Ken,
Take a look at what your State of Illy-Noisy has to offer you...
http://www.ides.illinois.gov/Pages/Search_for_Jobs.aspx
I recently took a voluntary layoff so that some younger guys could stay employed. Because of enrolling in the Ohio unemployment system (they now roll it all into "Job and Family services" I was pretty impressed with just how much assistance is out there.
Now you might have to talk to the right person since you aren't unemployed but you want to improve your career opportunities AND you don't want your present employer to know that you have your hook in the water, so to speak.
Anyway, if you poke around in your State's career opportunity website I'll bet you can find help with that resume. Don't discount job fairs either. Lots of head-hunters hanging out there and plenty of assistance with job seeking.
http://www.ides.illinois.gov/Pages/Veteran_Services.aspx
Don't be afraid to take that first step!
Glad you're having so much fun with the F units! Thanks for sharing the Caddy stories, too.
Looks like I stirred up some camaraderie with that photo of my bench. Now that was two years ago and I have to say, proudly, that five out of the six projects that I can see * on the bench are now finished! There's a brass PRR PB70 in there that I have to get finished up... maybe next month?
*there's probably more if you start excavating...
Take care, everyone...
Ed
Evening Diners
Flo, Ed and I will have a please.
zstripeKen My friend....what You really need is a better way (job) to make money instead of worrying about having enough sales to be able to meet Your needs.
Frank Yea, it is time to get out of this places! I was talking with Larry (co worker) and fellow store manager today and he was telling me the same thing!
One of the reason's I have not applied for another job is just plain stupid! I do not remeber how to use Word to make a new up dated Resume! I hated making the last one 5 years ago. So if anyone wants to help with the resume let me know in the dinner and then PM me your E-Mail address.
Gary, that is not a work station, it is a dang display! How in the heck could you do any work there!
Ed, now that is a work station! Looks a lot like mine but bigger! Far as your taste in cars, well I was a Caddy man for years. First was a 1975 Eldo, guess that was around 1983 so it still was impressive looking. I did install a 100 Hp NOS system on it, waxed a few Bow Tie Guys with it. While I had it, I bought a 1978 De Ville. Had that car for around 15 years. While the 425 CI motor was no power house it just ran and ran. All so had a 1989 Eldo, while it was a great looking car, it was a POS. Climate control would change it self, trunk would open by it self and speed control when on did what ever it liked!
Took it to the dealer to see what was wrong with it. Service Manger told me "You have a DC computer"! Computer in cars where still some what new to me, so I asked him what that meant? He told me "It is Dazed and Confused"! Repair back then, $2500.00! I was so happy when one day I was sitting at a stop light and I saw smoke coming from under the hood! Left it running, jumped out and locked the doors! Started chanting "Burn Baby Burn" till on lookers started standing by.
Last Caddy was another 1975 Eldo, this time a Convertible. Manager at the shop use to call my 69 Charger the General because of the stupid Dukes of Hazzuard show. The Eldo was a Triple White car, gooding looking as heck! First time I drove it to work a Manager looked at it and said "Boss Hog" I bought a for sale sign!
Train Front Well the good news I don't understand is the B Line is working again? Did not do a dang thing to it, just started working? Plus, mt Satna Fe Erie Works would no stayed couple to anything for ever. For some reason, it is pulling a passanger train around the B line at speed with not a hitch? Guess the Erie and the B line just got tired and need a rest?
Got some more B&O coal cars in drag. Starting to get the hang of the sprung truck cars.
Ed, you sure you did not shink some PK 2000 E-6's so they look like F7's? These engine can pull bricks out of a wall!
Don't for get, I need help on the Resume!
Fiddling with coal cars again, Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Good Evening Diners,
Brunhilda, I'll have a cup of Earl Grey tea with cream and honey, please.
Ken: your situation sounds like it's time to consider a change. If I were to offer any advice, I'd probably suggest an assessment of skills, both what you're good at and what you enjoy doing. Once that's done, I'd suggest determining the skills you could possibly get paid to do. Then seek any training and/or education to get started. That's if I was offering advice. Only you know the full scope of your situation.
