Elliot's Trackside Diner APRIL 2013!!

[Curt Webb]

Morning All,

Sitting here watching the Grand kids in the pool. MOH and daughter are going to IKEA and some place else--who knows

Go back to w**k tomorrow. I only have 5 more shifts before vacation. I can't wait, we have not had a vacation in at least a year because of my Son's issues. We also have a paid off cruise in September (delayed from last year) on Carnival--hopefully the ship does not break down

I may go to the club later but not sure about that. Speaking about trains I see the 2 preorders I have of BLI items (K7 stock cars and H10 loco) have been delayed yet again. The stock cars are TBD and the H10 is now December. I really like BLI products but am fed up with their inability to deliver items any where close to on time. I believe the loco is more than 1 year delayed. I am seriously thinking of cancelling the pre-order and going with a Spectrum. OK, OK. Vinnie I am done, I promise.

Well I hope everyone has a good day and prayers for those in need.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 68°F with 97% humidity. Cloudy, showers possible, high of 82°F.


I think today I'll just sit back and watch some movies. I may clean up the work area on the layout later.

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!!!

Glass of pineapple juice, coffee and……..Chinese beef please. Thanks.

A 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 60.

Grass needs cut again and there’s a ton of stuff to do outside. Plus, Brenda’s getting ready for all town garage sale this coming weekend and I…...am gonna pitch stuff in the all town cleanup.

New tractor day?  Don’t know yet

Ya’ll have a good day, ya hear!!!!

[galaxy]

Morning coffee in the diner..

GOOD SATURDAY MORNING!!!

Today is Saturday, April 27th, 2013!!!

I have said the prayers and lit the prayer candles...for those in need..

MAKE it a GREAT day!!!

[wetidlerjr]

"Good Morning!" from Tipton IN

Saturday, April 27, 2013

TIPTON IN

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I hadn't intended on putting much into the Pathmark GP40 today. Well I guess it wasn't all that much, just stuff I had laying around. Both short hood handrails were fixed, the rear handrail was fixed. The front handrail and both handrails along the long hood were replaced. The stock couplers were replaced with Kadees. The old Bachmann train set drive was replaced with a new Bachmann GP38 drive with all-wheel pickup and drive and DCC. I then added coupler cut levers then started looking around for air and mu lines but then decided it was time to stick a fork in it. It was done. It's not a bad accomplishment for a day of goofing off. I still need to find a horn for it.

Here's a couple of photos I took a few minutes ago.





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

[jeffrey-wimberly]

JimRCGMO

Jeff - two decoders? What did you have to do, wire them in parallel, or what? (s'plain it in simple terms for electronics dummies like me...) And as for smacking you with THAT 2X4, I think I'd be leery of trying that with you... Heck, before you get done, you'll make a silk purse out of that ancient diesel loco!

Just like I told Ken. It's extremely simple. I can do it in my sleep. The Bachmann decoder is already connected to track power via the pickups. I disconnect the locos motor from it. I then connect the Digitrax decoders motor wires (orange/gray) to the motor. Now I connect the Digitrax decoders track power wires (black/red) to the track power (pickup) connections on the Bachmann decoder (black to black, red to red) and that's it. All the electrical is done. All that's left is to tidy up the wires and do the programming. I picked the Digitrax decoder for this for two reasons. #1 It's what I had laying around. #2 Both decoders use the same reset CV (CV8=8) in case there's some kind of programming cock-up.

[rdgk1se3019]

Hi All,

getting odds and ends taken care of for my open house tomorrow.

[Packer]

Evening guys

Not to great of a day today. Got let off work early, then got stood up for a date, and now may be stood up for another date. Ugh....

Trainwise I got a good bit done. I got trucks and couplers attached to the cars I aquirred last week. These had pin-mounted talgo trucks, but now sport screw-mounted couplers and body mounted Kadees. The cars were a EL 50' blue box (bachmann), an EL 50' Evans box (Life-like flat roof), an RI 100-ton Hopper (life-like), and a GBW thrall box (Life-like). If I get enough of the life-like 100-ton hoppers, I'll strip and repaint them to BN. The high ride-height is kind of annoying, but for the price, I can deal with it. I would have worked on putting beacons in my 2 P2K GP38-2s, or finished up 2 kits I have. but I just feel too tired at the moment.

