Elliot´s Trackside Diner - January 2013

[jeffrey-wimberly]

chochowillie

Strange you should mention that.  I've been thinking that what with all the liquid sunshine you are getting that someone MUST be building an Arc. Now where one would find Gopher Wood I don't know. Maybe the good book got it wrong and it really says Go For Wood

Nobody really seems to know what 'Gopher wood' or 'gopherwood' is. Some think cedar, others think cypress. Still others think ebony, fir, pine, acacia, boxwood, juniper, wicker, etc. Pretty much take your pick of what's out there and it's been thought of as a possibility for gopher wood.

**

**

Earlier today I was doing some work on a Bachmann GP40 shell and just out of curiosity plopped it down on the Stewart/Athearn/Proto AS16 drive I've been playing around with and came up with this smooth running creature. It looks like a Bachmann from the wrong side of the shop but runs smoother and quieter than my newest Atlas. Now what to do with it? This thing is just an experimental accident! It's obviously not an AS16 and it's very obviously not a GP40. What would one call this spawn of the warped mind of Dr Frankendiesel? I'm at a total loss! I look at it and my mind just goes blank.

[saronaterry]

Hi, all.

28f and sun, windy too.Anybody else notice Fergie is back out on the forum?

Last day off. Went over to jobsite to turn on heat and power and get the dumpster set, we start tommorow.

Not much train stuff today, maybe tonight.

 That sucks, G.

That's it for now.

Terry in NW Wisconsin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Looks like I'm gonna be ducking for cover yet again. Another big thunder-boomer is coming in. This one looks and sounds thoroughly vile! Hope to be back later.

[rdgk1se3019]

jeffrey-wimberly

Who runs that business? Adolf Hitler? Joseph Stalin? Benito Mussolini?

Sounds like Barry Hussien Obama.

[Packer]

Evening guys

Well today I picked a few Kadees of some cars that I probably won't use again, so I could finish up some of the kits loitering on my bench. I was to the point where I had to glue some metal bits to plastic, but my super glue was nowhere to be found. Turns out I forgot I loaned it to my dad, and it's all dried up now. I don't know if he knows that gunk left on the tip can be cracked off and it'll flow again.

Ken, Just curious. Keep me updated.

Galaxy, That sucks, but it sounds like her boss was looking to get rid off someone. I'm with Jeff's comments on the issue.

Terry, those buildings are kinda large for the module/diorama thing I'm contemplating.

Jeff, I wouldhave thought the AS16 was a bit shorter than the GP40

BN24, most of my cars are either box cars or covered hoppers. I lost count of what I have. I know I'm pretty low on cabooses though (8 cabooses for close to 60 locos). I'll have 3 more whenever the weather stops being suckish for painting.

[rdgk1se3019]

kbkchooch

Dennis, either you're too vague, or I'm too dense. What am I looking for on the microscale page?? I am assuming it has to do with you ar the Reading & Northern?

Sorry..........I had one of my GP30`s from my road the Birdsboro & Reading in the January issue of the Micro Scale Industries newsletter.

I was trying to find a way to copy and paste it but the pics don`t copy over..........and the link for the Micro Scale site was so that you all here could see it........only to find that the newsletter archives are only updated to November 2012.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Packer

Jeff, I wouldhave thought the AS16 was a bit shorter than the GP40

As far as I know they're both 58 feet in length.

[cudaken]

 Evening Folks!

 Flo, I will take a beer pleases.

 Work Front Well I made the full shift! But I could still tell I was sick, I felt 85%.

Burlington Northern #24

galaxy

Well, I went grocery shopping. Shouldn't have.

The good news is MOH is home early.

The bad News is: MOH GOT FIRED TODAY. FOr punching in 1 minute too early from break.

So now we havet o figure out what to do tomorrow. MOH is too upset now to file the contesting form and too upset to go look for work.

They LET MOH work for 2.25 hours before ntoifying MOH of the "dismisal".

Gee, and we just got approved for a new loan yesterday. We may take that back. HAsn't been spent yet.

Oh well

that's not very fair, it's saddening because they'd fire for being one minute early off a break. who runs that place a wannabe dictator? I hope she will feel better galaxy, and that things will work out for the better.