But, to quote the song, "When you got nothin', you got nuthin' to lose."
On the work front: somebody brought in a sketch of a showroom layout. I kinda co-opted the "design" and redid it to where it flowed better and saved a bunch of square feet for other functions. Feeling slightly proud of myself for a moment. Hope the client likes it when my boss presents it to him.
Hello to everyone, and I hope everyone is OK and safe.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Garry:
Heartland Division CB&QHere is my work table.
Ok, I'm seriously worried about your mental health. Nobody keeps their work place that neat! Surely there must be a mess in at least one of the drawers!
Sorry, you embarrased me so much I couldn't resist the shot. My problem is that I have run out of space to 'put away' all of my ongoing projects so they are stacked on my workbench waiting for whenever progress will be made on them.
There is a bit of a light at the end of the tunnel. My son has just moved into his new home so suddenly there is a whole lot of open space in the garage. I have already purchased four storage cabinets to replace the crude plywood open shelves that I built in the garage when we first moved in 28 years ago, and Dianne has readily agreed that much of the new cabinet space can be devoted to model railroad stuff.
I admire your work space.
Regards,
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
For all those who were wondering, I got back from my vacation last night. As I suspected, I didn't stick to my shopping list in the slightest at the swap meet that was part of the convention. I ended up buying three Walthers GSC NP Flatcars (actual kits rather than RTR. Got a good price on the three of them), a couple packages of handrails for a sandtower project (not on list but realized they were needed when I saw them), and a new shirt. (New release at the convention.) I also won a new Athearn Airslide hopper as part of the raffle at the banquet. First time buying tickets.
I also got information on properly finishing a boxcar and an engine. Need to get parts for all of them as well as a part for the purchased flat cars. Thankfully, the part needed for the flat cars is the same part needed for the boxcar.
Good Afternoon,
Garry, there is something seriously wrong with a work bench that tidy. Obviously you haven't been doing nerely enough work on your trains. First step would be to replace all those lovely cabinets with open shelving as you can't hide anything on shelves. It gives a work room a 'railroady' feel as in a backshop.
I've actually been doing a little work at my bench. I don't have any photos as it would be classified information on a need to know basis only. I installed an Economi decoder in my light mountain. I soldered the leads to an 8 pin plug as the decoder didn't come with one. I have only completed a short test and am generally pleased with the results. Motor control is very good, light years better than the MRC decoder that came out. Sound is good too but it needs more adjustment. You have to download CV info as the decoder has very little info with it.
Ken, sorry to hear work isn't going better. Don't the owners do any advertising? Seems to me you said that was a problem in the past. I expect they don't and then wonder why sales are down. There is a large mattress store chain in Canada and they are on the TV nearly every night.
Hope everyone is well,
CN Charlie
Is anybody working on their model railroads in recent days ?
(from a few days ago now) I'll be working as Car Host on the Erie Caboose.
My sister's dog Charles got into my track and ate a piece of it.
THERE is a work bench I can identify with!
"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.
Garry - So how do you like your new Iphone? They look interesting, but I think I'll stick with my Iphone 5S for awhile. Last Saturday a fellow who railfans in the same area as we do, pulled up and said "Your not going to believe this" and whipped out an Iphone 6 that his son got him. Now this guy is in his early 80s and a really nice person. The wife & I always enjoy talking to him. Anyway, he has never owned a computer & still uses a camera that requires a roll of film. So between trains, I spent about 2 hours going over his new toy. Now I'm no expert by a long shot, but we did cover the basics, especially using the camera for photos & video. There were some things he wanted to do, but as he didn't have an Apple user name or password, I couldn't download the apps that he needed. He is having a lot of fun with it & I expect he will be full of questions the next time we meet. I did forget to tell him he could get lessons at the Apple store.
Railfanning has been great the last couple of months, averaging 20 to 25 trains on a weekend. Lots of foreign power for some reason, interesting, but seldom seen locomotives for me, & as a bonus, interesting radio chatter. Put that together with a couple of nice guys we usually see, & it all makes for an enjoyable past time. However, no ladies except for my wife. And I'm not sure why she enjoys it, but she does.
