Elliot´s Trackside Diner - June 2014 Edition

[Anonymous]

Good Morning.

For the first time in our 30 year marriage, we went to bed without saying good night to each other. Petra had been fussing about the layout being too intrusive and used this opportunity to dig deep into the bag, getting out all those things I did wrong in those 30 years.

I will not continue with this layout. I´ll be starting to dismantle it, salvage as much as possible and sell it off. I don´t think I´ll stay in this hobby - giving it up after 50 + years hurts a lot.

 

 

[galaxy]

Sir Madog

Good Morning.

For the first time in our 30 year marriage, we went to bed without saying good night to each other. Petra had been fussing about the layout being too intrusive and used this opportunity to dig deep into the bag, getting out all those things I did wrong in those 30 years.

I will not continue with this layout. I´ll be starting to dismantle it, salvage as much as possible and sell it off. I don´t think I´ll stay in this hobby - giving it up after 50 + years hurts a lot.

 

 

 

Ulrich!

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. {EDIT: see my quote below in my morning greeting}

Was it just the size of the layout? or all the time/effort/money that goes into it?

If it is just the size, try a smaller "module" to work on with some severe "selective compression". If it size alone, maybe since you were in the "tiny" scales, she may not have thought it would be so intrusive, but the O guage IS quite large, even at ON30!

Don't give up hope! Maybe try HO again for size on you and a simple 2'x3' or 4' module?

 

I pushed the limits and got my 3.5'x5.1 HO layout and now to keep some harmony I may have to tear it down completely to get at that room, into which everything we Don"T know what to do with goes! We literally cannot get in there now as the doorway is FILLED with: laundry soap, Paper towels, TP, Cat litter, Etc.!

Mayhap tomorrow I will work on that!

I also pushed some limits to get a 40x40" square {or is it 45 x45" square} layout top for under the tree at christmas, but it half impeded the door to the Kitchen where we put up the tree, and after April of last year when I had not removed it, MOH {who loves trains and woudl run N scale under the tree too} threatened anarchy and to "throw it out" if I didn't do something with it!

 

I recently posted that that I was THINKING of selling off some of my extra HO stuff, if not sell off the whole lot! I'd hate to just throw away. 

I have also been thinking a lot about Z scale, a much smaller layout could be had, but I'd have to start all over again, and don't have a hobby budget right now! I know YOU said Z scale is out for you as too small, but I was thinking for me, my eyes are still good at small details.

Here's your last resort:

Tell Petra that IF you DON'T have the Hobby in SOME mannor, you will take up a new hobby that won't take up any room in the house! It will be:: to go out drinking everynight and cavorting with questionable women!!!! THAT may change her mind real fast!

{If not, you are in deep trouble, man!}

DOn't worry, Be happy.

 

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Ulrich ... That's heartbreaking. I suggest waiting to see if things settle down. Everybody has bad moments, and this may be the case with your lovely wife this time. ... Blessings to both of you. 

Good night, everyone. 

[galaxy]

morning coffee...

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING!

Today is Friday the 13th!

{Oh No!}

It is Friday, June 13th, 2014!

Healing Energies, Thoughts and

Prayers for those in need!

 

Quotable Quotes:

"All misfortune is but a stepping stone to fortune."
 - Henry David Thoreau

{EDIT: perhaps that quote will help Ulrich!}

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!

[galaxy]

Ulrich:

I don't pretend to be a marriage counselor, and I don't play one on TV either, but:

It IS unfortunate that 'sandbagging' {bringing out all the things from the bag as you put it} had to occur with Petra's dislike of the layout. But, if it didn't come out NOW, it would have come out later over something else even smaller.

Try pointing out to her that the "good times" were far better and more frequent than the bad times {Right?} and that something good usually comes when one {one as in one couple, one family} is down as low as they can be.

Take it down, Take a Break and regroup about it.

 

You DO remember Mr. V. Smith {?} on here? He posts pics of 2'x2'; 3'x3' layouts with up to size G scale trains on the "module"!

If he can get a layout that small with that big a scale on it {granted it may only be  a loop}, perhaps you too can do something similar that will appease Petra.

