Strong coffee TO GO, please.
***JLS, how about some extra tall 150'-200' cottonwood trees?
***Garry, glad you are all done with that bug. Enjoy running some trains!
***Terry, you can join my brothers, both Green Bay fans, and be green with envy. "GO SEAHAWKS!" Sorry!
Nice layout pics being posted. How about a few more for inspiration?
Have a terrific day all.
Cheers! Rob
Good morning,
Ulrich. ..... How is the hot chocalate? I like your track plan because I like industrial switching which you included. It looks like fun switching the grain elevator in particular.
Everybody ! .... Come in to the Diner! ...Ulrich won't bite ! LOL
Happy Model Railroading, everybody !
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Afternoon, Folks!
Chloe, I´ll have a cup of hot chocolate, please, and some brownies - thank you!
Our weather is back to normal, i.e. plenty of ra*n. All of the snow is gone, it´s just our regular "Schietwedder" again.
up831 - I tried to put your ideas on scenery into the layout. While having a little stream lined with high trees will work nicely as a view block, squeezing in a tunnel won´t work, if you want to have a realistic look of the layout.
Talking about staging - staging is the "outside world", either off stage (i.e. layout) or hidden. I am not so keen about hidden staging, if it can´t be reached properly. That will be the place old Murphy will reside in. I know from experience. I still fancy the idea of staging linked to the tracks in the upper left and right.
Thanks for the hot chocolate, Chloe! May I stay a little while at the RC to see who´s stopping by?
Evenin' folks!
Janie, just a refill for my decaf please...
Been a busy but relaxing day.... Got some grocery shopping done and then did a bit more on the layout. Posted the progress over in the WPF thread. Still have a lot to do but it is nice to be making progress and actually have a few minutes to disappear down cellar to the layout... Here is a shot I didn't use in WPF:
Will keep all those who seem to need prayers on my list, and maybe even remember some who don't mention their need in here.... Have a great night and stay warm! (Currently 10°F outside with a low of 6° overnight...)
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Good Evening Diners,
I have good and bad news today. Yesterday late at night I found out that Murray's dog tag is missing with his name, address and phone number. We believe it was missing within a day or two. I searched outside in the backyard (nothing), I walked our somewhat different routes and the park. My legs are killing my specialty my right leg.
Now the good news. At 8 this morning I got a call from Union Pacific about a job opportunity in Wyoming. This is the second one I got since 2010. I failed the test but I know all the answers. I would have passed it if it wasn't timed. I have to call the number that they give me and respond in three days to take the test. I hope I don't jinx it and get my hopes up to high.
I really want this railroad job and then years later transfer to Amtrak. I'm praying for luck.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Good evening Diners,
Flo, an extra large coffee with lots of cream, please.
I spent most of the day helping MOH with getting her kitchen straightened out. She's getting rid of a lot of stuff that has accumulated over he years, and she's happy with it all.
Sometime back, I purchased a BB GP-35 shell to practice on for detailing. I had used a large needle to make for lack of a better word, a pilot hole to Drill through the grab iron rivet locations thinking, hey, this isn't going to be that hard after all. Then when I tried to insert the DA grab irons for a test fit, guess what? The spacing on the molded grabs wasn't correct and the detail parts wouldn't fit correctly. Wow! What a rookie mistake! And, now I had drilled several holes in the shell, which were just enough off that I couldn't re-drill the holes in their correct locations without screwing everything up. I'm just gld it was a practice shell instead of one of my locomotives. To bad because I was kind of hoping the shell could be utilized.