[Burlington Northern #24]

Jim, I think I'm gonna leave her as is. The SP&S still existed as a paper corporation until '79, an excuse to hold SP&S equipment around when I'm running Big greeN.  plus I kinda like that silver, running around the front top and back of the car. 

[galaxy]

JimRCGMO

 

Galaxy - yep, it takes a bit to get those (background) checks back. With my agency, we have ours done - annually?/every other year? - anyway, they check our state troopers' records, and a couple other ones I think, and I get a letter after it's all done at my home address (snail mail), telling me that nope, I haven't axe-murdered anyone or otherwise done something worthy of putting me on the proverbial "Group W" bench (that Arlo used to sing about... - "You remember Arlo, right? - "This here's a song about...")... Anywho, once they inspect,neglect, reject every nook & cranny of all those databases, YOH will hear back. Of course, by then, the other job may already have started and YOH's first (or 2nd or 3rd) paycheck may have arrived (and been spent).  But sommmmmedaaaayyyy, you all will hear back, likely that there's no troubles found. Oh, sorry about you having a run of TOPs lately. This has not been a good month for you for TOPs, has it? Zoe, I'll help cover the tab with Jake for Galaxy so he gets a break for this time, at least.

Barry? Are you the culprit behind G getting all these TOPs? (Hmm, I have noticed lately that Barry has grown a long mustache and was twirling the ends with his fingers....Mwahahaha! ) Uh, Barry... what's that machine you have behind the curtain there?

Well, i like being on TOP, we at the TOP Like being TOP, but once in awhile it is good to walk amongst the bottom boys - like on  the TV show UNDERCOVER BOSS,,,,, you know???

I don't think Barry is behind it, I think he just likes to take credit for things....

MOH DOES start on Monday at the grocery store part time as a Cashier...So at least some money will be coming in....but I will SAVE SAVE SAVE a good 30% of it IF I can for,..,er uh "future use"...Probably after the first month of paychecks. They say MOH can move up form minimum wage quickly...and MOH is A GREAT cashier when MOH played cashier at the old store...Will have great numbers coming in for # of transactions per hour, # of items per transaction, # of minutes spent per transactions, and MOh has drawers that come out even. The new store - get this has register with touch screen and images of the change pictured in # of each bills and pictured in # of each coins to be the exact change to give back!

Have a good one.

EDIT: and I didn't get top again!

[JimRCGMO]

Good (Friday) Afternoon, Zoe - I'll have a BLT with cheesey fries and a RBF, please. Thanks!

JaBear - thanks for clearing that up for me. Yeah, it does sound like you're fortunate that the family line didn't get trimmed off. Hmm, that loco wasn't quite as big as I'd thought - the Big Boy makes it look downright puny!

wetidlerjr

Friday, April 26, 2013

So Bill, is that mug half-full, or half-empty? (Wondering the perennial question...)

Johnboy, you have spring arriving? If all that sn*w starts melting, better get your waders out! You might (or more likely, SOTB in the USA) be wading like some people near the rivers in the Midwest here.

Ken, hope everything lab-test-wise and doctors' visits goes well for you today (and that you return home with all the parts you left with this morning!).

Galaxy - yep, it takes a bit to get those (background) checks back. With my agency, we have ours done - annually?/every other year? - anyway, they check our state troopers' records, and a couple other ones I think, and I get a letter after it's all done at my home address (snail mail), telling me that nope, I haven't axe-murdered anyone or otherwise done something worthy of putting me on the proverbial "Group W" bench (that Arlo used to sing about... - "You remember Arlo, right? - "This here's a song about...")... Anywho, once they inspect,neglect, reject every nook & cranny of all those databases, YOH will hear back. Of course, by then, the other job may already have started and YOH's first (or 2nd or 3rd) paycheck may have arrived (and been spent).  But sommmmmedaaaayyyy, you all will hear back, likely that there's no troubles found. Oh, sorry about you having a run of TOPs lately. This has not been a good month for you for TOPs, has it? Zoe, I'll help cover the tab with Jake for Galaxy so he gets a break for this time, at least.