Also, remember there is the tiny layouts for guys here:

http://www.carendt.com/scrapbook/linkindex/index.html

http://www.carendt.com/index.html

There is this:Tiny:

http://www.scarm.info/layouts/track_plans.php?size=XXS#filter

Small:

http://www.scarm.info/layouts/track_plans.php?size=XS#filter

46cmx61cms! for On30!:

http://www.carendt.com/microplans/index.html

 

G scale small: {147cms x 179cms!!!}

http://www.scarm.info/layouts/track_plans.php?ltp=40

 

Then there is this:

http://www.wymann.info/ShuntingPuzzles/small-layouts.html

Small 1' x14" G scale!:

http://www.carendt.com/squarefoot/index.html

 

 

And LASTLY, DEFINITELY DON'T FORGET THIS GUY:
http://www.japanrailmodelers.org/pages/modelingjapan/minimodules.html

!!!!!!!!!!

 

Seek alternatives Petra can live with, and maybe you can have your hobby, adn she can have her peace too...

 

{In my case, since MOH was into N scale, {though wanting the european expensive stuff}, we HAD at one time a "common ground" on the layouts. Perhaps since MOH could only run the N scale american trains to MOH's liking on the "under the tree layout", OR that we could not spend $500 on an N scale Euro loco, MOH had become unhappy that I had a layout and "Not so" for the "other foot" {MOH} in our relationship. I don't know, and I try not bring up the subject in case it is "a bone of contention".

Or you could take up crochetting or knitting, and buy lots of yarn and knit or crochette to your heart's contnet and make stuff for the gifts to friends and relatives!! Balls of yarn are small, and something usefull comes out of it.

Best of luck in resolving this issue, Ulrich!

Smile

[zstripe]

Good Morning all.

ULRICH,

I don't claim to be a Marriage Counselor either....but I have been Married twice and have been to them. I don't like to get involved with a lot of peoples personal everyday lives, as some do on this thread. But I will agree with a lot GALAXY had to say. Step back, try to look at it without feelings involved, that's hard...but possible. It appears to me, there is more going on, then the layout.

Wishing You and Yours the BEST.

GODSPEED!

Frank

[Anonymous]

It´s not the size of the layout, it´s my spending time working on it and the little mess I create while doing so. I clean up every time when I am finished and sometimes even in between to keep the "intrusion" as little as possibel. If I had a separate train room, there would be no issue at all - at least no reason for her to react that way.

ZStripe - yes, you are right, there is more to it. Basically, I am now paying the price for my previous life, working my butt off to sustain the family. My job kept me away from home quite a considerable amount of time - time that I had rather spent with the family. No further details, but I can hardly bear the situation.

[MisterBeasley]

One day, a great King called for his wise man, and told him, "I want you to give me something to say, something that will apply to any situation, and will be true for all time."

The answer was "This, too, shall pass."

Ulrich, this, too, shall pass.  Take some time off of working on the railroad.  My wife has the same attitude towards my trains, thinking, for some reason, that if I weren't working on the trains I'd be working away as her garden slave 12 hours a day.  Their moods come and go, as you know.  If you try to push your own pleasures out of your life, you're going to end up being miserable, and that will make you a worse partner for Petra, not a better one.

It's raining here today, and it looks like Saturday will start with some showers.  It's OK.  I've got my passenger cars painted with the new burgundy stripe, and I can decal them tonight or tomorrow and wait for better weather for the coat of clear satin.  I'll be measuring out the benchwork needs for Phase 3 and picking up the wood I need, along with some pressure-treated boards to fix the deck.

Ken, have you checked the grounding strap between the engine and the frame?  On some cars, that's part of the circuit.  The engine generally "floats" on its rubber mounts, so a wire is needed to complete the circuit back to the battery which is attached to the frame.

And for those of you with kidney stones, remember:  This, too, shall pass.