Ulrich: a little background on the topography of where I'm from. I'm originally from Kansas. The reason people think it is so flat is because there aren't that many trees. So yes, a person can literally see for miles. But, it isn't really that flat. There are hills. The area was part of a shallow inland sea back in the Creataceous period so much of the geology is sedimentary rock and grassland. When you do see a row of trees, they are either a planted wind break or trees that line a river or stream. Cottonwood trees are very common there, and they grow quite tall. In a model, this can make a sort of natural divider of a scene. You are right when you say a tall object like a grain elevator would dominate a scene. You can see these things from miles away. I was actually thinking of having a water course divide the layout instead of a backdrop. That may be a hair brained thought, but I can kindof visualize it in my head. The concern is that in N scale, the trees even if 50-60 feet tall may not be enough to give the effect of a backdrop. Any thoughts?
Hope everyone is ok, and feel free to chime in.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Evening Dinners
Flo, a JSTL and a please. If the Buick guy shows up, give him a beer.
When I got started in this hobby the owner of K-10 Model Trains told me "Never throw anything away". Glad I listen to Ken (His name as well) while I was working on my RIP PK2 E-6. I had not ran the engine for around 5 years or so. At one point I either dropped it or knocked it off the layout.
When I started working on it I found the front U Joint was missing, one wheel had came out of the truck and gas tank was broken. Motor seemed fine and stalled at .65 amps. I was able to use a U Joint from a Athearn PA I got from Jeffrey but then the front truck locked up. I all so found the center gear was busted and the old Athearn center gear trick was to big!
Then I remember seeing my E-6 dummy I never ran when I was looking for my OLd Duch Hoppers! Yep it had the need center gears and fresh gas tank! Should have the engine running in the next few day.
Looks like I need to get the Big Hook out again.
Ken
I hate Rust
Good Suday evening, Diners!
21f and clouds. It was gorgeous yesterday.
Been fine tuning the layout in preparation for an ops session in February. I re-did the train order for better flow and I've been running through the sequence. It's much better.
Finished a big project and received the final payment, so I'm taking some time off to relax a little and not worry about text messages or phone calls for a bit! That means more train time!
My Packers threw away a win. Not much interested in the Big Game. At least NASCAR is that much closer!
That's it for now!
Terry in NW Wisconsin
Queenbogey715 is my Youtube channel
ooooops .... I hope I did not embarrass Rob and Flo....
Anyhow .... I basically back to normal now. That flu was really bad early in the week. Tuesday I was sleeping, and had some very strange dreams along with all the bad symptoms. Glad it is behind me.
It has been dreary afternoon with cold rain here.
I'd like to say I worked on the layout, but I have a lot of other stuff I'm catching up on.
I'll run trains this evening.
A quick coffee TO GO, please.
Mighty quiet in the Diner. Could be dangerous to leave me in here with Flo and the other ladies unattended.
Afternoon folks!
Chloe, just another cup of decaf right now, please...
Got myself out of bed in time to make it church today... Last week was the annual meeting, so today the half of the people attending were singing in the choir.... (Not that bad but it was not crowded.) My son and his family weren't there. I know that the girls (granddaughters) both have been fighting ear aches and most likely my son is working today. I did have a chance to talk with a lady who is a friend of mine who is on the current Board of Deacon's. Her Father in Law died on January 16. Her FIL was C. L. Siebert, Jr., Master Model Railroader #62. He was 99. I had the chance to meet him on several occasions as he lived off and on with his Son here in Geneva. Mr. Siebert was the first to recieve his MMR by building a Traction Layout. I was assured that a good many of his models will be preserved in museums and other places. He was still active in the hobby into his 90's!
