booth, seeing what that switcher's up to this afternoon. Prayers for healing, comfort, and good night's rests for you Diners, friends and loved ones.

 

Blessings and prayers,

Jim in Cape G.

[Cederstrand]

Coffee in a  BURLINGTON NORTHERN  mug, please.

***Sue, did I hear correctly that it is your birthday? If so, then a very "HAPPY BIRTHDAY".

***TSF, very sorry about Duke. Labs are the best.

***Barry, sorry to hear that.

***Ulrich, that's quite a nice collection. My oldest brother has Z scale, too. Has been unable to do much with it yet. Switches and such are not cheap.

***Jeffrey, another nice pic. Wonder how much trouble it would be to paint the AC unit to sorta blend in?

***OzJim, hope you don't forget when those bridges are out...could get ugly. Nice work!

 Rob

[Hoople]

Afternoon folks!

Had a pretty good weekend so far, although the airsoft match yesterday didn't go too well. Gabeus I have an M16- had lots of troubles with it yesterday. Mags wouldn't feed, motor locked up a couple times, battery died... it wasn't a good day.

I gotta run and play bass now for my Croatian heritage band. I'll talk to y'all later!
Mark

[teen steam fan]

Morning

Thanks for all the condolences folks, Now for the hardest part, me and my parents decided that Duke's suffering has been too much for him. Right now I'm listening to Stairway to Heaven and it's actually helping me alot. 

Mom and Dad had me go with my sisters, one of my sister's boyfriend, and his mom and sister to the park in town. I wanted to be there by Duke, but I think it was for the best. 

Sue - Your right about that, dogs don't ask for much. Just give them your heart and they'll give you their's

[jeffrey-wimberly]

LSWrr

Jeff, http://www.mcr5.org/NMRA/articals/speed.htm

Jeff, did you check the wheel spacing with a NMRA Gauge? Had the same problem with the club rolling stock and a couple engines, sure enough a few of the plastic wheels were out of round or the spacing was off.

Thanks Lee. The speed calculator is very easy to use. A member on another forum dug it up for me yesterday and I already have it bookmarked. Wheel spacing and track gauge were the first things I checked but I was interested in the wheel spacing on the locos. I didn't check any cars.

12:02 pm EDIT: Checked the cars in question. Wheel gauge is dead on.

[Anonymous]

Good Afternoon!

Flo, coffee and a slice of that apple pie, please & thanks!

Finalizing my layout plans right now. I am not sure whether I have all the track I need for it. There may be a shortage of turnouts - have not yet counted them. At $ 50 a piece they are out of reach for me, might have to re-design the layout or leave out a few tracks. Whatever will not go into the layout will be sold via the evil bay.

Here is the updated plan:

There are a number of inexpensive paper % card board buildings available in Z scale, that should make building the backdrop flats easy.

 

[LSWrr]

Good Morning,

TSF, sorry to hear about your dog.

Sue, Happy Birthday!

Jeff, http://www.mcr5.org/NMRA/articals/speed.htm

James, nice progress.  Are you going to dry brush the center pier to eliminate the shiny plastic finish?

Jeff, did you check the wheel spacing with a NMRA Gauge? Had the same problem with the club rolling stock and a couple engines, sure enough a few of the plastic wheels were out of round or the spacing was off.

I am looking for a recommendation on DCC Caboose Lighting…..

[gear-jammer]

Good morning, Gang.  I think the strong coffee sounds good, Chloe. 

I came home from my computer training  yesterday to find a new BluRay player and flowers for my birthday.  We are going out for lunch today.  My birthday isn't until Monday.  Looks like parties all next week, too.

Ulrich,  Nice layout.  Looks like a fun one.

TSF, Sorry to hear about your dog.  We have a lab, too.  They are such lovers.

Garry, Thanks for sharing your photos.  Is the stone retaining wall Chooch?  How did you join the panels?

Ray,  Do you like the Bachmann because of the Tsunami sound?

Sue

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! Sunday breakfast buffet please. Thanks.

Areas of fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 75.

Didn’t make it in yesterday as you saw. Or didn’t see. I think. Cooked for the pancakes and sausage free breakfast for the community yesterday morning. Served a bit over fifty. That’s like what 3% of the population. Pretty good considering percentage wise that would be 3000 people in a city of 100,000. I should work for a politician juggling statistics. I love percentages. You can make anything sound good or successful if you us the right percentages. “Based on a recent survey, 90% of all America from across the nation, agree that there is a Sasquatch living within a mile of them.” Did they mention that they only polled a random 10 from three “Squatchy” conventions in LA, Chicago and New York? One turned out one in New York was the soda guy there to fix the machine, therefore only getting the 90%.