[zstripe]

ULRICH,

God knows...I have been there. Owning my own trucks and being gone a lot can take it's toll on any relationship. We didn't have very many money worry's, just the time issue. I would be gone 2 to 3weeks and take a week off, but it seemed like that still wasn't enough. I finally got in a position to trust the three drivers I had and got a job at CSXI as a crane operator and shopped out any repair work to the trucks, just kept up with payroll and such. But I was already divorced by then. In the end though, everything turned out OK. My kids, grand kids, even my ex-wifes, don't have to want for much any more, happily retired NOV, this year 14yrs, if only my health will hold out.

Take Care of You and Yours, life is too short, to bicker.

Frank

[Jimmy_Braum]

Morning all.  My Wheeling stuff came yesterday, and this is the result.

Note:The black paint looks better in person.  I think it looks okay, but the stripes are a pain to put on-thankfully the sets come with 4 stripes decals (Okay, I need to order a new set when I plan to do another Wheeling locomotive).  But yeah, my plan today is to finish this up, and then go to the business meeting for my model railroad club.  I hope everyone is doing good today.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 73° with 100% humidity. It'll be a little cooler today with a high of 88°. We have heavy (not dense) cloud cover with a fair chance of rain.
with

Two items on the planned events chart today.

#1 Tear down two 70's era Atlas FP7's for cleaning and inspect for any hidden damage. That hidden surprise yesterday was quite a shock. I had to make that type of repair on one other Atlas loco and that was a few years ago on a GP40.

#2 Watch more movies.

Other than that I have nothing else planned.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Jeff ... I saw how your Sundown Shops repaired the FP7 in the other forum. Very smart of you. 

Jimmy ... I like the W&LE loco.  

Ulrich ... Sounds like you need to focus in your better half for a while let her know she is special and appreciated. Perhaps, you can go for a walk or a short drive with her this evening. Maybe she should pick out an activity for both of you. 

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!!!

 

Coffee and a stuffed and smothered omelet please, thanks.

 

Supposed to be a beautiful day today. Of course yesterday was supposed to be miserably rainy and was not. SO….who knows.

 

Dennis- Sorry about the colon issues. Sounds like that day you should have just stayed in bed and covered up your head as my Mother would have said.

 

Mr B- Metformin is what they put Brenda on. Twice a day about an hour before she eats and she has had no effects other than her BG level has gone from upper way 300’s to 140’s and dropping. She’ll get a 200ish first thing in the morning, but then takes her meds and it’s back down to mid 140’s in about an hour even after she eats. Nope, she never felt “different when she started. One thing, I’ve noticed, she doesn’t seem to be as tired as she was. She is on no other diabetes medication, but Jeffrey’s comment is duly noted for our future reference.  

 

Actually Brenda’s pill is 2.5mg Glipizide/500mg Metformin combo pill like Rays. And no…she’s not really following the diet real well. Of course she hasn’t seen her dietician yet because she had an appointment at 10 am and she was 20 minutes early but they said she was 40 minutes late because it was at 9. She showed them the confirmation they sent her that said 10 and they well they said sorry and they aren’t going to charge for the missed appointment. I said we’ll hang on to the confirmation letter and see.  

 

Odd insurance companies want to save all this money (I understand that), but then when they can do something to save an even LARGER bill, they don’t want to because it’s not bad enough yet. Makes no sense.

 

G- Yup, I had one of those rooms in the trailer I lived in too. You’re right….no storage.

 

Ulrich- Don’t know what to say. But I will offer this to ponder. Many times when Brenda gets “upset” with me, it has nothing to do with anything more than she feels I don’t spend enough time with her. Maybe, and I have no idea if this is the issue with Petra, but maybe she is a bit resentful of the time and yes money, spent on the layout. You have been going at it a bit strong. She may see it as a substitute for her. She may look at the money spent as money that could be spent for other things. The mess, well that could just be a thing she is using to bolster her position. She may view this layout as “the other woman”. You know that person who you suddenly start spending a lot of time with? Women are funny and get jealous very easily over things we don’t even think about. I understand your fervor with the layout, I truly do, but maybe you should just kinda fall back a bit and focus some of that attention back on her. She might respond well. Now, on a lighter note, considering the many times I’ve been in trouble….you might not want to listen to me at all.

 

 

Ya’ll have a good day, ya hear!!!!

