Elliot's Trackside Diner APRIL 2013!!

[kbkchooch]

Mornin Gang!

Flo, eggs sunny side up please, with toast and coffee please!

Speakin of sunny side up, Its only 30F (brr) outside right now, but the sun is bright and were lookin for a high of 46F today, 54 tomorrow and 55 Friday! YES!!  

Fergmiester

If I was your Doctor I would prescribe lots of rest and suggest you take it easy and convalesce with trains Anyone else want a prescription???

Amen to that advice! Ulrich, I can't think of a better therapy than train! When I had my stroke in 2011,, even while I was bed ridden I still had magazines, DVD and the web to keep my mind occupied. Once I could make it to my workbench, I started on kits, and soon my right hand and side had gained much needed dexterity. Give it time.

Garage cleaning today. I have a large pile of tools, along with shovels, rakes, and other implements of destruction (anybody catch that reference?) to be put away, the garage  needs to be swept out (might use the leaf blower) then IF I have time, some weed & Feed for the yard. 

C'yall!

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!!!

Coffee please. No thanks gotta get movin on other shtuff. Spent too much time on another thread but thanks anyway.

Sunny, with a high near 51. Looks like only going up from here. Finally.

Dennis- I’ve been using premix drywall mud for awhile myself for the same reasons you described. I can do as little or as much as I want at any time without waste. Even that little bit I missed. I like it much better and the results are indistinguishable. Well, at least to me.

Ulrich-  It is very understandable Petra’s one and only concern at the time was you and we are naturally below  that. That’s the way it should be and I wouldn’t want or expect it any other away. We’re all just very relieved you are better now and hope you have a successful and speedy recovery.

Today, first up is a repair to a light that went out in the kitchen at the restaurant last night, probably the ballast. That’ll be first up on the agenda, er wait, best time the rip into town for parts around lunch. See f Suki's in a better mood. Dirty job but someone's gotta do it. Sooo maybe some laundry first, maybe a bit of spring cleanup baring any phone calls, might take the sn*blower down to the carwash to get the salt off it. Still not sure about the weather to get the powerwasher going yet. And a Church meeting tonight.

Last night Brenda reminded me she was going to leave Friday for Las Vegas for the ACM awards. I acted like I remembered and apparently pulled it of well. Also got out of her rather slyly, that she will return on Tuesday. Yah I know, I’m good.

Ya’ll have a good day, ya hear!!!!

[moelarrycurly4]

Hi all,

Just checking in Its been a while. Life gets in the way sometimes. 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

V8Vega

Actually I think Townhouses are suppose to have a shared wall and these are free standing houses but Townhouse type construction. there only about 5 feet apart with a walkway on one side for a side door entrance, on the other side is your neighbors walkway.

Are you talking about a single wall or a double wall? Here single wall shared wall construction is frowned upon. Fire safety and all that. What's used instead is a double wall with a with some kind of fire resistant material in between. The free standing construction you describe is the most common that I see here.

[Cederstrand]

Italian Roast coffee in a UNDECORATED mug, please.

***Ulrich, I agree with others here that you should (in the long run) start feeling much better following the procedures. Some depression can be a side-effect at times, so being aware of that when it happens and knowing it will pass may help during such times. You WILL feel better as your body heals. My two cents worth.

After spending much of yesterday in my Sports Car (mini excavator) and feeling like my whole body was vibrating by evening with ringing ears, not sure I am up to much of anything today, other than putting Tinytoon's shoes back on later this afternoon.

First order of (HO) Kato Unitrack is on the way and may be here tomorrow. Suppose I could work on cleaning the Train Room floor which is littered with pieces of the (N) shelf layout I removed. It's a real mess at the moment.

Have a good day all.

Cheers!  Rob

[howmus]

Mornin' folks,

Zoe, just another cup of dark roast coffee please.

Had a breakfast meeting with the District Executive for Boy Scouts this morning.  Had to sign off on the closing of the Cub Pack that didn't make it.  The church that sponsored the Pack would still like to get the pack back up and running some time in the future, so with a new group of leaders, who knows it may happen.