Galaxy, there have been a couple Temulent individuals back in my family a few generations ago.... This caused a couple of my relatives, a Great Aunt, and my Grandmother (on my Mother's side) to sign Carrie Nation's Pledge to never touch Demon Rum (and evidentally attack any establishment that did with an axe...). One of the old family stories handed down for a couple generations now is the one about Aunt Bessie (father's side) who was at the family Thanksgiving Dinner one year. My Uncle James had brought along a small bottle of Vodka with him and went around the table adding a bit of Vodka to everyones Tomato Juice.... Except Aunt Bessie! In her glass somebody put a couple drops of tabasco sauce. Everyone sat down for dinner, the blessing was said, and people started to sip the tomato juice. Eyes lighted up, grins appeared on faces, and they remarked at how good the Tomato Juice was. Aunt bessie scowled and stared at the faces around the room, and finally picked up her glass, took a very small sip, started to scream, "I knew it! Demon Rum!!!!". She then threw her glass across the room smashing it on the wall and stormed out of the dining room! It took her husband, my Uncle Eli a long time to convince her that there was not any alcohol in her glass (I don't think she ever did believe him). Aunt Bessie was not the brightest light bulb around and was certainly the homeliest woman I have ever laid eyes on. But Uncle Eli was totally smitten with his "Lady"!
BTW, Galaxy, I was just jerking your chain last night.... I think you know that. Just couldn't let that get by without an answer! Hope you enjoy that "free" bagel!
I think I shall head down to the layout for a while...
Italian roast coffee in a UNION PACIFIC mug, please.
Healing thoughts to those in need.
Here are some strange obsolete words:
Ninguid - Adjective meaning "having much snow" describing a place
Temulent - Adjective meaning drunken or intoxicating {Hmmm...interesting this one came up RAY}
Retardataire - Behind the times (used mainly about artistic styles).
Here is today's quote:
Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
I apparently will have lots of company after I die!
Yes, MY FIL fell the other day and did a number on his wrist. There was something else that he did that MOH told me, but it escapes me now. He is also forgetting to do things like: put the car in the garage? A neighbor told us that. He leaves the car out to unload as the garage is under the second floor, and then forgets to put it away and he NEVER locks the door to the house that is in the garage. A safety issue really, no harm to the car, really. Not that he lives in a bad neighborhood, but these days ANYWHERE can be a target.
Well, I am off to get the free Sunday small town newspaper for the small town next door to our small town {which is next door a medium sized city}. ANd get GAS. I get an additional 5% cash back if i use a certain card I have.
Oh, I mentioned the "bags to Riches" contest the grocery store is having..they say "one game card in 3 is a winner". Got my first 4 cards {you get one for every $25 spent}. I should have ONE that is a winner! I DID win! A whole single "fresh baked Bagel"! I will have to declare that one on my income taxes...1 bagel, I was "enriched' so by much! I could win groceries for a year, OR $25K...I'll take the $25K please, I can pay the taxes easier...I'd get about 60% of that, but I'd take the $15K thank you. Thank you. But alas like the few times we win the lottery...{which is hardly ever to never, for the few times we play} It won't happen. No, power of POSITIVE THINKING..IT WILL HAPPEN!
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
... and another video:
"When a Plumber loves Steam Engines" - Steam speeder takes it to the rails
Any similarity to your water heater downstairs is unintentional...
Good Morning, Folks!
It seems as if the day will turn out nice. We did not get much more sn*w last night, so it´s just a thin blanket covering the country. The sun´s out and everything looks rather pretty.
Well, as it is Sunday, I´ll go for a big breakfast - pancakes, bacon & scrambled eggs, buttered toat & jams, a tall glass of OJ and lots of coffee. Janie, if you please?
I thought you´ll like the video. There is lots of steam action in my country. We have several hundreds of steam locos in working condition. Managing steam events, however, is a formidable task, involving a lot of red tape, and the number of folks wanting to take up this task is getting smaller each year. Aside from the steam operated narrow gauge lines, there is no regular steam service. Those narrow gauge lines run steam trains on a daily schedule.
Jim (up831) - when drawing up the plan, I was also thinking of adding a tunnel or a deep cut, just to camouflage the roundy-rounder look, but stepped away from it for two reasons:
A water feature always adds a scenic highlight to a layout, but I wouldn´t know where to fit it in either. With a layout of this size, there is always a danger of making it look too cramped.
If you want to add staging, why not have detachable cassettes at each one of the stub tracks?