[howmus]

Mornin'.... er....  Ahem!  Afternoon folks!

Zoe, I'll just need a refill for my coffee right now...

 Ulrich, hang in there for a bit...  I think Todd and some others have nailed it.  More likely Petra is just feeling ignored a bit by your enthusiasm for the new layout.  I would hate to see you give up something which is giving you so much enjoyment so quickly.  Sit down and have a good loving talk with her, and come up with a plan that both of you can agree to for your hobby and her needs.  Funny, my late wife used to rant a lot about my wasting time down cellar on THAT JUNK down there!!!  But at the end of her life she told me she was glad that I had a hobby I could do in the house and be just down cellar rather than out of the house.  It did take me 15 years to go back down there and start in on the hobby again though...  I retrospect I guess I would have spent less time on the layout and a bit more time sitting with her watching some really dumb movies on the idiot box while she watched and croched or knitted.  But I still hope I would have kept the hobby too!  Give it some time and don't do anything brash!

 Todd, Only thing is I take a combination of Januvia and Metformin.  Glipizide is what Blackie takes (5mg BID)...

Another gray day here in the Finger Lakes.  Currently 76°F with the threat of rain and thunderboomers this afternoon.  I need to get moving and start accompishing some cleaning and running some errands.  I will have supper tonight with my DIL and the Granddaughters at a Chiness Restaurant here in town.  They are not bad.  It is a buffet with lots and lots of choices....

Later!

73

[MisterBeasley]

Ray added this diagnosis:

 Todd, Only thing is I take a combination of Januvia and Metformin.  Glipizide is what Blackie takes (5mg BID)...

So, if I can get my doctor to add Glipizide, will that get my tail wagging again?

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

ULRICH, my friend,

I as well agree with Ray. Todd and Galaxy, and Garry.

This is NOT the time to retreat.The railroad is the main divergence for your mind right now and that is what is keeping you healthy as you are.  If you don't have it what will you do besides sit around and watch Housewives and Oprah.  That is not uplifting, motivating, creative or any of those other things that make our lives interesting.  These things just need to be explained to Petra in a kind and loving manner but firmly confirming that your hobby will remain part of your life for those reasons, which in the end will keep the two of you together longer as you might pass away watching those mind blowing episodes on the idiot box. 

Do plan "Date Nights" with her at least every two weeks if not more often. Doesn't have to be a big deal, just a walk around the lake or some such activity.  I am sure she wants you around but giving up your interest is NOT the way to do that.

Be firm, be loving and understanding and work out an agreement (LIKE YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD )

and stick to it.  It will be the best for the both of you.

Johnboy out.............................and still can't figure out Women. 41 years of marriage this time around,  12 previously.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Has anyone seen Lion, lately? ... The Diner is quiet without his roaring. 

[cudaken]

 Good Evening Dinners

 Flo, Beer please.

 Boy I am pooped! I started out feeling pretty good but by 10:00 AM I was so tired? Started the running around 11:30 AM. Went to the Vet to get Sparkie Heart Guard and got him weighted. He is 18 pounds and 8 oz so he lost a little weight. Stopped by a couple of stores then a short trip to a new park so Sparkie got a walk.

 Got home and did some more yard work. Cleaned some more of the gutters. I have decided aginst the folding ladder and will go with a 8 or 10 foot step ladder. Cut the front grass, then did a BBQ!

 Ulrich Sorry Petria is not happy about the Train Time. In the back of my mind I have to wonder if it is the money you are spending?

 See you all later, Ken

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good evening. We have a pleasant 71° here. Unfortunately there's a thunderstorm or two running around tonight.

Today I tore down, cleaned and inspected two Atlas FP7's. One had some slight damage. It has a PPW replacement motor in it. This motor got knocked loose and one of the drive shafts dropped out. This was easily corrected and the motor was secured with some super glue.

Later I typed in the listings for a few SD cards on the //e.

Other than that I watched a few movies.

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

[howmus]

Evenin' folks!

Janie, just a refill for my decaf please...