Still cold out there today.  Currently 31°F under mostly cloudy skies and 20+ mph winds out there.  Tomorrow they say it could be in the 50s.  I'm ready for Spring to arrive!  I think I shall spend some time downstairs in the train rooms...  But first I may take a nap to digest the huge breakfast I had this morning.

Later!

73

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 46° with 100% humidity. Showers likely. The high will be 65°.


The word for today is rain. We're getting lots of it. I guess I'm caught up on my sleep now. I hadn't had much lately so it was no surprise that I was very tired yesterday afternoon. I laid down for a short nap and woke up about 3am. It was raining to beat the band. Since the computer was still on I had a look around online, made a posting or two then shut it down and went back to bed. Woke up again at 9am.

Today I plan to do some grocery shopping. The food stamp card is reloaded so I can get some of the stuff I need. It's not much, just $49 but that's something at least. I'm also going to see if I can find a PS2 to USB adapter so I can use my old keyboard. I'm getting really aggravated with this new one and I'm about to snap it in two! The keys are too low and really sensitive and they're too small for my big fingers. I'll keep it around as a spare.

[chochowillie]

TMarsh

I’ve been using premix drywall mud for awhile myself for the same reasons you described. I can do as little or as much as I want at any time without waste. Even that little bit I missed. I like it much better and the results are indistinguishable. Well, at least to me.

Thanks for the info on the drywall stuff Todd. That confirms it, I'll use that instead of P of P. The P of P I'll use for rock castings etc.

That's just one of the things I like about this forum, just ask and somebody will have tried something and can give an opinion. 

Thanks Todd

Dennis

[chochowillie]

jeffrey-wimberly

m getting really aggravated with this new one and I'm about to snap it in two! The keys are too low and really sensitive and they're too small for my big fingers. I'll keep it around as a spare.

Tell me about it Jeffrey. When I set up my inherited computer from my Mom, it had one of those stupid flat keyboards. It took me all of an hour till I grabbed a spare descent one and tossed the flat one. Well, not tossed it, put it away for a spare. 

You mentioned you would like an external usb dvd drive I think. I've got one that I sort of bought by accident  that I'll toss in the box I'm getting ready to send to you if you want it. It's like been used about 3 times so it's new basically. Let me know if you are interested.

Have a good one Jeff and don't get too wet.

Dennis

[Burlington Northern #24]

gah, I want to pull my trains out and run them so bad but I just can't seem to get myself to do so...

[Lehigh Valley 2089]

Burlington Northern #24

gah, I want to pull my trains out and run them so bad but I just can't seem to get myself to do so...

Go ahead, give in.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

chochowillie

You mentioned you would like an external usb dvd drive I think. I've got one that I sort of bought by accident  that I'll toss in the box I'm getting ready to send to you if you want it. It's like been used about 3 times so it's new basically. Let me know if you are interested.

I'm very interested. Toss it in please! On that drywall mud, don't put it on too thick or it'll crack. I found that out some years ago. Just put it an 1/8" inch at a time and let it dry before you put another layer down. Otherwise you'll be using plaster to fill in the cracks. Even with a thin layer you'll still have some cracking.

*

Today's high has been changed to 55°. There's a 15 mph northeast wind coming across the lake that is making it feel even cooler. Got the grocery shopping done and got them put away. I checked at Wal-Mart, Radio Shack and a local computer service place but couldn't find an adapter for my old keyboard. So instead I bought a USB keyboard that has the keys at a height I'm more comfortable with and it doesn't have those 'specialty' keys scattered all over it.

No plans for today except lay back and relax. I would run a train or two but there's parts I salvaged from the old computer laying all over it at the moment.

[chochowillie]

jeffrey-wimberly

couldn't find an adapter for my old keyboard

Too bad you bought a new keyboard Jeffrey, I have one of those adapters kicking around here somewhere. Oh wait, maybe it was a serial to USB adapter ???????????? . Ok cancel that thought 

Dennis

The DVD drive is "in the box".