I might go up to Horseshoe Curve this week or next. It seems they have cleared the trees & the Curve is visable in ways that haven't seen in many years. For some time I have discouraged others from going as it was a complete waste of time. Hopfully, I won't be disappointed. Let you all know what we find.
Tom
Pittsburgh, PA
Good morning.
Ed ... I like the NYC observation, but wht is that funny paint scheme on the sleepr ahead of it?
Here is my work table.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
gmpullmanTrain-wise I spent about four hours sorting through boxes, bags and trays of details and junk from hundreds of past projests in that never-ending quest to "finally get organized" Yeah, right. This is what my bench usually looks like...
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
'Mornin Folks...
Just passin' through on my way to my lower berth. The porter has my name on the diagram with instructions to wake me up in Cresson, so I can sneak out to the vestibule in my Pullman-provided slippers, and see my train, The Trailblazer, snake around Horseshoe Curve. Day or night—I never want to miss that sight, or the sounds OR the smells of all that brake shoe smoke after we crest the Allegheny Summit!
Chloe, I'd like a nice, warm bowl of steel-cut oatmeal and my usual pitcher of heavy cream on the side. Bless you, dear...
Ken, my friend. Frank might just be hitting the spike right on the head there. Maybe time to re-assess your situation, but only YOU know for sure. I really feel bad when a friend has to strugle and I hope things get better for you soon!
Your problems with the "pull-down" deck lid woke up some long-past memories of my Cadillac days
Back when I was sixteen an older friend of mine approached me and said he had a car for sale and would I be interested in it? $200 bucks. Sure, says I, absolutely. He tells me it was his daughter's car she had at school in Georgia, and other than the paint being a little thin in places it is in pretty good shape.
Sold...
By the way, what kind of car is it, I ask?
Oh, a 1963 Fleetwood Sixty Special.
Hoohaah, I was hooked! I loved that car. I went to junk yards and pulled out all kinds of accessories, even a whole interior one time, and added them to the Fleetwood. Drove it for a week before I even noticed that the carpeting was missing. $65 bucks later, J.C. Whitney had CUT PILE luxury-de-luxe carpeting, form fitted, on my front porch!
My dad said, "those cars are no darn good, too many things to go wrong on them."
Ha! One time he came stomping into the house at 6am cussing out his new 1970 Grand Torino. It was cold and ice was blowing all around and had gotten into his ignition. We both piled into my '63 and that TANK 9I had added controlled differential by then) plowed through the snow up to where his car had died.
It was around the time when LPS was just becoming all the rage. I sprayed LPS into the distributor and on the wires and told dad to "hit it". Well, that old piece of Ford coughed to life and at that time I was a hero do dear-old-dad!
Seems that Ford tried to catch up to GM with electronic ignition and jacked up the voltage but didn't beef up the cap, rotor or wires like GM did back in the HEI days.
After we got home he finally confided that, well, I guess those Cadillac's are OK cars afterall. Since then, I had a '68 Fleetwood, '72 Eldorado with a 500, an '88, '90 and '91 Brougham and then bought a 1964 Fleetwood back in 1996 but sold it not too long ago . All good cars (the '88 Brougham had an Olds engine in it and kept blowing intake manifold gaskets
Anyway, that's my car stories. Oh, and the trunk pull-down. I ripped the whole system out of a '68 one time and there were cables and motors all over the place. A real pain for just a minor convenience...
Train-wise— I spent about four hours sorting through boxes, bags and trays of details and junk from hundreds of past projects in that never-ending quest to "finally get organized" Yeah, right. This is what my bench usually looks like...
Tonight I skimmed off the top three layers...
Well, I see my oatmeal is ready. Hope it makes me sleepy.
Wouldn't you really rather be on the Century?
I hope all who enter the Diner today leave with happier thoughts and have a much brighter day!
Prayers and wishes to all for a safe, healthy and happy day—
Regards, Ed
cudakenBut yet, I feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders and my knees are buckling.
