Elliot's Trackside Diner..MAY 2013!!

[galaxy]

Jeffrey..

SEE...you have been doing it so long you CAN do it in your sleep!!!

Or was it the DCC faeries?

Well only  a few things to do today. I got everything done yesterday..and more with the porch clearing MOH and I did....

So..what are y'all doing?

[Mr. Dispatcher]

Jeffrey- You didn't see any tiny little electronic elven footprints on the layout did you? Or is that hot sauce in your lemonade getting to you ?

[pascaff*]

 Morning All,

    Currently 48 with an expected high of 68 with some thunderstorms in spots.

    Have a mid-day shift today, so probably no layout w**k this morning, but maybe some this evening after I get home .

    Jeff - at least you were productive even if you were asleep and did not do anything destructive.

      Prayers to all in need.

      Paul

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 51° with 88% humidity. It'll be sunny with a high of 75°.


I had a relatively uneventful day yesterday. I finished rebuilding an old Bachmann GP40 and put a decoder in it and got the base programming done then started on another GP40 project that involved using parts from at least three donor locos. I got it completed mechanically and the wiring was done but it still needed a decoder. I had one ready to go in but didn't feel up to it so I set the shell on the chassis loose so I could just lift it off and set to work. I got to bed 12:45am and woke up at 7am. I don't recall anything in between. However it seems I was somewhat busy at some point during that time. When I went to lift up the body shell I lifted it all right. I lifted the whole darn loco! What the heck was going on here? I didn't put the screws in to anchor the shell. Did I? No, I distinctly remember that I didn't. I wanted to just lift the shell and start working. What was this? The loco was completely put together. Not a thing out of place. I popped the fuel tank off, removed the screws and took the shell off. There was the new DZ125 decoder completely installed (and programmed) and it was a very neat job. The decoder is just to the rear of the rear headlight and the wires are very neatly bundled in a straight line and taped down so they can't get in the way of anything. I did a very neat job. Too bad I can't remember doing it.

There's nothing on my schedule today so I figure I might as well get some rest.

[MisterBeasley]

Good morning, (even though it's Monday.)

After assuring the wife that her garden plants would be fine, I awoke this morning to find the temperature at 34.  Hopefully nothing got any colder.  We had some fog, so that should have protected them from radiational cooling, anyway.  As happens in Massachusetts this time of year, we'll be up to 70 or so for a high.  We're supposed to get some rain later in the week, which we really need.

I had a great modeling weekend because I've avoided going outside, even in nice weather, due to the pollen.  The section of the layout called Mooseport is getting close to completion.

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning

Sunny and a high near 74F ...

Another day of runnin' 'roun' doin' stuff ...medical stuff, house stuff, official stuff...just plain ol'.....stuff stuff

So...off I go...doin' stuff......

Karl:  

Have a great day!!

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!!!

WHOA!!!! Another cot-ton pick-in SNAKE in the diner. Where’s my rope?

Coffee and a bowl of Muskmelon please. Thanks.

Isolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. Rain gage sits at 2.5ish inches. Might empty it if it don’t rain today.

Jeff- Glad you feelin better.

Ray- I’d a gladly give you some of this rain. We really don’t need any rain til after planting.

I have not mentioned the outstanding pictures that have been posted. You guys all do great work. I like each and every picture of course and from time to time I will mention one, but I hate to single out any picture because if I mention one or three and for some reason commenting on one slips through the cracks, then the poster may think I didn’t like it. Rest assured,  even if the w**k is less than fantastic, I still enjoy the picture and I love seeing what others are doing. It inspires me to get back down there and get cracking again.  

Today, after the usual bookwo*k for the church, I will roll the yard (with any luck Jim). It’ll still be too wet to mow so I’ll have to keep a good eye on that and mow just as soon as I can and the first chance. Now that I have a reliable tractor again, the “quick mowing” can return and it won’t get so out of hand... I hope.

Ya’ll have a good day, ya hear!!!!

[Lehigh Valley 2089]

Good morning.

Nothing planned for this evening other than work, so looking to just kinda relax tonight.

[Packer]

Morning guys

No sleep here, been working on the trains.

After much research, it appears that 5533, 5127, and 9087 all were delivered with round-top beacons but usually changed to flat-top. I had 2 of the round-top and 1 flat-top. So the 2 C30-7s (5533 and 5127) got round tops, and 8097 (SD40-2) will get a flat-top. I may swap the beacons on 5533 and 8097 later, it would depend on how everything fits with 8097's lights. I need to pick up some mini-bulbs and a small function-only decoder. The QSI-sound C30-7 has no room left for more functions if I upgraded it to version 7.