D

[JeremyB]

Hi Fellas,

Just thought I would drop in quick before the ball game, didn't get to see much of the home opener last night as I bought a new PS3 and was back and forth between that and the game. Well I played it for a bit when I got home and now I'm off to watch the game.

take care

[galaxy]

Well

we bought a dryer. HAD TO. the old one wasn't squealing for awhile. so I was happily using it again. THEN It started squealing, smoking and caught a small  fire very quickly! SCARY. Fire extinguisher is always handy at that end of the trailer as the furnace is there too.  I figured it is FRIEd. SO $468.00 later {poorer} on the Credit Card, we will have a new one delivered on Friday. WE have to connect it to the white plastic exhaust chute as they WON't due to fire codes, but WE can do it. Bummer. Dryer was $348 online, and they didn'thave on on display yet as brand new, but we bought based on that,and that the sales lady siad the Haier modle is made in S Sarolina {or was it NORTH?}, and the next up priced at $379 was Amana made in CHina! Of course onto the $348 is cord, delivery, disposal of old one, taxes etc to make it $468 total. Delivery is $60 of the difference. the other $60 is the other stuff.

Just as we got ahead on the card and paid off them, we add more on!! BUT, I figure ti thisaway: it costs $1.25 per 10 minutes dry time at the laudromat. it takes on average the 50 minutes to dry our colthes..that is 6.25 per load. we do at least 6 loads a week...at LEAST...that is $37.50 per week for drying. Or $150.00 per 4 week month or $187.50 per 5 week month. even at $150/month, the dryer will be paid for in just 3.12 months!!! I cannot afford NOT to buy the dryer!

Besides, we bought a new washer about 2 years ago, so dryer {was a matching set} was as old {35 years, but rebuilt at 17 years old} so was 18 yeasrs old again....time to retire it.

So..what is new?

ULRICH...hope you are felling better today..tomorrow is your overnighter????

So tomorrow we go spend moremoney to get out of Kia loan, but may still have lesser loan to deal with. Credit Union is having a sale tomorrow..will go look and talk to them. We have our reasons to get rid of KIa.

So off we go shopping tomrrow afer noon. goodie.

dinner was sauteed prok loins with garlic herbs and butter, asparagus steamed. and rotten potatoes. YUM.

Today was free bread day with TREATS and SWEETS too. They over baked for Easter {I knew they would} and so it was a bonanza today! Got a French loaf, a "farmer's havest loaf", bagels, a small cake, a jeely roll large one, and a small choco-cream roll, and a loaf of italian everything bread. YUM! and a box of croissants!

well, later guys.

EDIT: top AGAIN today???? >groan< my credit card is getting a workout today!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

chochowillie

Too bad you bought a new keyboard Jeffrey, I have one of those adapters kicking around here somewhere. Oh wait, maybe it was a serial to USB adapter ???????????? . Ok cancel that thought 

This is the type of connector I'm looking for.

[Curt Webb]

Evening All,

Had Jambalaya with shrimp, ham, and sausage for supper . Of course it was the wimp version  not up to Jeff's standards.

Galaxy- I will give your CC a break after buying a dryer. I'm glad you caught the fire early, it definitely could of been worse.

Today I put together 20 WrightTrak  Pennsy whistle and bell posts (20 total). That included putting the decal sign face on the plastic backing, gluing the upright pole to the back of the sign and painting the upright black. If the decal was any smaller I would have had problems doing it. It was very repetitive and tedious. For the upright I used thin strips of styrene instead of  the provided phosphor wire. Tomorrow I will put them on the layout.

I received the Con-Cor PRR FOM passenger cars. Although not strictly prototypical they look awesome and are as close as I will get to having a set of FOM cars.

Ulrich- As everyone has already said I am greatly relieved that you are back in the Diner. Take care of your health, that needs to be your #1 priority.

Hope everyone has a good night and prayers for those in need.

[chochowillie]

jeffrey-wimberly

This is the type of connector I'm looking for.

Let me look in my junk  box. If it coughs up on like that, I'll throw it in your box of goodies. I'll also let you know if I've got one.