We had a high of 80°F for a while today, followed by some hard driving rain.  There were a few Thunderboomers in the area, but nothing that hit right here where I am.  Is currently 65°F with a low around 50° overnight. I went out to dinner with my DIL, her mother, and the two granddaughters.  They had a dress rehearsal for their dance recital tomorrow night.  That didn't get over until almost 7:15 so dinner was a bit later than they are used to. 

I did grocery shopping, got my Dark Roast Organic Coffee and some other stuff at the Natural Foods Store, stopped over at church to drop off my pledge for the month as well as a check to pay for the new Sound Board that just arrived, and did a bit of picking up around here.  I am officially pooped out!  Will finish doing the once over cleaning tomorrow.  Tomorrow evening I will at my Granddaughters' Dance Recital.  I think this will be their last year for dance for a while.  They both want to do some other activities.  Found out tonight, my son has just bought himself a used fishing boat.  This one actually floats, runs, and has room for more than two people in it at a time....  He will be disposing of the old sailboat I got for him 15 or so years ago and the small Air Boat he inherited from my BIL when he died.  He has finally taken his SWMBO and his father's advice to get rid of the stuff he is never going to have time to fix and buy something that will run and take up less space.  Now he will be able to go fishing from time to time instaed getting ready to go fishing someday.

My Gout has pretty much gone now, but I still have some soreness in that foot...  Able to walk quite a bit better.

I think it is time to call it a day...  Be Blessed and prayers goping out for all in need (Seems there are still quite a few in here...)!

73

[cowman]

MisterBeasley

And for those of you with kidney stones, remember: This, too, shall pass

Except the one they had to "up periscope" and haul out.  I suppose that meant that it had passed, but they ain't no fun no how!!!!

Another glass of water please,

Richard

[galaxy]

morning coffee in the diner...

GOOD SATURDAY MORNING!

Today is Saturday,

June 14th, 2014!

Today is also

*FLAG DAY*, USA

Long may she wave!

Healing Energies, thoughts 

and prayers for

those in need!

There was a young woman named Florence, 
Who for kissing professed great abhorrence; 
But when she'd been kissed 
And found what she'd missed 
She cried till the tears came in torrents 

 

Quotable quotes:

"Everything is 50% what happens to you, and 50% how you choose to deal with it".-annoymous

"Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud"- The late Maya Angelou

We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.

-Maya Angelou

MAKE it a GREAT day!

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Galaxy! 

 

Thanks for reminding me its Flag Day. 

I'll put mine up now! 

 

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 69° with 93% humidity. The high will be 90° with a small chance of showers and thunderstorms.
with

I wonder how Ulrich is dealing with his dilemma. Did they talk it out or is he proceeding with the tear-down?

Just waiting on the Home Health nurse to call so the wound vac dressing can be changed. I don't have anything planned for today so I'll just take it as it comes.

Neglected to report yesterday that the disk drive cables I've been waiting on came in. I installed them in the converted Apple 5¼" drives. I slotted the back of the drives so the cables could go through without being twisted or rolled.


I guess later today I could work on more locos and watch a few more movies.

That's it for now. Be back later.

 

EDIT: Well rats! Looks I got the TOP. Go easy on the credit card folks.

[cudaken]

 Morning!

 Flo, Coffee pleases.

 Work in the Fairview Heights store today. So I have a short drive!

 Later, Ken

[MisterBeasley]

Good morning, all.  Kind of cloudy and damp, but it's not raining, so getting to the lumber yard for benchwork lumber and a couple of boards to fix the deck outside should be no problem.  I've got some decal work to do on my passenger cars, and I may open up that old Athearn growling switcher and try the Pearl Drops trick on the gears.

I got a thing in the mail about my 20th year service award from work.  They give us a gold corporate pin and we get to pick a gift from a small brochure they sent.  I work for a defense company, so when I opened up the brochure to look at my gift options, my first thought was "Wow!  A helicopter!  Or an aircraft carrier!"  Then I got to reality on page two and saw the usual real selections of jewelry and home electronics I've already got.  Oh, well, I don't have room in my garage for an aircraft carrier anyway.

OK, time for those decals!