 Galaxy Sorry to hear about YOH lossing her job. Now the saddest fact is the Wannabe Dictator is our own Federal Government Protecting Her Rights!!!!!!!!!!!!

 The Fed's audit time-cards / 30 minute lunch breaks.If the Feds finds a company is not giving the employees there full 30 minute break they get a fine! With it being the Fed's, they figure if someone has not taken there full 30 minutes, they where forced by the evil employer to clock in early thus step on there rights! So, your YOH lost her job to protect her rights?   Ulrich, you sure you want to live in the Good Old US of A? 

 Do you know what is the differences between The Boy Scouts and BoS and the Federal Government is? Boy Scouts have Adult Leadership!   

Train Show Alert!  There is a train show in Collinsville IL just 5 miles if that from my house! Plus Bachmann will be there showing off there new engines!  Could there be a EM-1 Yellowstone in my future? Boy, I better stay clear of that places! I might do something silly and fun!

Ken

 

 That is Motley's EM1 Yellowstone! 

[Burlington Northern #24]

Packer

BN24, most of my cars are either box cars or covered hoppers. I lost count of what I have. I know I'm pretty low on cabooses though (8 cabooses for close to 60 locos). I'll have 3 more whenever the weather stops being suckish for painting.

yeah, I'm sharing 4 BN cabeese amongst 5 BN locos that aren't my passenger or exec. ones, every other roadname I have has a caboose except my GN alco FA/FB2 pair. intermountain is also releasing some new coaches in may I ordered 2 BN and 1 SP&S 56' coaches one of the coaches is the silver version from the BN passenger train you showed me a while back. that got me thinking about getting some cars to paint and a locomotive to lead them. I found it with a link to our conversation, but it was in the silver scheme. 

I also found a site with a small # of pictures on these silver BN trains http://www.umcycling.com/bn1.htm

[nscaler711]

LSWrr

Garrett, welcome to the diner.  Are you full time Guard or reserve?

 

i guess it would be reserve,

Well i didnt get anything done train wise, minus a better understanding of CVs 29, 17, 18.....
 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Time for me to call it a night. See y'all tomorrow.

[Burlington Northern #24]

jeffrey-wimberly

Time for me to call it a night. See y'all tomorrow.

I enjoy your patched locos, they look great.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good evening ...

Garrett .... Welcome to the diner!

Galxy .... Sorry to hear the bad news. What you said makes little sense as to why they would do that. I suspect they violated one of the labor laws. 

You BN fans might be interested in some trivia. I made the CB&Q Havlock baggage car model which I posted a couple of days ago, I read that one of them actually was painted Cascade Green for BN. Many others were retained by BN for passenger service in the brief period before Amtrak. Otheres either went into MofW service as tool cars or were scrapped. 

Jeff .... You might like this picture of a GP35 on Alco trucks. It is Ann Arbor RR #385. I once lived in Ann Arbor, MI for about 3 years. . 

Dennis B ...... Congrats on the Micro Scale newsletter picture. I briefly tried to find it with Google, and could not find it. Do you have a link to that newsletter? 

http://www.railroadmichigan.com/aa385s1.jpg

Wisconsin Terry ..... That's a nice layout photo. 

[howmus]

Evenin' folks!

Janie, just my usual decaf right now...

Galaxy, first off, get YOH to fill the paperwork!!!  That has to be done.  Then see what you have in a "Legal Aid" group in the area.  IIRC you live in or near an Urban Area that should have such a thing.  Unless there is a lot more you haven't shared, I think you could very easily have a case against the company.  Then have her start looking for a better job in the area!

Took the sister to the airport this morning.  I guess she got on the plane and is headed to the "Very Far".  I will be driving to Canandaigua evrey day except one to feed and play with Claude...  Then I get to meet little sister at the airport and bring her back home.  Aren't I lucky? 

Got a bunch of odds and ends done for a couple groups I belong to this afternoon, and then headed back to Canandaigua for a Class Reunion Committee meeting.  Meeting was productive and assignments have been issued on specific things to be done...  About time! I did manage to get 97 mpg driving to Canandaigua (full charge in the battery) and got 62 mpg running in hybred mode on the way home.  Love the new car, I do!