Dennis

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Ulrich ..... You said: "It feels good to know that I am among my friends again." .... Based on what others say here, the feeling is quite mutual. It is definately good to have you here in the diner. .... As you know, I too, have heart prblems, and I too had one of those life saving helicopter rides. I say this to give you confidence in yor life. My event was 4 1/2 years ago, and I have enjoyed may days of mostly normal living since recovering from my experience. ..... Another improtant thing is you have Petra. What a blessing she is to you! She is with you through thick and thin ...... and she makes the best apple strudel! .... Tell her "Hello" from Elliotts DIner!

MoeLarryCurley ..... Good to see you. Feel free to tell us what is up with you.

Fergie .... Thanks for the update on the MESS. I recall your interest in big steam. I remember we were kidding you about having so many 2-10-2's.

Speaking of 2-10-2's I just got a Sountraxx Tsusami for my Walthers Heritage USRA 2-10-2.

Todd and Dennis ..... You were speaking of ready mix dry wall mud. I have been using it recently, too, and I like the results.

Cheers, everybody!

[Lehigh Valley 2089]

Good evening. Not feeling great right now. Hope to be feeling better by morning. Did get some work on my 109 done tonight. Night everyone.

[chochowillie]

Heartland Division CB&Q

Todd and Dennis ..... You were speaking of ready mix dry wall mud. I have been using it recently, too, and I like the results.

Actually this is what I was referring to as opposed to the Redi Mixed. It's also available in a dry in 45 min. composition as well and a 90 min version as well

[howmus]

Evenin' folks!

Janie, a decaf and an advil please...

Decided to tackle a project I have been avoiding for about a year now on the layout lighting.  There was one area at the end of the peninsula where I really needed one more light.  Of course, had I put it in when I built the section and before I put in the valences all around it would have been fairly easy.  However....  Now it entailed leaning in over the layout bending backward as I worked with both hands over my head and trying to keep my reading glasses where I can see what I was doing at the same time.  Took a little over an hour from the time I shut off the lights and hooked up a work light to when I was able to switch the lights back on.  Everything is now working and the lighting is much better there.  I did notice that about 5 of the 5000°K low wattage CFLs had quit.  I can't buy these particular little 4w and 10w CFLs anymore.  They aren't made.  Think I know why.  Not lasting anywhere near 10,000 hours.  So I replaced them with 9w CCFLs that are 5100°K and have a CRI of 91.  Big difference in the looks of the scenery.

I also finished the wooden fence on the hillside.  Only thing left for that spot is the addition of a herd of Holstein Cows.  I would put Guernseys there, but nobody makes them and I don't feel like spending the time to repaint them...  Next, I move on to the other hill on the other side of the road.

Ulrich, it sure is good to see you back in the diner!!!

Jeffrey, I seem to recall I used to have a couple of those USB to Serial adapters laying around here as well.  They came with my old Mac G5 or the computer before that and I never had any use for them...  They are now recycled.  You are probably better off with the new keyboard.  When I bought the iMac last year I took one look at the stupid keyboard that came with it and immediately bought a better and more comfortable keyboard for it.  About a month later I threw out the stupid "Magic Mouse" and bought a real one that worked like a mouse should from Logitech.

Time to give Blackie his pills...

Later!

73

[Packer]

Evening guys

Got a box in the mail today. Thee bunch of stuff Jeff sent me in exchange for the cars I sent him. I already tore into one of the locos. I used the motor out of it to fix the SD40-2 I got from Ken. I had to do some fiddling to get it to run quitely (adjusting the motor screws, re-lubing, etc). I'm hitting a snag with the coupler screws because the holes are stripped. I stuffed some sprue into the stripped out holes and will drill and tap them in the morning.

Ulrich, Good to have you back.

Jeff, I looked in my box of computer stuff, I have a USB to serial. The opposite of what you want...

 

[cudaken]

 Evening Dinners

 Flo, Beer Pleases!

 Well I am sort of off Thursday?  While I am not going to the shop, I have to go to a meeting that starts at 9:00 AM and will last to around 12:00, well it could be longer, I just hope the other people keep there mouth's shut and don't ask stupid questions!

 With some luck, I may receive the B&O SD 7 from ED. (site member ) And maybe the parts engine PK SD 9 so I can get my SD-7 Rio Grand back on the rails! Boy I have been wanting some more tunnel motor engines for sometime now!