Barry? Are you the culprit behind G getting all these TOPs? (Hmm, I have noticed lately that Barry has grown a long mustache and was twirling the ends with his fingers....Mwahahaha! ) Uh, Barry... what's that machine you have behind the curtain there?

Ulrich, it's good to hear that you (and your brother) had a meaningful and peaceful time of saying goodby to your father. And also good that it was a time for healing between the two of you. As you said, very thoughtful of the restaurant proprietor to provide decorations for your table with those flowers. In ways maybe neither of you would've expected, some good came out of the recent unpleasant events in your lives. for continued healing for both your families.

Karl - on Tinkerbell and your vet trip, doesn't that sound about typical for such things? As you say, had you gone home, about the time you walked in the door...

Richard (NGNuclear) - have you been by the Diner before (and I just missed it, which could be all too possible...)? either way (or back), and have a beverage of your choice on me!

Ray - so, who's the "old geezer" with the beard at Mississauga going to be?.... What, Barry? (whisper..whisper..) Ohhhh...my bad...

Curt, awesome job on lowering your cholesterol that much. I wouldn't mind that (at all)!

Ken, how'd your visit with the NP/Doctor go today? I didn't hear you mentioning the toe, so I'm guessing that went okay? I'm sure you're happy that they had shoes (& inserts) in stock for your size. (Whew...). It's good that - even with the glitches - you were able to get in some time for trains.

Jeff - two decoders? What did you have to do, wire them in parallel, or what? (s'plain it in simple terms for electronics dummies like me...) And as for smacking you with THAT 2X4, I think I'd be leery of trying that with you... Heck, before you get done, you'll make a silk purse out of that ancient diesel loco!

Gary - on your SP&S/BN boxcar, are the markings on it close enough for your era to re-decal it (if need be)?

Rob, sorry I missed whatever mention you (probably) made of your surgery (while I was absent from the Diner). Please do whatever rest/meds/whatever that your doctor said to do for your recovery. Want you healed up properly (and back to full running order as soon as possible). Have you been getting any rain there lately? We started getting some more last night - and most of today, off and on...).

Today here, it's about like Barry describes some of his days - grey, cloudy, and dull (plus, we have coolish temps, think our high temp for the day was maybe 54 F/ 12 C, and we're predicted to stick around 52 F (11 C) about all night. Kinda cold, drain the warmth out of you, slow 'n' draggy-like.

I think I'll chill out tonight and maybe do some different paint colors on my Merchants Row I. Have given them a coat of 'brick red', and need to start on the trim colors for the different 'sections'. On-call tomorrow, and our men's group from church is getting together for breakfast in the morning.

Prayers for continued healing and comfort for all those in need of it.

Blessings,

Jim in Cape G.

[Burlington Northern #24]

Ken I have a camera for you, One that I bought it's 16 MP and comes with a load of stuff. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-ST76-16MP-5X-Optical-Zoom-Compact-Digital-Camera-Black-/330906617496?pt=Digital_Cameras&hash=item4d0b924698

hurry there are 6 left if you're buying one.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

chochowillie

So much for "doing nothing today" Jeffrey 

I was basically doing nothing. I was just goofing off. It was just one of those 'let's see what happens' throw away projects where everything I needed was within easy reach. If I would have had to go digging for parts and tools forget it.

chochowillie

Question.... I know, always got questions  On one of my decoder installs, everything works great except for the headlights. I used the 3 mm Evan Design ones with the resister already installed. What I think I did was got the led wires reversed to the decoder.

That would do it. LED's are polarity sensitive. That's how companies like Bachmann get their LED's to 'turn off' or 'turn on' when you switch direction from forward to reverse or vice versa. The decoder just changes the polarity of the circuit. I found that out when I accidentally put a LED in wrong and it wouldn't work going forward but when I put the loco in reverse both the front and rear LED's came on. I reinstalled it correctly and that fixed the problem.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

cudaken

By the way Jeffery, few more details on piggy backing the decoder to the Bachmann board pleases. There decoder just plain blow's chucks! While I was able to get a good speed match going up a slight grade it slows to all most nothing then takes off like a slot car with me not changing a thing!