Ken My friend....what You really need is a better way (job) to make money instead of worrying about having enough sales to be able to meet Your needs. Puts a big strain on Your brain, to constantly worry about whether Your going to make enough or not. I'm sure You have given it a lot of thought.....but it also takes action....consistant action.
Good Luck, to You!
Take Care!
Frank
I see I have tippy top.....so treats are on Me!
Flo, Ed, Tin Can and I will have a Please.
Another Day I like to forget about. Nothing worse than being a sales person in a sale slump! Way things are going I could not sale a $10.00 bill for $5.00.
New Car Problems OK, the Town Car that I am driving Trunk Latch broke off! Trunk is sort of being held down with a bunge cord. I all wise thought it was stupid to have a truck lid that closed it self with a electric motor. The metal clasp on the bottom (in the truck) that the truck latch grabs is mounted on plastic plate. The plate has a plastic gear that contacts a plastic worm gear (Like a train worm gear) that is ran by a electic motor that lowers the truck lid. Dang plate broke off and is now hanging on the latch on the trunk lid! Wost part is so far I cannot find the need plastic plate on line!
Hate to talk about so many neagtive things here at the Dinner. Just a quick look at this year I would say it is the worst year I have had yet. But if I really look at hight lights this year has been good to me in many ways!
1 Health is not great but no infections from the wound in my left foot.
2 Train stuff. Thanks to Ed and Tin Can I got some free engines that I love. YGW scored me some B&O coal cars on the cheap that I love as well!
3 Bob and Sue took care of part of my car problems by buying her a car.
But yet, I feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders and my knees are buckling.
Time to fiddle with more coal cars Ken
Good day all,
Flo, I'd love the sausage pizza, and a tall Octoberfest beer please.
Sitting here with the orange and white cat, and as I soon as I start writing about him, he goes away. Such a cat.
Did an 8-mile walk yesterday, going from Columbia to Marietta and back. Learned much about the iron furnaces situated between the two towns, as they're used to be eight different furnaces, with most closed long ago. Few parts of said furnaces remain and what's left is usually old old concrete footers and building foundations. I'll post pics to my Photobucket.
No news on the MR front. Going to try and tackle some overdue projects during the next few days before a club open house this Saturday.
I enjoyed Ulrich's posts as well and hope to see some in the future.
YGW, my thoughts exactly on rolling stock, never such a thing as to much! Excited to hear about your barn/train room. Looking forward to hearing more as the project progresses.
Alvie
Phew ! Hey all
Another intense day at w**k. One or two more weeks and things should return to a steady pace. Had a walk through today and one more friday. That will be it until the end of the month. Man I will be glad when we are caught up.
Train front. Loan company requested more info for the loan for the barn/train room. Sent that in today. Tonight if not to exhausted I will fill out the permit papers and if I can take off a half a day next week I will submit the paperwork for the permit. Then it is off to the races to get it under roof before winter !
I have been buying small stuff all year that I will need once the room is up. Like more N&W coal cars ( one can never have to much rolling stock ! ) , vehicles, trees, people etc...This train room will be a life long dream come true !
Gotta run
TTYL
YGW
Ken:
Thanks for the shot of the black and gold Monon F's! My son is a Boilermaker! Boiler Up!!!!
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, I'll have a half dozen Buttercreme Flled Donuts and a 30 cup pot of Seneca Lake Blend Dark Raost Coffee to keep me busy for a while. Hopefully I'll start to wake up.....
Currently 73°F outside here in the Finger Lakes Region of NYS under Partly skieds. Right now it is Partly Sunny.... High will be around 83°F. Had a good amount of rainfall yesterday and overnight. Saturday and Sunday we got an inch of rain and it was rainy overnight here as well (driveway was wet when I got up this morning).
I am doing the wash this morning. Have run out of clothes to wear so I had to make wash a priority! Need to do Grocery Shopping today as well. The other item that is a "must do" is to get some things scheduled for the week... Need to get out to camp to install the new speakers on the stage, but will need to have at least a couple other people there to help, so I just can't pop in to do it, and I need to find a time to get the sound system at church tuned to the room for better quality sound as well. Been crazy trying to find a time to get together with the sound man at church to finish the install. Do to get the special mic that is used back to Moondg Sound. He has been great to lend it to us but expected it back 3 months ago.....
