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Jeffreys Trackside Diner, January 2018 at Tehachapi Loop Locked

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Posted by NWP SWP on Monday, January 29, 2018 6:18 PM

Evening diners,

OldSchoolScratchBuilder, have you considered starting a blog? You have quite a large amount of consecutive posts here in the diner most of which would be perfect fodder for a blog... Not discouraging you from participating just perhaps condense some of the content of your posts...

I tackled the D&RGW 36ft Double Sheath Boxcar Accurail kit hardest parts were the steps and the brake wheel on the end of a brake staff...

I'm hoping to get some decals for the building kit I finished, maybe Ed's train shop? Smile, Wink & Grin

Happy Birthday BatmanHappy B-Day

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Monday, January 29, 2018 6:22 PM

NWP SWP

Evening diners,

OldSchoolScratchBuilder, have you considered starting a blog? You have quite a large amount of consecutive posts here in the diner 

I'll make sure they are not consecutive.

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Posted by NWP SWP on Monday, January 29, 2018 6:33 PM

Thank you for your understanding! I wasn't trying to offend you just wanted to give you a friendly advice/warning before someone isn't so nice about it... your rock finds are quite interesting would look great as a cliff side or outcropping on a layout or diorama...

Looks like I got top of page drinks are on me...

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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Posted by gmpullman on Monday, January 29, 2018 6:53 PM

NWP SWP
I'm hoping to get some decals for the building kit I finished, maybe Ed's train shop?

I have the instruction sheets for the Clarkesville Depot and also the instructions for the Athearn AMD-103s here ready to send you... I could throw in some building decals, sure. I have a bunch left over from many kits.

tomkat-13 posted thousands of signs here but Photobucket shut him down. He moved lots of his stuff to facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/MissouriArkansasRailway/

Actually, for buildings, printed paper signs which have been sanded thinner, then applied with thin white glue can actually look better than decals.

Happy Birthday, again!

Ed

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Posted by Little Timmy on Monday, January 29, 2018 7:31 PM

Heartland Division CB&Q
Steve O .... if it were up to me, I would select a warmer location for February such as Arizona.

There's an oooooold siding at Apache AZ. It's only 30 miles from me ... so I could "Actually" stop in, and order Banana cream pie in person.

BTW.   Happy birthday to Batman and Steven ! Flo .... could you bring them each a BIG slice of Chocolat cake, with a candel in it ? Thank's.

Rust...... It's a good thing !

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Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, January 29, 2018 8:34 PM

Old school, don't worry about what has been told you.  You seemed to have moved your post from the General Discussion area, and your own thread, to the diner.  Thats fine, it's what the diner is for.

Many of us "check in" and don't respond, as you can tell by the count.

There is only one moderator here, and it is Steven Otte.  You have successfully gone beyond any negative comments, while in the General Discussion forum, with your own thread.  Those of us that have "checked in" and followed you, from the beginning, know this.

Model on my friend.

Mike.

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Posted by ricktrains4824 on Monday, January 29, 2018 9:25 PM

Good evening all.

Zoe - A slice of Reese's cheesecake, and that Coke from Ken please. Thanks!

Moving the diner - Well, if we go to Hershey, we could get fresh Reese's for more Reese's cheesecake.... Smile, Wink & Grin

Ken - Coyotes huh? Just do what the PA Game commission did.... Import Mountain Lions to hunt the Coyotes... Indifferent 

Just don't ask the local game commissioner if it's true... You will get a verbal "No" but a nodding "yes" to that question... And yes, it will occur at the same time!

Funny thing is, when one of those non-existent mountain lions gets killed by a car, they "disappear" quite quickly... (Usually under 30 minutes! Just like Dominoes!) Them there tracking devices that also don't exist are pretty helpful there! 

Weather - Back to snow.

W*^k - Slow today, but truck tomorrow morning. Then I get to rearrange a bunch of stuff... 

Hope all are well, and all enjoy the night!

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.

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Posted by cudaken on Monday, January 29, 2018 10:32 PM

 Eveing Diners

 Flo, give the gang a Beer and the Birthday Boys a big hunk of Cake and let Rick have some as well.

 Full of dread as my 62 birthday gets closer and closer. I thought I had a game plan but I keep finding more and more hurtals as I get closer to taking SS. Seems with me still working making $17040.00 a year (limted SS set for no funds being held back) and what I and Sue will get from SS 80% of the SS is taxable? So much for the game plan I had! Bang Head

 Rick Just what we need, moutain lions here in the Mississippi Valley. And my wife is afraid of Coyotes, we have to move if we had moutain lions!

 Ed You made me smile for the first time today with the VVS video! Laugh

 Time to play Captain Jack Sparrow Pirate and walk Sparkie.

 Later, Ken

I hate Rust

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Posted by gmpullman on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 12:39 AM

Hi, Fellow Diners

Mr. Otte mentioned the February Diner may include a large presence of chocolate on the menu for Valentine's Day.