Galaxy - that´s a sommelier. A sommelier, or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role is much more specialized and informed than that of a wine waiter: In fine dining today the role is strategically on a par with that of the executive chef or chef de cuisine.
Have a great day!
Hi Sarah working late? I'll have a hot chocolate, thanks.
I been looking up Santa Fe locomotive paint schemes. Don't know why just wanna. See you tomorrow, good night.
Howdy ..
I'm improving thankfully. Flu is mostly gone. Ran trains today.
I miss Jeffrey quite a bit. The forum is just not the same as it was.
Evening Diners,
Flo, I'll have my usual giant coffee with boocoo cream, please.
After our usual Sat. Activity, MOH and a family friend went to a couple of stores one of which was Hobby Lobby. Yes, I know! But, any way, I was looking at N scale stuff, mainly track. They had Bachmann EZ Track, which isn't what I'm looking for, but HO std. guage track looked gigantic next to it.
Ulrich: I had an idea to make a hill w/ cut thru at the SW corner of the layout and have that track along the South edge go into a tunnel to provide staging for 2 or 3 cars. Staging is something I'm not that comfortable with, yet, but I'm willing to try it. I would also want to put a stream on the layout with bridges. We all know that by breaking up the line of sight of our trains it gives the illusion of increasing the space. Funny you should mention it, as a kid I remember Alco RS-3s actually switching to grain elevators in my home town.
Ray: We discovered a couple of years ago that there a bunch of wineries east of Cleveland between Cleveland and Buffalo. Would make sense that there would be several near Finger Lakes also. I'm open to suggestions for local Pinot Noirs that are fruity and not too dry.
Will check in later, hope everyone is safe, sound, and ok.
Ulrich: I meant it is easy to remember...GM made a big mistake when the "body by Fisher" name plate on the spanish versions of its cars read "Corpse by Fisher" instead, no one wnated to buy them...funny how things transliterate in other languages..no offense of course. I'll take a steam train fahrt any time! We are anxious for the summer to get here to take a steam ride, probably in Connecticut. And so I can wear my kilt. Not at the same time of course.
RAy: I meant somolier {SP?}, I don't know where "lush" came from...somolier/lush..I guess they could be the same..after all a good somolier should/has to taste them to recommend them properly!
Boy i have dug myself deep today...must be MY meds...With them what I take. drinking is not allowed either, though I have been known to enjoy a glass of Pino Grigio or White Zin less as many times a year as you...and yes, FL wines are tasty...I'm no expert, wine for me is judged pure and simple on : do I like the taste? Is it so dry I have to drink a gallon of water after to feel unparched again {don't like them dry}. I tried watching a "somolier's expert" TV show,, was confused, and they had to know things like whichbunch on which vine # in which row# of which vineyard in which year in which part of France a particular wine was vinted from,and what the associated names of which individual grape was given on which day it was picked and at which hour it was bottled as well as the temp at which it was that day {and probably how many KWH was generated while bottling!}. And the associated California equivalents.{No mention of FInger lakes} SOmething like that. I couldn't barely keep up with the subtitled answers on the bottom of the screen! I understand form the TV news that they gave away a bottle an hour to some lucky visitor to the FL Wine show today...wonder where it was held? And I don't drink beer at all...gives me an instant migraine, and I get them well enough without warning and on bad weather days!
Ken: I am a card carrying-paper holding-certifiable Nut! Just ask my psychiatrist! So you can't be... that position is reserved for me!
Well, my favorite GF is on tv tonight, soon, best get ready for her...{Suze Orman the financial maven...now if only I HAD money to follow her directions on what to do with it...}
Someone in the park is either having a party or listening to very loud music solo...it is rattling the pictures on the walls....I DO so hope they are enjoying it..Of course I can only hear the base....
oh well, thin walls that are 6" thick with plate glass windows single layer...
later
have a restful night!