It's extremely simple. Here's what I did on the Bachmann GP38 chassis. I disconnected the motor wires from the Bachmann decoder. I left the pickup wires from the trucks connected as the decoder needs power for the LED's. I connected the pickup wires (red/black) of the Digitrax decoder to the pickup pads on the Bachmann decoder. I connected the motor wires of the Digitrax decoder to the locos motor wires. This allows the Bachmann decoder to control the LED's and the Digitrax decoder controls the motor. And you're right. Bachmann makes a crappy decoder. It's just a stripped down copy of a Lenz decoder.

cudaken

What is the best Alcohol (besides ) for cleaning wheels?

91% isopropyl alcohol.

[chochowillie]

jeffrey-wimberly

The next time I get such a wild idea to add such details to an old model like this will somebody please smack me with a 2x4?

So much for "doing nothing today" Jeffrey 

Your additions look great by the way. 

Question.... I know, always got questions  On one of my decoder installs, everything works great except for the headlights. I used the 3 mm Evan Design ones with the resister already installed. What I think I did was got the led wires reversed to the decoder.

Would that do it?

Dennis

[cudaken]

 Evening Dinners

 Flo, Beer Pleases.

 Hum, waited 3 months for the wrong Diabetic shoes?  They ordered them to short in height not length? But as luck would have it, they had what I needed and the inserts where correct. Inserts are Carbon Fiber and should take most of the pressure off the ulcer. 

 Train Front. Having a odd train day?

 1 Blue Line AC 6000 will stop pulling for no reason I can see but sound is still there. Places it in reverse, run fine again. Guess it is time for a motor decoder reset. (Blue Line has 2 decoders)

 2 B&O SD's seemed like the wheels where dirty, cleaned them and all most nothing came off on to the paper towel?

 3 Fired up my Proto Erie Built A unit, it has lost power to the rear truck, stalled and caused a nasty mess when hit by the B&O freight train.

4 Cleaned the wheel's on the Bachmann GP 30 and PK GP 20 I got from Vince's. Seems the PK GP 20 has all so lost rear wheel pick up? By the way Jeffery, few more details on piggy backing the decoder to the Bachmann board pleases. There decoder just plain blow's chucks! While I was able to get a good speed match going up a slight grade it slows to all most nothing then takes off like a slot car with me not changing a thing!

 What is the best Alcohol (besides ) for cleaning wheels?

 Gary, glad you like the picture! Looking for a replacement camera, my old Cannon 7.2 is dead. 

 See you all later.

 Ken

http://s83.photobucket.com/user/cudaken/media/WPFun/SteamandFs.jpg.html]

 

 

[Burlington Northern #24]

No can do Jeff, you're the west coast customs of HO scale locomotives.  unit looks amazing too!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I've been doing some more work on the Pathmark GP40. I straightened the short hood handrails, mounted handrails on both sides of the long hood and replaced the front handrail. I also mounted coupler cut levers on the front and rear. The next time I get such a wild idea to add such details to an old model like this will somebody please smack me with a 2x4?

[galaxy]

Finally! I think  I am guaranteed NOT to get the top now!

Well, after banking, dropping off clothes to Sal. Army thrift store, going to visit, going to get parts, and going to the grocery store for "an item or two" {actually 3 only}, I am BUSHED!!!

Now for a nap...just looking around to see what is what!

Fisrt; some ice cream, my gums are swollen form the tooth pulling.

 

[Cederstrand]

French Roast coffee in a SOUTHERN mug, please.

Hope everyone is doing well. Had the little cancer spot on the ankle removed Wed. Was less noticeable than the original biopsy, but sure does itch. Other than wearing tennis shoes for awhile instead of my usual farm boots, all is back to normal.

***Garry, was sorry I couldn't have met you on your trip, just unfortunate timing. I am sure we will meet up eventually though.

Haven't done a thing in the train room for awhile now. Farm has been eating up what energy I have to spend. Need to get down there and at least clean up the mess from removing the (N) shelf layout to make room for the eventual (HO) expansion.

Have a good day all. Rob

[Burlington Northern #24]

my 3 SP&S boxcars arrived, buuuut one of them is not an SP&S car. it's a BN car that was painted in the 80's to resemble an SP&S boxcar, BN950194. 