Also put a few cars together for the club. Just some old life-like junk that I fixed up to be reliable runners (which the club lacks).

I have to be to work at 630, but I may finish the Santa Fe SD40-2. I have a set of sideframes reasy to go on it. Just need to install a speed recorder on rear axle of the front truck on the fireman's side.

[wetidlerjr]

"Good Morning!" from Tipton IN

5/6/13

TIPTON IN

[galaxy]

JimRCGMO

 

Galaxy, have added YOH's-you-know-what to my list (shhhh!...) Okay , if you're gonna give us the Hawaiian lyrics on that song/chant, at least don't leave us hanging & wondering - what's the translation for that?

 

Jim: first you might want to listen to it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgffvR44Yek

[galaxy]

Morning Coffee in the diner...

GOOD MONDAY MORNING!!!

Today is Monday, May 6th, 2013!!!

The prayer candles will be lit at 5:30 AM for those in need...

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!!!

[Burlington Northern #24]

shed looks good as does the fence Jim.

As for the locos I have a source for some of these locos. some poor WP F3A's will be meeting the brush and a new set of decals, some RS3's(specifically atlas ones) and RS1's, will be donors from varied roadnames, the mikado will be a donor from some road whichever one's being sold the cheapest, the E7A will probably be a western unit(for the two headlights), and passenger cars are varied donors as well. you could say I'm a custom painter addict, I bugged microscale for some more decals to be released.

[Packer]

Evening guys

This is kinda weird me being up this late. IDK why, but I was tired all day. But now I feel awake and alert... Didn't work on trains today as I've been napping most of the day. lol

I think I struck a pretty good deal on my first steam engine. I managed to get a Bachmann Spectrum 2-10-2 in KCS for $50. Only got it because I like 2-10-2s and it seems to be about 1/2 of what they are going for. The guy has an NP F3 shell too. I'll probably patch the NP F3 to BN 704. It's sister unit, 702 (part of the same NP order as 704) wound up with an F7's DB fan and a totally different nose light.

Ken, I have a B&O coal hopper I don't want, along with a few weathered covered hoppers. Figure I'd let you know before I strip them. PM me if you want them.

Jim, I think I woke the snake up. It came out of my brother's miata when I was taking the fender liners off his miata. If it had landed on me I probably would have freaked out and hit my head, lol.

Karl, my birthday isn't until August.

I got a bunch of train projects to work on. Getting my 2 GP38-2s beacons lit (halfway with one, just have to solder magnet wire to some plugs I have) and switch the sideframes on one of my BLI C30-7s (thanks maxman for swapping with me), then the BN SD40-2 (I just need MU hoses and a few athearn mini-bulbs). I have 2 beacons left to install, and it looks like 1 is the right type for BN 5127 (C30-7), IDK about 5533 (C30-7) and 8097 (SD40-2). The 2 C30-7s and the SD40-2 would be a decent representation of newer BN coal train power in the early-mid 80s. (older power was U30Cs and SD40s, with SD45s and U33Cs thrown in)

[jeffrey-wimberly]

JimRCGMO

Jeff, I was wondering about some hognose snake or the like, but you had the photo. Doesn't that snake whose pic you showed, if the 'rattler imitation' doesn't work, roll over on its back and play dead? There's one of those lookalike snakes that does, I think. But I'd want a goodly distance between me and even a look-alike one until I was sure (absolutely sure!) it was a fake and not the real deal!

Yes, you're describing perfectly some of the behavior of the hognosed snake. When it's threatened, the hognose snake will flatten it's neck and raise it's head like a cobra, and hiss. It may feign strikes,though they'll almost never bite unless you happen to smell like their prey. This has earned them several nicknames. "Puff adder", "blowing adder", "flathead", "spreadhead", "spreading adder" or "hissing adder". The nickname "puff adder" is only a nickname, and isn't scientifically correct. There's a highly venomous viper from Africa called the puff adder.

This photo from Wikipedia is of a western hognosed snake.

[JimRCGMO]

Evenin', Janie - I'll have a bowl of chili with some grated cheese and onions on it, and a RBF to wash it down with, please. Thankyouma'am! (Wow! The tab from yesterday was amazing...)

CDN Dennis, I was like Jeff, and I thought it was Virginia (looked it up, and it's the "Old Dominion" state, if there's any fine distinction there...).

Jeff, I was wondering about some hognose snake or the like, but you had the photo. Doesn't that snake whose pic you showed, if the 'rattler imitation' doesn't work, roll over on its back and play dead? There's one of those lookalike snakes that does, I think. But I'd want a goodly distance between me and even a look-alike one until I was sure (absolutely sure!) it was a fake and not the real deal!