Flo, a JSTL and a Please. If the Buick guy shows up, give him a JSTL as well, why should I be the only one to suffer!
Work was OK, sort of busy but mainly small stuff.
Train Front My Blue Line sound decoder is driving me nuts! OK, I was all ready nuts. Still cannot get any sound going. I will try it in DC mode Sunday.
Got my PK1 UP A unit going again, it was sort of simple. CV 5 and 6 showed 0 as the CV's? Resat to default and still showed 5 and 6 as 0? Wrote in 125 and 255 as CV's and it moves again and the headlight stopped flashing.
Douglas I will be sending you a PM in the next day or so. Hope you will still keep coming to the dinner!
See you all later
House Dinner Special, please.
Sent the video link (Ulrich posted) to my multilingual brother in Hong Kong and received this reply, for those of us who do not speak German. All I asked asked him was if there was a problem with the little engine.
[There was nothing wrong with either train, at any time. After about 30 kilometers of travel, just past the former "Niederlassung" station, the one train stopped to let the other pass.
The numbers given, 150 and 250 must have been train number designations.
You'll notice the first steam train (the one that passed, and thus came out of the tunnel first) changed back from the right-side track to the left, just after it came out of the tunnel.
In case you are wondering, the title translates literally as "Three Kings Steam", and the trains are travelling through part of the Black Forest region. Near the beginning there is shown a red-bodied car with "Speisewagen" on the side. That is the dining car. At one point where the people are standing as the barrier comes down, he says the people are waiting patiently, and when the barrier comes down, they know the train will soon be emerging from the tunnel (which it does). At another point where a train had made a stop, he says it then makes a "spectacular" departure. (I thought it was nice, but I'm not sure what made it spectacular! lol).]
He never gives short answers to anything.
Chloe, just a cup of hot chocolate for me, I'll order dinner a bit later.
galaxyRAY: wait till you have to do without a whole shoulder/arm, not just a thumb!
Hmmmmm.... Gee Galaxy, I didn't know it was a contest! But if it is? You win! And, while I know you are just kidding,
galaxyP.S. RAY, you sorta sound like a lush, pushing FLs wines!
I sure hope the 7 or 8 glasses of wine and the 2 beers I drank during 2014 don't classify me as a lush!!! Besides I never have more than one glass in an evening and those tend to be spaced a month or so apart on average... Doctor says it can be not good for my health given the meds I take... Oh, I know you take a lot more than I... You probably shouldn't be imbibing either... Finger Lakes wines are some of the finest on earth though. So when asked, yes, I do sing their praises.....
I have decided that Claude the cat at my sister's house is truely a sweet kittie. He now follows me around when I am there and comes over to get his head scratched and tummy rubbed.... I think he misses his "Human". She comes home in just over a week.
Actually got to do some scenery on the layout today. Have done a little bit over the past few days. Good to be back doing some modeling. Photos in the next few days, I hope.
Ulrich, Wow! Wunderbar, einfach wunderbar! May watch it again later...
Time to see what I have in the house for supper.... Later!
***Ulrich, I'll find out soon enough. Sounds like it has lots of little parts on it, so crossing my fingers it survives shipping and has no issues upon arrival. Would have preferred the weathered version, but went with what was available, plain black.
Rob
Gee, Rob - ain´t she something!
Coffee refill, please and thank you.
***Ulrich, thanks for the info. Cool video, too. What happened to the train that was leading when it came to a stop? Something to do with the little pusher loco perhaps?
Think I messed up in my last forum post with the Roco loco #. Should have read: Roco item # 63298 (the little tiny loco).
OK, the new loco coming is a plain black version of the NSWGR AD60 Beyer-Garratt by Eureka models.
But Galaxy - how can you! Honi soi qui mal y pense ...
Sir Madog Rob - care to tell us which one it is? Curious mimds want to know ... It happened on January 6th, 2014, so just about a year ago. Two steam locos decided to race each other in the Black Forest. The result can be seen in this rather spectacular video.