Did not get any model railroading done again today!  Maybe tomorrow...?  Still waiting for a Christmas Present to show up.  Will share when it arrives.

Prayers for all in need, especially for Galaxy and his OH.

73

[Burlington Northern #24]

Heartland Division CB&Q

Good evening ...

Garrett .... Welcome to the diner!

Galxy .... Sorry to hear the bad news. What you said makes little sense as to why they would do that. I suspect they violated one of the labor laws. 

You BN fans might be interested in some trivia. I made the CB&Q Havlock baggage car model which I posted a couple of days ago, I read that one of them actually was painted Cascade Green for BN. Many others were retained by BN for passenger service in the brief period before Amtrak. Otheres either went into MofW service as tool cars or were scrapped. 

Jeff .... You might like this picture of a GP35 on Alco trucks. It is Ann Arbor RR #385. I once lived in Ann Arbor, MI for about 3 years. . 

Dennis B ...... Congrats on the Micro Scale newsletter picture. I briefly tried to find it with Google, and could not find it. Do you have a link to that newsletter? 

http://www.railroadmichigan.com/aa385s1.jpg

Wisconsin Terry ..... That's a nice layout photo. 

nice, after talking about it with packer a while back and you bringing it up. I want to find some nice undecorated E units to silver up and give the BN logo but I don't think micro scale makes the decal for that scheme. first I have to get myself a CB&Q train though, it's between the silver streak zephyr or the california zephyr led by CB&Q F's.

[galaxy]

Thank you all who commiserates over MOH's firing.

The company in question, a large regional Grocery chain's computer time clock automatically sends out alerts for write-ups for time clock punch violations. These include: punching in more than 7 mins early, punching out more than 7 mins after scheduled quit time, punching in too early from lunch or break, and punching in too late from lunch or break....JUST like any other company.

AS I told my other half...the company must abide by the labors laws both state and federal.

MOH already had 2 violations when a termination alert was issued, but MOH''s immediate supervisor talked the manager into overriding the termination due to MOH being a "valuable employee". SO MOH ALREADY got one "reprieve". MOH was Warned not to violate again before the annual "reset" in March when everyone starts with a clean slate again..

When MOH punched 1 min early to come back from break {or was it lunch?} the computer spit out the termination order and The Asst manager had to abide by it. It was on  a  very busy day..being the 3rd of the month when people with food stamps and SS checks come out to shop, and MOH was encouraged to get backed punched in and back to work..

Sounds stupid but if the early punch violates those state or federal labor laws, then action of some sort must be done.

The assistant manager gave MOH the paperwork to file for review within the company.WE will do our best to fill it out as truthful as can be and see what happens.

In the meantime, MOH should  qualify for Unenjoyment and look for a different job as soon as MOH is feeling better {a little depressed, frustrated and angry now}.

Technically it is not the company's fault, it is MOH's, and MOH acknowledges that. Many other companies may over look such indiscretions, but this one doesn't.

Again, thank you for your concern and comiseration.

There are more ways an employer Can fire you now...for just about anything, and the COURTS WILL UPHOLD IT, if you don't watch the news! A dentist successfully fired his assistant  for being too gorgeous and sexy to work with. His wife objected to him working with her, and he said he found it hard to concentrate with her near him, so he fired her...a JUDGE UPHELD HIS RIGHT TO DO SO. An employer cna successfully fire you if they find you go to a bar at night when you are off duty. They can fire you because you are overweight, or because you smoke. AND the COURTS ARE UPHOLDING IT.

See you in the early AM if we get up then.

Right now I am up to take more : "sniffling, sneezing, coughing, achy head, stuffy, fever so you can rest" medicine!!!

[Anonymous]

Good Morning!

This is not going to be a good day. I woke up with a headache and will be battling it all day

Flo, a mug of strong dark roast, please.

Galaxy - in my understanding, labor laws are to protect people, not giving them the sack automatically.. Is that company run by computers or people? In my country, a train running two minutes early/late is considered to be on time. Believe me, I´d bring that case up all the way to the Supreme Court!

Why does this remind me of this:

Ken - would I want to live in a country like that. Certainly not, if I were to be on someone´s payroll!

Have a good day!