[Curt Webb]

Afternoon All,

Went grocery shopping earlier with my son (he was thrilled). Not much planned for the rest of the day.

Had my work physical yesterday. I passed my cardiac stress test but it gets harder every year. The really good news was my Cholesterol went down 85 pts from last year.

Ulrich- I am glad you and your brother made a connection again and the family remembrance sounds very touching.

Hope everybody has a good day and prayers for those in need.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Blast from the past? I dug this Bachmann GP40 body (late 90's) out of the junk box. I'd never heard of Pathmark so I looked it up. I guess like many stores Pathmark marketed train sets at one time. The drive I pulled out of this one is definitely 1990's train set quality. Front truck picks up power and the pancake motor on the rear truck powers the unit. The shell is now on the GP38 frame and the other Bachmann GP40 body is back on the Atlas frame. It wouldn't take much work to get this one presentable again.

[Burlington Northern #24]

awesome picture Ken!

hmmmm, class then to stop by the hobby shop to pick up some paint for the SR-71. finally got some time to work on it so I'll get it painted and assembled and ready to give to my grandfather tomorrow.

[cudaken]

 Morning

 Flo, Bill sizes Coffee pleases.

 Feel like warmed up death again this morning, fell asleep while the UN Forces where crossing the 38th parallel and work up at 5:00 AM to info commercials. Made for some odd dreams! 

 Wife is in Full Blown Bug Ken Mode this morning! She has it down to a art form, but she has had 38 years to prefect her art! She has gotten good at it!  

 Ulrich Hope things stay well between you and your brother.

kbkchooch

Took Tinkerbell to the Dr. yesterday for a check up. Because of previous problems they wanted a urine sample.

 OK, Kbkchooch I'll bite, how do you get a cat to pee in a bottle! (I hope it is a cat)

 Well the wife just pop her head back into the garage for another round. Go to get my shoes is starting to sound real good by now!

 Later, Ken

http://s83.photobucket.com/user/cudaken/media/WPFun/Sunrise1.jpg.html]

 

[pascaff*]

Morning All,

   Currently 47 with an expected high of 78.

   Closing shift today, but need to do some w**k from home this morning, so no time for trains.

    Did not get a chance to do anything with the trains last night either.

       Prayers to all in need.

         Paul

[Anonymous]

Good Afternoon!

I just woke up from a snooze - still need a rest from family issues and politics.

I spent so much time away from the hobby in the past 3 months that I have lost contact to what is going on. This morning I decided to make that up, looking for things new in the market.

Temptation - people are tempted by various things, but I have found the incarnation of what tempts me! No, not what you may think right now - I am very happy with Petra at my side. My temptation is a Kato N scale model of a class Ge4/4 III loco of the Rhatian Railway in Switzerland.

This one could get me "back" into N scale!

Should I revive one of my old layout plans, which was intended to be Japanese style? It would have to be slightly more alpine, but tht´s no difficulty to achieve.

Decisions, decisions! Time will tell!

Have a good one!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

One thing I am doing this morning is taking some photos of the Bachmann GP38 chassis (wears a GP40 shell) to show the decoder setup. It has two decoders, Bachmann and Digitrax. I didn't feel like redoing all the lighting so the Bachmann decoder controls the lights. Now as anybody who has ever tried knows the Bachmann decoder has lousy motor control. Speed matching it is virtually impossible as far as I know. Playing with the start voltage has some effect but that just controls when it starts moving, not how fast it moves in a given speed range. For that I piggy-backed a Digitrax DZ125 decoder onto the Bachmann decoder. This gives great motor control and speed matching is a snap. Programming an address is like programming an address to any single non-sound decoder. This loco still has it's capacitors. They haven't caused a problem so I don't see any need to remove them.

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe, Cup of dark roast and a couple sour cream glazed donuts to go please...

Ulrich, glad you you and your brother have patched things up.  i will pray that the two of you will stay close from now on!

If any of you out there are going to Streetsville Junction in Mississauga this weekend, be sure to say hi to an old guy with a beard and a big grin....

Best get finished packing.

See you Sunday!

73