Rob - care to tell us which one it is? Curious mimds want to know ...
It happened on January 6th, 2014, so just about a year ago. Two steam locos decided to race each other in the Black Forest. The result can be seen in this rather spectacular video.
Reminds me of "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can" The Little Steam Engine that Could story...
I like the german word for "ride"..."fahrt" has a whole different meaning over here...
Hello
RAY: wait till you have to do without a whole shoulder/arm, not just a thumb! every time i play the "what if" game in preparation for the "big day" when it becomes reality, I get frustrated! Also once i tore off my ear, had it sewn back on {i was a young'un of starting young adult working age}, and I was told NO LIFTING. Well, I worked in a store and thought Bosh! WHat does an EAR have to do with lifting, and tried to pick up a big old heavy box! I found out real quick like it pulls on the ear when one does that! Major big time! I almost pulled a couple stictches apart especially since there was grafting/tightening in some areas to cover where there was no skin left to cover the ear. I will just have to see what my limitations are when I get the sling on after the shoulder surgery. Of course MOH will have to take care of me instead of me MOH like now...it will be my turn to feign a stretch and whine "uhn, honey, I, I can't reach the remote"....and "uhn, honey, bring me a pb&j I'm hungry"!! PAyback you know!
P.S. RAY, you sorta sound like a somolier, pushing FLs wines! Know how many Kwhs I generated? "0", How many I used? A few. negative flow of electrons here.
Mr. B: how about tomorrow for the train show? Sounds like there may not be much good skiing either with tons of snow fallen, you might be better off on the snow cleared roads...or are you becoming a weather wimp? {LOL}
Rob: good luck with the new loco...do tell, WHAT izit?
angelob6660: a puppy is ALWAYS important here in the diner...be GLAD of that is your only worry in life right now. Glad they are fine eyes, and not "sad eyes"
Well: I IFNALLY go the tree down,and the stuff packed away for another year, just haven't had time. And the dishes done, and the laundry{clothing} is mostly done, MOH is taking a nap and the laundry awakens. That also rues out the vacuuming. Sat is my vacuum day with teh rest of ordinary laundry, Sunday is my bedding/rugs day. When MOH wakens, It wil be finish off the clothing then do the bedding and the floor rugs in bath and hall tomorrow, then "wash the washing machine"with the Tide stuff! My BAck is telling me about it anyway!
Speaking of which, the prescription company wants TO CUT OFF my scripts for pain pills for my back! BOTH of them,,,,ANOTHER January surprise That came yesterday! They said "you {meaning YOUR DR.} can get a waiver for a year".. FOr a YEAR, then what happens NEXT JANUARY! we go through this all OVER AGAIN! THEN htey tell me the sent out 3 letters on the 17th {date of this one}, so WHAT ELSE are they no longer coverign for me????GRRRR
Speaking of meds, CVS called wanting to refill some of my scripts, but Alas, I told them "you are no longer my preferred pharmacy" Pish posh bosh on them! They cut themselves out of a big chunk of scripts revenue from Me, I tell ya!GRRR
I should {if it weren't for the housework} get into the kit from BAR MILLS and see what all is there to it. AFTER The vacuuming don't want dust settling on it or any paint i chose to apply!
well, that about it from her in Lake Woeisme. {lake Woebegone is in the midwest}
***Ulrich, nope, it's a bit bigger and from Australia. I am still very interested in a Roco #63293. I would use it as an "inspection car" to justify the purchase. I do have a couple questions about it I would appreciate having answers to first though, if by chance you know?
1) Would it work "out of the box" on my layout or would it require a new decoder? (Have sent e-mails to both dealers here in the states, but have not received any answers yet)
2) Is there a really simple "drop in" coupler conversion for it, so I could pull 1 flatbed car or caboose behind it?
Off to do some farm chores. Cheers! Rob