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning! from Tipton IN.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

TIPTON

[herrinchoker]

Good evening/morning, geographic regions may apply. When I worked as a machinist in the shipyard, and the papermill, we always went in early to be briefed as to the current job on the verticle boreing mill, lathe, turret lathe, shaper, etc. Running three sifts there was always pass on of information, and there were times that you stayed more than five minutes to do this. Many times I left 1/2 hour to 45 min. late, after coming in 20 minutes early. It just went with the job. To have a government agency have rules that a worker cannot be any earlier than--- or later than--- or has to take ----minutes for a break, makes me glad I am of an age that I missed all of this. When I started as a deputy sheriff for the county I was paid 17.00 a day, on call 24 hours, I had to stay in phone contact with the office, no time and a half, all straight time, no court pay, make an arrest, sit with the perp in court, and if you were luckey got to go home and grab three hours sleep before the next shift. Six days on, two off. Rotate shifts once a month. Just went with the job, part of it. About five weeks ago my wife was fired after working at Wiscasset Ford for twenty three years. The manager has a daughter who wanted to sell cars, but when she found out sales staff are the one responsible for snow removal, decided she wanted my wife's job. It took them six months of :you did this,did that, when in fact she didn't, had entries made in her file, had other members of the staff vouch that she had in fact,not done any of the alleged things, was told by HR that it did not matter, it would be staying in her file. "Come termination day, had to sign an eight page document, basically stating she would not sue the dealership. Oh, and she was given several thousand dollars hush money for her severance. What the dealership is now finding out is she did about 95+% of all the computer work, building forms, computing interest to be charged for vehicles purchased out of state, had all the paperwork needed to vehicles delivered to buyers here in the state, as well as all of the Northern states when they were purchased. Some weeks they sold over 500 venicles, and she did all of the paperwork. Didn't cost them any extra for this, it is now, computor work is costing them 300.00 per hour, and with all of the screwed up paperwork, the delivery team is off the chart for expenses generated by repeat trips. Saving grace is she is 65 in a week, and I believe she is pulling the pin. Downside is the honeydoo factor. That, and when a blond Italian gets wound up it is not plesant. One of my brothers in law said somthing about marrying into the Adams Family, huh?? Not much train work has been done, and the negotiation for a 4X16 layout is on hold until this crisis is past. Foolish me thinking that by the time I hit my 70s most things that could go wrong would have----HA!! Prayers, thoughts, and best wishes for those of us in need. herrinchoker

[james saunders]

Hello all. Galaxy I feel your pain.

I got laid off today. After 5 years and 2 months. Got 4 weeks notice and I have about 7 weeks in entitlements owing. So now to look for a job!!

Joy.

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning..

Another beautiful day for us...until Friday when the rain comes down...high of 40F low of 28F...heeheehee

I got up at a strange time...can't go back to sleep now..so started working on the report ...I know...Now? Yes, now. That way I can get finished a little earlier then...heeheehee... That way I can get a bit of time in running some trains here

Anyways...got some stuff to do here..have a good one!!

Galaxy:  I, too, would take it up with a labour lawyer..it seems a bit draconian to me....

[blownout cylinder]

james saunders

Hello all. Galaxy I feel your pain.

I got laid off today. After 5 years and 2 months. Got 4 weeks notice and I have about 7 weeks in entitlements owing. So now to look for a job!!

Joy.

Oh Joy is right...hopefully something better shows up...

[galaxy]

Morning coffee with friends in the diner....

GOOD MORNING!!!

Today is Thursday, January 10th, 2013!!!

Sometiems, IN MRRing, things go "haywire", SO:

Meaning:

To go wrong or become overly excited or deranged

Origin:

Hay-wire is the light wire that was used in baling machines to tie up bales of hay. At the turn of the 20th century the expression 'a haywire outfit' began to be used in the USA. This was used to describe companies that patched-up faulty machinery using such wire, rather than making proper long-term fixes. In 1905, The US Forestry Bureau Bulletin described a 'Hay wire outfit' as 'a contemptuous term for loggers with poor logging equipment'.

By 1920, the use of haywire to mean 'awry' or 'out of control' was recorded in Dialect Notes, Volume 82:

"Hay wire. Gone wrong or no good. Slang."