 Got to get going, getting up and out the door at 8:00 is going to be rough with closing all the time. I normally wake up at around 8:45 AM.

  Ken

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I put my old computers hard drive (WinXP) into an external drive casing and I'm now scanning it for viruses and other nasty stuff. I don't think anything will turn up but you can't be too careful. Once that's done I'll be able to pull up my favorites list and transfer it over to Windows 8. That list was started back when I was using Win98.

Well it's time to call it a night. See y'all tomorrow.

[pascaff*]

 Evening All,

     Did a little layout w**k this evening. Also planning what I need for more layout construction.

Gary I have you beat. My EVENT was over 9 years ago, helicopter ride and all. According to my cardiologist, I am his healthiest patient. So Ulrich things are not that bleak my friend.

    Prayers to all in need.

  Paul

.

 

[wetidlerjr]

"Good Morning!" from Tipton IN

Thursday, April 4, 2013

TIPTON IN

[galaxy]

Morning Coffee in the diner with friends...

GOOD MORNING!!!

Today is Thursday, April 4th, 2013!

I will have the prayer candles lit as long as I am home....for those in need {have many things to do today}.

MAKE it A GREAT day!!!

[Lehigh Valley 2089]

Good morning.

I'm feeling better now than I was last night, so I'm happy about that. Applied my 109's nose decal, and man THAT wasn't easy, but it still turned out better than I thought it was going to. Will seal the decal tonight and add the propeller to my 109.

 

Hmmmm.................top of page. Everyone, I'm covering!

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!!!

Coffee and some of that raspberry Danish please. Thanks.

Mostly sunny, with a high near 57.

Keyboards? Oh I know what you mean Jeffery. This one I have came with the new computer, a Dell all in one screen thing which I do like, is smaller and the keys are therefore closer together. I’ve casually mentioned my dislike for it before.  Now  I’m not the best typer as I generally use one finger on my left hand (two if I’m feelin extra brave) and two fingers and a thumb to slap the space bar on the right, but I can zip pretty good along. Not with this one. If I were to post what I type without corrections on every second or third word for misstrikes……you wouldn’t understand a thing I typred. Well….., not as much anyway. Not near as much. BUT, I’m too cheap to get another as this one is cordless and I do like that so….maybe someday I’ll need to get another. Maybe I’ll just fight it for as long as it w*ks. As for you....….I think getting that adapter so you can use that keyboard would only tempt you to use that keyboard therefore causing you to have another mess to clean up in the form of the aforementioned keyboard you just warhooped agin the wall. Just sayin.

CDN Dennis- I haven’t used the mix, but I assume it would be the same.  If you are doing a lot of area that would be the least expensive I’m sure. But I have smaller areas and the convenience of just popping a lid and using what I need then closing lid is worth the cost to me. And yes, Jeff’s very right about the cracking and it would be the same for the you mix as well. I found that out the hard way myself. Sometimes it is pretty cool effect though. Too bad you can't control where though. I have had luck with putting a little water in some to thin the mixture a bit when needed. Just don’t do it to the whole pail. Good for filling in those cracks too.

V8 Dennis-

Yesterday while installing the light I mentioned, I turned around aboooouuut oh three or four times to literally…. PUNCH Mr Murphy off the ladder!! Oh man you talk about if something could go wrong. Geeminettly!! Let’s just say they didn’t do the best job positioning, supporting and installing the lights to begin with and…..well let’s just say even though it’s up there, and the owner says it’s fine, I say it looks like a tanktop. That is a shirt with no “R”ms. I will return probably tomorrow or Saturday EARLY!!!!..... to cut the ceiling EVEN and SQUARE so the light will fit in the hole correctly and figure out a way othern the four screws driven in at an angle to catch the rafters.

Welp, change one. Brenda leaves this afternoon. I take her to her sisters at three. Then it’s me getting closer with the dog and the Pizza Pizazz for the next 4 whole days. Say, I wonder why she's wandering around the house with a notepad and pen?

Ya’ll have a good day, ya hear!!!!