Ah, Vincent - you're right, that isn't at all that kind of snake. Hmm, I wonder how ticked the snake got while your brother is taking all those photos of the li'l critter? ("Stupid humans, a snake can't get a decent nap in without them interrupting...")

C&O Terry, sorry for your 'gain' - that does put the icing (no pun intended...) on your cake, doesn't it? (Our loss, sniff, sniff...woe is me down south here...) Hey, it's all right - you'll get us back come August, when your weather is more tolerable than mine - or Jeff's, which is even more humid and hot, right Jeff? And Terry, you keep posting those layout photos! I'm gonna take a wild guess - that's your mower under that white stuff? What are you doing, making sand castles with really fine sand?

PA Tom - you're like me; you can spot the chowhound in the crowd.

Jeff, on your Black Bart mine, go to http://hoseeker.org, and then to here. I bet they may have a copy there that you could print out. I was kind of surprised to see that they have Suydam literature/directions. They have a bunch of old directions, assembly diagrams, etc. there. I think Mr. Beasley's right about your caboose (I have a couple of the Athearn cabeese, one of which is missing that thin metal ladder...). And thank you for the link about Sallie.

Garry, nice NP train photo! Your lake's water level started to go back down yet? I'm just glad I don't live right by (either) the Mississippi River, or the diversion channel a bit south of Cape.

Galaxy, have added YOH's-you-know-what to my list (shhhh!...) Okay , if you're gonna give us the Hawaiian lyrics on that song/chant, at least don't leave us hanging & wondering - what's the translation for that?

Mr. Beasley, thanks for your Diner photo, also! This Diner might not quite have all of the Library of Alexandria's stuff/knowledge - but a bunch of Diners also can find an answer very quickly! So, what's the story about the mother and the kid (or is that a Sister walking the kid down the steps) there in your photo? And you did an excellent job with that Atlas turntable - wouldn't recognize it, if you hadn't told me!

Mike (mbinsewi) - in addition to "de-Nortonizing" your computer, try a check of your Firefox add-ons (I think it's under Tools in the menubar) and see which extensions you have installed. If you have NoScript or Ghostery, there's a setting or two you can turn on for the website with the camera, so you get to see it. Let us know which extensions (and plug-ins) you have, and Jeff or I or another Diner will sort it out for ya. (And I agree with Jeff - Firefox is better about security than IE). Oh, about the funky quote? If you look closely, it appears you cut off the ending square bracket, aka "]" that was on the end of the quoted part, when you went to write your response.

AmanaMedic

Evening, 

If the Diner is everywhere at the same time, isn't THAT using the infinite improbability drive from The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

Chris (in Iowa)

Ulrich - C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! ! ! (on your election). (I tried to match the colour of your...lanyard?... that you're wearing. Getting elected (and all that campaigning, meetings, and so forth) will keep you out of Petra's way for a little while, eh? Oh, as one of the - at various times - MIA Diners, I wish the rest of you weren't quite as talkative when I'm gone - harder to get caught up!   Now that you mention it, I don't recall if you mentioned what possessed you to get into politics - what was it?

Man, it looks like a bunch of you Diners have been busier than beavers with errands and stuff! Busy is as busy does, huh? Whew - makes a guy tired just reading through all that you've been up to!

V8 Dennis - my (older) brother lives in the Thousand Oaks area, and when I saw on the news about the fire, I called him. At that time, he said the fire was 2-3 miles away, but that they were watching it closely. I'm hoping it didn't get any closer to his place.

BN/SP&S Gary - if you don't object, I'll add your 'Oma' and the rest of your family, to my prayer list. (Seriously). And if she's as tough as a DB 2-10-0, I wouldn't count her out just yet, either. We "stubborn 'dutch'" (as my Dad used to say) can be quite...uh, "persistent" about hanging on. And all of we Diners are here for you. Spend as much quality time with her as you can. And for the ethnicity survey, I'm half German (Hannover), and the other half a mix of English/Welsh/maybe some Irish in there.

JaBear, thank you for the invite for tea - I just hope the fruit cake 'Down Under' there is NOT like what gets given as presents around Christmas time here in the Northern hemisphere! (It's got to be better than ours!)

So Todd - what's your next project on the never-ending HD list? (Just wondering what's up next for you...)

Speaking of economics and politics, wasn't it Mark Twain who said:

"Figures often beguile me, particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the remark attributed to Disraeli would often apply with justice and force: 'There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.'" (Disraeli was another politician...)

Okay, Vinnie, I'll be moving along now, no need for a trip out the back door with me...