This may be a reference back to 'hay-wire outfits' but is more likely to be a literal allusion to scrambled hay-wire - anyone who has handled coils of wire will be familiar with its determination to gather into an irretrievable tangle. To go haywire was recorded in the late 1920s; for example, in this piece about a basketball game from The Helena Independent, January 1928:

"...their anxiety to score let their passing game go haywire with many wild heaves finding marks in the bleachers."

 

The prayer candles will be lit today for those in need {gee there doesn't seem to be many in need lately that is GOOD}

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Heartland Division CB&Q

Jeff .... You might like this picture of a GP35 on Alco trucks. It is Ann Arbor RR #385. I once lived in Ann Arbor, MI for about 3 years. . 

http://www.railroadmichigan.com/aa385s1.jpg

Thanks. I like seeing things like that. There were many railroads that did that. They traded in EMD and Alco F units and had the trucks from the Alco units reused on the GP35's as a cost saving measure. Some notable examples were the Gulf Mobile and Ohio, Southern and the Ann Arbor.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 61° with 100% humidity. A flood warning is in effect. Showers and thunderstorms with locally heavy rain are likely. The high will be 72°.


Quack, quack, quack! It's getting decidedly wet here. There's no danger of flooding on my hilltop here but the local lakes and waterways are rising at an alarming rate. Roads in this area are still open though that could change at any time.

I still have the thing I created yesterday sitting on the layout. It's a Stewart AS16 frame, Athearn motor/flywheels, Proto 2000 AAR trucks, Athearn/Proto hybrid shafts, Bachmann GP40 body and Bachmann decoder all fitted together and sitting there looking like it's been there a hundred years and I still don't have a name for the thing.

No plans for today. The weather is too dicey to get committed to any one project at this time.

[LSWrr]

Good Morning all,

 

Herrinchoker, I’m getting ready to marry a blond Polish-Russian girl, I completely understand what you’re talking about.  Oh and I was in the military for just over 22 years, yep I remember similar situations and if you break it all down I bet I made 24 cents an hour, so I guess I did a little better than your $17/day…..  Actually I remember my first pay checks: $450 for 2 weeks work (about 176 hours).

[Anonymous]

Early afternoon - time for coffee and a slice of that cake, if you please, Janie!

What´s going on in the world. All I here is that people are getting laid off - mainly for some fabricated reasons. Long gone are the times when you joined a company and left it when retiring. We all seem to become some sort of migrant worker. Managers tend to forget that all business is finally a people´s business and that the quality and the loyalty of the staff can make or break it.

O tempora, o mores! What a decay of culture!

Instead of living in a house or apartment, we should all live in trailers, ready to follow work at any time. Jeff seems to be ahead of the wave in this, though not voluntarily.

Time for change has come!

It´s the same story in my country.

I spend a good part of the morning reviewing my layout concept. With that upcoming move, I need to have a different approach. I quite like the theme, so I won´t touch that. Portability and flexibility are key factors for re-designing the concept.

Here are some basic ideas:

• Layout theme basically unchanged (I quite like it)
• Layout must be truly portable - moving it should not result in any damage
• Layout must be built in fully self-contained segments
• Each segment can be operated as a layout on a stand-alone basis
• Layout must be fully flexible - it should be extendable, as space and finances allow.

Putting all the above into a plan, I have come up with this:

My plan is to start with the box to the left, and extend the layout by adding two (or three) more "boxes", as space and money allow.

Now, would some please take away my track planning program?

CUL!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Sir Madog

Instead of living in a house or apartment, we should all live in trailers, ready to follow work at any time. Jeff seems to be ahead of the wave in this, though not voluntarily.

Yeah, there are many in this country who are in the same type predicament I'm in. I'd love to be able to afford a real house with plenty of room but things being what they are I make do with what little I have and even that's more than what some have. I'm fortunate in that I have no big expenses like rent or a house payment or a car payment. Anything like that and there'd be no way I could keep up.

[Packer]

Morning guys

Been working on 2 of the 50' modern tank car kits from MDC. I've always though these were the most difficult kit that MDC had made. I have some bit drying on them, but I should be able to finish them today. Although 1 car I found out is too new for me. I model abut 1976-1986, and one of the cars has some dates of 1999. Guess I'll weather and try selling this one.