Ken- what? You…. You don’t miss Ziva. You feeling ok? I know things have been a bit stressful for you there but you don't miss..... HEY! Guess what I saw on the news?! Now I want you to sit down when you hear this. Don’t jump for joy and run down to the Bank and kiss them, but I saw on the news….ready for this????? Bank of Stupid is gonna help some of there customers out by……ready???? Renting them their own house back . Isn’t that great. What a relief for all those folks. I’m thinking about starting a campaign to get them a Nobel Prize or something. SOMEthing for their generosity.

Galaxy- WHAT? A new end of the world? What, since they realized the Mayan calendar actually ended seven or eight months ago, they’re gonna try again? Newton huh? Well at least their leaving old Nostral-damus alone. (sounds like some sinus infection doesn’t it) If you take in the times they claim he’s predicted the end of the world, he’s been wrong more than right.  At least they can prove the alien advisor to the President is real. I seen pictures.

End of the word and when? Well I’m stickin with the guy who says no one will know the time.

TSF- I’m sorry about your dog. I know how you feel.

Barry- add me to the ones praying for your friend.

Ya know, last time I was in that room in the basement, now that you mention it I think I saw a MRR in there as well. Maybe I’ll get back down there today and check that out. Oh wait. I have to paint the kitchen now that the “prep work” is done so says the boss.

 Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

[cudaken]

 Barry, good luck with your friend.

 Flo, Diet Dew to go.

 Had a reply about the wedding, but hit the wrong button again and Poof, it was gone.

 Time for work.

            Ken

 

 69 Charger 500, they had a flush grill.

[Anonymous]

Barry - my for him!

[blownout cylinder]

Ulrich:     yep..definite layout on that one!! WOW!!!

Good Morning..well...kind of....

Got a call from the hospital last night...it appears that the fellow has taken a turn for the worse...we be heading up there this morning to find out what is happening....

[Anonymous]

 

Howdy!

Another nice day. Took a little while for the fog to lift, but now it´s nice and sunny outside. All the neighboring kids are outside - incredible, how much noise just a handful of kids can make. In my childhood days, this would have meant a no-no for us, on a Sunday!

Had a close look on my Z scale stuff. Cleaned everything and gave the locos a lube job. That stuff is really tiny! Took some pictures to share with you:

That´s my entire roster. Some more detail shots:

The little red switcher is just an ich long.

... and my favorite:

That stuff is so small, that a healthy sneezer would blow everything off the track! At today´s prices, the lot has a value of about $ 3,000! Incredible.

Will continue to do some planning for that Z scale layout - with those values attached to it, I feel obliged to do something with it instead of letting it rot away in the attic.

Have a nice day!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 54° and clear. Wind NNE 0 mph. The high will be 82°.

Power went out for a short time early this morning (around 3 am). I woke up when the familiar noises stopped. You'd think noises would wake you up when they start, not when they stop.

I had a problem with the trains last night that was a bit of a head scratcher. I had rearrange some of the cars and from that moment on one of the locos (didn't matter which set was pulling) would derail at some point on the layout. Each loco set had it's favorite spot. With the Bachmann GP7's it was the turnout next to the east wall and only the trailing unit. The Atlas FP7's it was the curve in the north corner of the layout and only the lead unit. With the Atlas GP40's it was the north turnout next to the west wall and only the lead unit. The GP9 Frankensteins were the only ones that had no problem. Go figure. Well, since all this started after the cars were rearranged there must be something about that because I don't see that many varied track problems popping up all at once. The two cars just behind the locos are a pair of Tyco Old Dutch Cleanser covered hoppers and all I'd done with them was switch them around. Both have metal wheels and both both have body mounted Kadee #242 coupler boxes.  The only difference is one has #118 shelf couplers and the other has #119 shelf couplers. It seems crazy that one car would cause the locos to have problems while the other one didn't but I decided what the hey. I changed them around again, put the lead car behind the one that had been behind it and what do you know, the problem vanished, at least with the GP7's and GP40's. I haven't tried the FP7's yet. Correction, I'm now running the FP7's and they too seem to be happy now. Stranger and stranger.

[wetidlerjr]

 

Good Morning! from Tipton IN.

 

 

 

 

TIPTON

 

[galaxy]

GOOD MORNING!!!

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

DO you believe it, only ONE WEEK of March left!!!!

Enjoy your Day!!!

[james saunders]

Hello folks, been working on a few things today. Planted some grass, and also finished the Walthers bridge, and also made some bridge track for the bridge.

 

Whats everyones thoughts on painting the bridge? Grimy black? Silver? Leave it as is?

 

EDIT

here is another one last bit of work I did tonight was cut the track to suit and install the bridges temporarily, I will remove it down the track to paint it, but for now I will work on making some trees and working on other parts of the layout.

Cheers,

OzJim