Curt, I had looked in WPF before I got my post done the other day (Friday? Saturday? I forget...), and really liked how you (re-)did that TT approach track. And I would agree - very good job on the ballasting!

Todd (with an assist from Karl)... (I missed the last part of yours, Todd - until I saw Karl's photo - and mentally re-said what you had written...)

Gary (BN) - you could try watching deBay for one of the Life-Like locos, and then save a search for that - they'll send you emails (DO specify as a search term that you only want items listed in the US, or they'll for sure send you listings in Great Britain and other points where the exchange rate (& customs fees) might not be good for you). Then see if what they're going for is close to what you are willing to pay (or just wait...).

NV Paul, the enginehouse looks good (and, nice color choice)!

Jeff, make sure you eat enough, and get rested up. If whatever you have continues, you may want to set up a trip to your doctor's.

I think I'm almost caught up (for now...). I did want to post a couple/three photos of the intial painting I did on my resin junkyard/work shed castings.

This is the smaller box-builder/junkyard building, from the front. And here's the back of it:

This is only the first step in the paint, since I want some of the recessed areas a bit darker than this (without darkening everything).

Now here is a fence area that came with the shed (the 'front' side). And then here's the back side of the fence: (Much neater, right? )

I'm happier with the washes on this piece than on the shed itself. The castings are from Model Tech Studios, their HO D0230 Handyman's Shed and Fence Assembled Undecorated. Got mine from M.B. Klein, for those inquiring minds out there.

We do have several Diners who are tired lately (for a variety of reasons), as well as those healing up (emotionally and physically), so will add them to the list along with Jerry (and his and Sallie's families). Best wishes to Ulrich for keeping up (as best possible) with the more hectic pace of politics, as well. As for myself, I head back to the office tomorrow a.m. Hoping my St. Louis Cardinals have continued their winning streak (don't actually know for sure, and I may be in the dark on that until next Friday; whole 'nuther story there). Prayers for a good night's rest all around.

Blessings,

Jim in Cape G.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Today I put a Digitrax DZ125 decoder in the rebuilt CN GP40 and it now runs like a dream. I started on another GP40 this afternoon using parts from a GP40, a GP38 and a GP30 and a few parts from other sources. You can look at the photo below and decide for yourself which is which. The shell is pretty obvious. The GP40 is about the easiest Bachmann diesel to rebuild. So many of the parts are universal.



Most of my day was fairly slow. I only ventured outside once and that was for a very few minutes. I'm still quite weak. I doubt if I could fight off an anemic Cub Scout in my present condition. At least I'm not cold anymore. Neither the a/c or heater have been turned on at all today.

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

[Lehigh Valley 2089]

Good evening. 

Got my English paper typed up, and got my Me 109's second coat of paint on. The instructions said to use grays with a blue tint. I just used a standard light and dark gray two tone scheme. It also is to have a yellow nose. It was to originally supposed to go back to the first exhaust pipe, but I took it back to the 7.7mm machine guns. 

Night everyone. 

[pascaff*]

  Evening All,

     Did get to pull some weeds in the front yard this morning. Yard w**k is not my favorite thing.

    Was able to get the engine house finished and put on the layout. Still need to finish some scenery around it, but looks OK for the time being.

  Prayers to all in need.

      Paul

[Burlington Northern #24]

examining SP&S steam rosters a Kato Mikad will definitely make a good stand in for an O-3 class Mikado(ex NP) these puppies oulasted O-1, O-2, and O-4 class mikados. (latest I saw was '57). I'll need 4 F3A's, an E7A, a ton of RS3's, 4 RS1's, and some GP38's (we'll say they got there a bit early, the last three will be in BN green and the first two will be broad striped). now if only I could find a challenger for a price I'll pay(or I could save). 

[cudaken]

 Evening Dinners

 Flo, Yea you know and thank you dear.

 Went to K-10 today and got gears for the NIB PK GP 30 I bought from them last week. Ken (The owner) was busy in the layout room with it being open house today. I asked Ken's Sister (Just came out a few months ago to help Ken) for a discount for the needed gears and showed her the recite for the engine I bought last week and explained the gears where cracked. She said "Bring it back and will will exchange it". Told her "It is easier to fix it". "Besides the other GP 30 will have cracked gears anyway." Luckily Dave (he volunteers there like I did) over heard the exchange and stepped. He told her to give me the gears and she acted PO. Dave is a Model Railroader and she is not.     

 Got the gears replaced and all 4 where bad. All so forgot how hard it is to install wheel in the new gears! Got the decoder and front LED installed. Boy it was a SOB getting the shell in places! I was afraid I was going to break something pushing down to get the coupler pocket's in places.