BN24, All the record I can find state either that a single CB&Q F unit made it to the merger, and was scrapped almost immediatley; or none made it. The Q F-units were painted either white or silver, but I don't think any had stainless sides like the Es did.

jeffrey-wimberly

Heartland Division CB&Q

Jeff .... You might like this picture of a GP35 on Alco trucks. It is Ann Arbor RR #385. I once lived in Ann Arbor, MI for about 3 years. . 

http://www.railroadmichigan.com/aa385s1.jpg

Thanks. I like seeing things like that. There were many railroads that did that. They traded in EMD and Alco F units and had the trucks from the Alco units reused on the GP35's as a cost saving measure. Some notable examples were the Gulf Mobile and Ohio, Southern and the Ann Arbor.

Don't forget the Frisco. BN had some of them as a result of aquiring the Frisco. I think some may have even had torpedo tubes and ALCO trucks:

http://www.trainpix.com/BN/EMDORIG/GP35/INDEX.HTM the ones towards the bottom that have SLSF are the ones that Frisco contributed.

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!!!

ZIVA!

Coffee and some of those little chocolate covered donuts with a glass of milk too please. Thanks.

Didn’t make it in town yesterday to get my Chinese food fix so things are a bit haywire in the dietary area.

Galaxy- Sorry to hear about YOH’s job situation. Even though she has been warned about clocking in early, and I do understand their issues over time and many employees as it relates to payroll issues, but I find it odd they would have it set to 1 minute. Ya I guess over the course of many pay periods and if someone were to get mad at the company, they could go back and claim they were not paid for those few minutes and added up could be some time. Maybe not much, but any time is time when it comes to a not paying me situation in say court. You could claim anything... like the Walmart issues, so the company just tightens the straps. Many places used to have a minute or two, even five set as a cushion. Stated of course, that five minutes either way will result in the even hour. One place I w**ked wrote, 7 minutes after a quarter hour was paid at the last quarter hour, 8 minutes after the quarter will be paid to the next quarter with supervisors approval and initials on the time card.  I say used too, but that was back before computers did all this stuff. Exact time is hard to do especially if you have several people coming on and off shift to get say fifteen people on and off the clock will be all but impossible within one minute without a complete evacuation of those working and even then…. Other places use the doesn’t matter what time you clock in or out, without a supervisors initials, you will not be paid for any time over your scheduled hours. Before or after. Late a minute or two wasn't usually docked unless it was a lot. So I do see their point. Just not one minute. Sounds to me like they are using that as an excuse. Either way, I do hope she finds employment soon. I know it’s tuff for you guys as it is, and any unemployment will still be less than what she makes so….I hope it is a very quick turn around.

Odd they would need an excuse because more and more states are going to this…and I can’t remember the actual term, but basically it’s a no reason for release. Illinoyz is one of those states. Meaning they can let someone go for really no reason as long as it isn’t related to religion, race or sex as examples. They have obviously made the distinction between being a woman and being attractive so now, I guess you can say you’re too attractive of a person to me, even if you weren’t a woman (or man), so you’re fired. So, if New York is one of those states, unless she can prove she was discriminated against on one or more of the federal or state exemptions, they can release her and there really can be no recourse.

As for unemployment, even that is being scrutinized more. It’s not a given like it almost used to be. The employer has more of a say. If they can show cause for termination, the employee may not be eligible for unemployment based on the reason. This has happened twice since Brenda was the assistant manager at the elevator. No show no call for a day doesn’t get you unemployment, nor does taking off early (not one minute either) several times, especially since it was written in the employee handbook. (actually just a couple pages they were told to keep and read) T'was fair reason and unemployment was denied. Simply getting fired isn’t a given anymore. At least around here.

AussieJim- Sorry to hear of your situation too. At least they gave you warning. Good luck on your search.

I got  few more things pulled out and thrown away in the trainroom yesterday so….., looks like I’ll do a load of laundry today and use that time to do some more trainroom stuff. Hopefully. Gotta w**k this evening so…

Ya’ll have a good day, ya hear!!!!