OK, off to get some w*rk done...
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Coffee please. Awoke to thunderstorms at 5 am. The east coast is noticeably more humid than Colorado was.
I sent a fried decoder back to NCE with a check and they have not cashed my check nor replaced my decoder.
I decided to spray some grimey black on the vent grills on my RS3. My masking took off a good chunk of the decaling. Hopefully I can remove the rest and re-decal.
Garry battery changes are a piece of cake, just a skin operation.
I'm told the Denver and Rio Grande, or maybe it was the Durango and Silverton by then, sold off a bunch of box cars for $1. Moving them was another charge....$1,000 at least.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Coffee and a donut please..... Today you can get a free donut if you talk like pirate at Krspie Kreme ... Ahoy!
Bear .... Eventually, the heart devices will have recahragable batteries. They are working on ways to do that. ... For me now, I will continue with normal stuff until the surgery in November. We are thinking of making a trip in October. ... The surgery will not be too difficult this time because the leads have been tested an they are functioning as they should. The surgeon will diconnect the old one and then connect the new one.
Ulrich ... I hope you are looking in Diner now. ... Call me selfish or something, but I like it better if you are in the Diner.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Good evening all.
Zoe, a slice of that pumpkin pie please. Thanks.
Weather - Damp, seasonably cooler weather. Had a couple strong storms this weekend, spawning a Tornado warning nearby last night. Little to no damage from them though.
W**k - Crazy week, called in both days this weekend (was supposed to be off) and will be there extended time this week. (Nice paycheck anyways) Tonight, had a little issue, created by the furry variety, that just about gave two of us, myself included, a heart attack. Doors were locked, and we were finishing cleaning when the one thought she heard something in the back of the store. (I didn't think so, but, didn't say anything.) She brushed it off when I really wasn't too worried. I was finishing pulling the last register when I heard something, and froze. (Should have been just the two of us!) I went back to check out the noise, not knowing who was there. I seen the signs knocked down/over, and went to look. The very top shelf, another sign was askew, so I hopped up on a stand to look further, and the furry fiend leaped off the shelf, startling me. I made a quick yelp of surprise, and the other associate shrieked, not knowing why I reacted. I quickly assured her that I was ok, and that I had found the source of our noise. When I said "I found him, or her, whichever it is", she got this confused look on her face. I then explained "it" has fur and four legs, and she calmed down. Nice way to scare us both though!
Trains - Nothing new to report.
Well, hope all are well. I am going back to the NFL game, cheering on (our hosts home state team) the Packers.
Enjoy the night all!
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
Ken ... Is your store in a strip mall, by chance. ? ..
Ray .... Intereesting dau at the museum and with the FM.
Anegrob6660 .... Uh, oh. ... Did you know there is a kind of track plan known as a dog bone?.... Tell the dog not to take it literally.... LOL
cudakenWent to work naked today. Whistling
Oh Gross! No wonder the store was empty....
Evenin' folks!
Spent the last two days on train out at the museum. We had a good weekend, except for the fact that the FM H12-44 decided to have multiple problems and couldn't do service. On Saturday she started with the first cylinder over and brought the air up quickly. We did the brake tests and finished our Safety Meeting with time left over to easily do the safety run up anmd back.... We got on board, the communications were given to start the train, and..... Nothing! The Prime Mover reved up, and nothing......... The engineer tried everything he knew of and no dice. Luckily the head mechanic was on propperty so he came over. He looked at everything he could think of, but the train would not move. So now with the first group of visitors waiting to board and the second group arriving, the decision was made to pull the FM out and put her on the siding track next to the live track (just enough room to set her there), and use the 80 Tonner for motive power. That ran beautifuly, which was good as we had a bus load of 75 members of the B & O historical Society arriving in about an hour for rides and a tour along with our other visitors...