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe, I'll have a bowl of hot oatmeal with brown sugar and lots and lots of dark roast coffee to keep my R&GV RR mug filled.  Thank you Ma'am...

"It's a lovely day today...."  Currently 55°F outside here in the Finger Lakes under gloomy gray skies.  Not a shadow to be found.  I shall stay inside most of the day and clean house I think.  It sure needs it, and since an old High School buddy of mine and his son are coming down to talk about doing the Railroading Merit Badge with their troop and likely will stop to see the layout, I think it would be nice to have a more or less, somewhat, not too filthy house for them to see.

Tonight is the Granddaughters' Dance Recital I shall be going to.  Sunday, I work Train Crew at the Museum.

 [color=red{Mr. B[/color], I'd go for the helicopter...  Easier to manuver on land and sea....   As long as you have a good hobby (and you do) their is nothing not to like about retirement.

Best get myself moving before I fall asleep at the computer...  Catch you all later!

73

[galaxy]

Yes, as RAY said, cool 54F here, damp like Mr. B said but not raining. Only it is VERy CLOUDY here.

Very cool for what they WERE forecasting! It WAS supposed to be NICE and sunny and WARM , but now looks like hard to reach tfhe 64 they forecast for today this morning.

Oh well, 

I hate days like today cause you really need the A/c only a short time as the trailer still does heat up like a tin can of beans on a campfire, but Not on all day!

I have finished off the laundry, adn the dishes and used the bakingsoda/vinegar rinse on the kitchen sink drains. does it help? Nope. Need to havet it snaked again I guess. It is real slow going down. half due to asking water to flow uphill, half due they think to a belly in the pipe, causing a blockage, adn wanting only a mere $1300-1600 to repair it! FOr that amout, i can have it snaked 2 times  ayear every year for what 5-6 years? maybe later, but not now!

MOH went to my FILs to get some things done for FIL. He has crazy idea MOh shoud help him put up just 2-4 feet of curved chicken wire to keep his once ferral cat ont eh deck when he lets her out! If she wants out she will jump! and if she doesn't come back to him, she never was his, even though he enticed her inside with food before and she laid a litter on him. If she doens't stay, then she has been captive all these yearsa and she only wnated a good safe place to lay her litter.

Jeffrey: I am most positive Ulrich took the layout down or is taking it down...to keep the minimal peace I think he HAS to. You know what they say "hell hath no fury like a dis-pleased woman!".

well, I should go outside and do some stuff, but the humidity is up there and not good for my asthmatic  breathing. so inside and maybe do the vacuming i was gonna do tomorrow instead.

later

[Packer]

Afternoon guys

Went to the train club this morning, and put my GP9 back. I brought it home to change the speaker in it because it was barely audible. I guess having the front of speaker aiming through the fans doesn't work as well on a Phase 3 GP9 as it does on a GP7. I had took a air grinder and a dremel (to finish after the grinder) to the weight to get the new speaker to fit. Even though the older speaker was larger, the new one sounds a lot better. I guess that's what having a speaker enclosure does.

As for weight lost when grinding, it only lost about a quarter of an ounce. I don't notice a difference in pulling power though. I guess it helped the weight balance some, or a quarter ounce isn't much.

Today is my mother's birthday as well as flag day, so i'm not going to work outside cause me and the rest of my family will probably be taking her to dinner soon.

I did go to Ace Hardware and buy a drill bit to make horn stands. But I think it fell out of my pocket somewhere

Ulrich, that sucks, but I am curious has this issue came up before?

Jeff, it's been a while since I've messed with any of the Atlas/Roco stuff. Was it the worm cover that broke? If I recall that stuff was the "ungluable" engineering plastics, I wonder hoe well JB weld will hold up.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Packer

Jeff, it's been a while since I've messed with any of the Atlas/Roco stuff. Was it the worm cover that broke? If I recall that stuff was the "ungluable" engineering plastics, I wonder hoe well JB weld will hold up.

It was one of the arms that comes off the truck just below where you can see the worm. I used the JB Weld  to make the same kind of repair on an Atlas GP40 a few years ago and it's holding up fine. This one too is rock solid.