 The GP 30 B&O runs quite, but so far not impressed with what it can pull. On the B Line it can only haul 11 cars, well maybe 13 if I add a few, but that is about it. Hope it gets better with some wheel break in time.

 Later, Ken

http://s83.photobucket.com/user/cudaken/media/Real%20Trains/pictures_87954_6BampO69446-87_zps96b5a41f.jpg.html]

[Curt Webb]

Evening All,

Got back from Patrick AFB about 4 PM. Pretty beat and spent too much money.

Now my daughters family is over and I will be BBQing ribs. Not thrilled about BBQing but happy to see the family.

Cape Jim & Bill- Thank you.

Garry- I used WS Cinders. After looking at old engine facility pictures that was the closest thing I could find. I do a Grey Mixed/Cinders in the yard.

Here are a couple of pics from downtown Winter Garden (home) at the old ACL station

 

 

 

 

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

[galaxy]

Listening to my favorite Hu wale ke aloha nou, e Kalani, Pi'o mai ke anuenue nou, e Kalani, Ani pa’ia ia ‘oe, e Kalani, Eia ku’u wahi’ mele nou, e Kalani Got it mostly memroized now.

Well we got rid of a huge pile of stuff off the porch until we disturbed a hornet's nest with the bug spray...

Then we stopped, until next week...

Then the week after we tackle the shed!

The garbage men will LOVE us!!

There was a guy on here who wanted N scale Bachmann EZ TRACk...IF he is still here and still wants it, I can get to it now! PM me with a private conversation!

Well dinner time

[Anonymous]

Just a quick stop here before I hit the day.

I am really busy these days - just came home from a work meeting. Still the To-do list is more than a hundred miles long

CU tomorrow!

[Burlington Northern #24]

I hope you get better Jeff. 

hmmm not much on the front for anything today, might go look at the layout some more. I'd work on ti"N"y but I've no idea what I should use for a grade crossing, any suggestions?

I wish that this track shortage would go away, I'd really like to get my 4' x 6' together or have the track atleast. I've been looking at SP&S #750 she wore three schemes hourglass, broad stripe, and green. I could order a pre painted model but I think they're all gone, Life like is the only one who makes E7's. I'd be saving money if I did it myself. but I'd have to figure out what paints work, brush painting stuff can be a pain when you have stubborn paint that doesn't hold well and isn't second layer friendly.

[rdgk1se3019]

Wouldn`t it be Stinky Mayo if its in the sink?

[kbkchooch]

Oppps, almost forgot!!

Happy

[galaxy]

IF I can get MOH motivated, we wil clean off the  porch and prepare for garbage day to dispose of the "junque" we don't want.

It is nicely cool now and will get hot later...so After the TV program MOH is watching now, we will.....I hope.

We have had very NICE weather for a change...not to rub it in with those with snow and rain and chilly cold, but we had enough of THAT here this early spring!

That and maybe I can get MOh to sort clothes no longer wanted...

MOH had a successful day at work...they were surprised how fast MOH picked up the new register...MOH has possible plans to get to supervisor?! MOH did ask to be put on first thing the morning...as we like early mornings!!! {as you know I am up early here}.

The yard needs to be mowed again too...

Well, best get to it I guess....

hanohano no 'oe i ku'u maka, Ke kama ho'oheno a ka Malie

 

EDIT: OOPS I SPOKE TOO  SOON earlier about not having TOP in a while.....eat up...the Midnite Flyer special is on me... Daisy here is my CC...

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 54° with 54% humidity. Isn't that a coincidence. It'll be sunny with a high of 68°.


I don't really know what I'll be doing today. I'll probably put a decoder in the GP40 I rebuilt yesterday. The parts all seem to get along with each other considering they're from two different eras. As the frame was missing one coupler mount and the other mount was damaged I body mounted Kadee 242 draft gear boxes. They had to be put together in a stacked configuration with each stack being two boxes thick and held together by super glue and a screw.

I feel better today than I did yesterday though I still feel like crap. At least I don't feel like I'm freezing anymore. I've come to the conclusion that I have a really bad cold.

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Ah, Zoe, I see the Buffet is out so I will have a trip to the Breakfast Buffet and if you would be so kind as to bring me my dark roast coffee, Seneca Lake Roast, I would be very appreciative.

The big bright thing is out from behind the clouds and the little wheel down cellar is spinning fast this morning.  Todd, we could actually use some of the stuff that makes the ground wet and sloppy around here.  It is dry.

I will try to get started building the first of two raised bed gardens today...  Maybe...  Have some weeding that has to get done in the herb garden where the asparagus bed is, and a few other things on the list that can't wait.

Best get moving!

73