This morning they had the FM back at the head of the consist. Found the problem was a corroded old fuse holder. Replaced that and see ran fine. That is untill we started the brake test. Air came up, we started the test, and there was no more air for the brakes. I checked inside and the pressure guage in the Erie said about 50 lbs. Not good! After about 20 minutes of fiddling the decision was made to move the FM back to the siding and use the 80 Tonner again. That old girl performed her duties like a pro and the day went very smoothly after that. Thank Goodness we have at least one locomotive we can still depend on as the LV 211 (RS3m) is up in the shop with some major wiring needing to be replaced, and the 45 tonner, which is usable would have problems working all day pulling the 3 cabeese up the 2+% grade out of Industry...
Saturday on the first group of people being brought back down to the Station after seeing the Restoration Area in the Upper Yard, there was a Family that got on the Erie. As I worked my way back through the car giving the safety talk, One lady looked up at me with a funny look and said, "Were you at Teacher?" I asked her wher she went to School. She said Geneva. I smiled and said Yes, and you were one of my students in the Middle School! She lit up like a lightbulb and said I thought so. Your Mr Howard!!! Turns out her Brother was one of my Scouts way back then as well. The Mother started to get completely choked up and told me I was the reason her Son turned out OK! WOW!!!! I was a bit taken back to say the least! The ladies son is 4 years old and Grandma said, He will be staring Cub Scouts next year!!!" Every once in a while I think maybe I did some things right with my life. The Grandmother gave me a large donation to give to my old Troop. She said to make sure some other kids got good backpacks!
I'm wondering why anyone thinks Ulrich was banned from the forum? I haven't seen anything he wrote that would lead me to think he got in trouble.... I dunno, but I doubt he is banned. He did say that he wouldn't in very often for a while.
Hope you all are having a great day. Remember! "SAFETY FIRST!"
Afternoon Dinners
Flo, Ed and I will have a
Went to work naked today. Might as well had, no one would have saw me! Yep, sat there for 5 hours and did nothing but eat and read. Should have taken some engines to work with me.
Train Front Used my last set of metal wheels last night. Guess I could rob some from the stored rolling stock? Yea, that would just be self defeating. Did find another Athearn B&O coal car in the box from YGW and it all so had sprung trucks?
I think I will just cut off the Mystery Coal Car coupler boxes and graft on Kadee boxes. They seem to be free wheeling with the plastic wheels.
K-10 Model Train Open House Thinking about taking the B&O F7's and a GP 7 and my small B&O fleet to run on the layout. I think I can feild around 60 cars. Not bad only being in to B&O for a year or so only buying used.
Well, BBQ is about done so later, Ken
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Frank ..... I hope Ulrich solves everything soon becasue I like his comments in the Diner.
Let's keep the DIner conversations going.
Here is another photo. CB&Q Twin Cities Zephyr.
I don't believe Ulrich has been banned......but this is one of His last posts.
Sir Madog Just a short visit to quote Mark Twain on the reports of his sudden death being greatly exaggerated. I am still around, but a number of rather important survival issues keep me from visiting and posting. These issues are not related to my health, but social, economical and political issues I cannot address here. Until they are solved (if ever), I will remain an infrequent visitor. Best wishes to you all!
Just a short visit to quote Mark Twain on the reports of his sudden death being greatly exaggerated.
I am still around, but a number of rather important survival issues keep me from visiting and posting. These issues are not related to my health, but social, economical and political issues I cannot address here.
Until they are solved (if ever), I will remain an infrequent visitor.
Best wishes to you all!
Good morning...
Early yesterday, we made an early trip to Nashville to take somebody ot the airport. On the way back, we stopped and acquired two Apple Iphone 7's ( one of each of us)
Here is a Monon passenger train in the red scheme meeting a PRR train. I think it was in Indianapolis, but I am not sure.
I guess I missed something here:
herrinchokerWhy was Ulrich banned from the Forum ??? herrinchoker
Has Ulrich really been banned? I know that Steven isn't in a position to say why if in fact he has been banned, but I hope he was given a long leash and fair warning.
Why was Ulrich banned from the Forum ???
herrinchoker