Others thought it might be too cold near Hershey, Pennsylvania.

As much as I love the Hershey, Lancaster, Strasburg area I thought as long as we are looking for trains and it's going to be cold anyway — why not take a little trip to Switzerland?

https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/swiss-chocolate-train.html

We could even take a side-trip to see the Lion's Monument.

 

And, of course, a visit to the Maison-Cailler factory!

https://cailler.ch/en/maison-cailler/la-chocolaterie-suisse/

Just throwing another option out there. 

 

Regards, Ed

 

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Posted by NWP SWP on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 12:54 AM

We could also head, "south of the border, Mexico way!" Any rail fan spots in old Mexico?

How bout Cajon Pass? Or Raton Pass?

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 1:05 AM

mbinsewi

You have successfully gone beyond any negative comments, while in the General Discussion forum, with your own thread.  Those of us that have "checked in" and followed you, from the beginning, know this.

You are very kind. On the first of February I am going to start a new General Discussion topic on my holistic approach to model railroading (Model Railroading: A Holistic Approach). My methods, materials, and models often don't follow the norms, but I am not alone in this if you have read about the molasses mine.

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Posted by "JaBear" on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 2:22 AM

on Flickr

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

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Posted by GraniteRailroader on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 6:00 AM

Morning folks,

Influenza has hit the household pretty hard. Both my five year old and the two year old have gotten smacked around by the flu. Both are currently home on isolation precautions... so it's Daddy Daycare for the week. On the flip side, I should have a bit of time to work on the Tichy kits that have been in progress since 2011? 2012? Let's see how far I get Whistling

This space reserved for SpaceMouse's future presidential candidacy advertisements

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 7:43 AM

As promised, my short rock version of Rainy Day in Utica New York in high-definition VV Wink Played on my 1975 Fender Stratocaster through my 1975 Fender Twin Reberb amplifier.

 

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Posted by up831 on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 10:36 AM

Good morning Diners,

Brunhilda, I'll have an extra large coffee with lots of cream, please.

Wherever the diner goes next month is fine with me.  Hershey is fine.  How about one of our Canadian brothers take us to Alberta or somewhere?  Being a UP-SP fan, I enjoyed our excursion to Tehachapi.  

SteveO:  May we plead for a little latitude on short rail fan videos in the diner?  Ulrich used to post them on European railways, pursuant to the diner's location and I think most of the guys enjoyed them and found them informative.  Just asking. 

Hello to everyone, and I hope everyone is OK, safe, and warm.

Less is more,...more or less!

Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)

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Posted by Steven Otte on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 11:44 AM

up831

SteveO:  May we plead for a little latitude on short rail fan videos in the diner? Ulrich used to post them on European railways, pursuant to the diner's location and I think most of the guys enjoyed them and found them informative.  Just asking. 

Sorry if I was unclear. I meant that railfan videos as another type of post that, although acceptable here in the Diner, would be off-topic in the rest of the MR Forums. I was offering the Trains Forum as a more appropriate place to post them.

--
Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editor
sotte@kalmbach.com

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Posted by mbinsewi on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 11:45 AM

up831
SteveO: May we plead for a little latitude on short rail fan videos in the diner? Ulrich used to post them on European railways, pursuant to the diner's location and I think most of the guys enjoyed them and found them informative. Just asking.

Ulrich's videos were always interesting, some very long, but you didn't have to watch it all.  It gave a great view of how it's done in Ulrich's part of the world, and some spectacular views!

And Steve O., am I wrong, but uhm...didn't your post on the last page, about moving the diner include a full length video of a NS train?  Laugh

Mike.

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Posted by Steven Otte on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 11:51 AM

mbinsewi

And Steve O., am I wrong, but uhm...didn't your post on the last page, about moving the diner include a full length video of a NS train?  Laugh

As I clarified above, what's allowed here in the Diner is not necessarily allowed elsewhere in the Forums.

--
Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editor
sotte@kalmbach.com

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Posted by NWP SWP on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 12:50 PM

Good day diners,

I was in no way discouraging OldSchool from posting about his various train related projects, be it display cases/dioramas or Lego model trains, I was just wondering if he could condense some of the content into one or two posts not an entire page of them, that's all! No point in arguing over it! I also suggested he should consider a blog something I'm planning to do to post my ideas/opinions/advice in a way that they'll be more accessible and unrestricted by forum rules... that's all I was saying! No need to get all up in arms! So calm down please!

Anybody got some ideas for the February diner? Pennsylvania sounds too cold!

Well lunch breaks over...

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 2:49 PM

At the risk of having back-to-back posts, picked up a very nice MRC Sound Station 312. Love the sounds.

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Posted by Steven Otte on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 3:13 PM

Public discussion of a private admin matter has been deleted.

--
Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editor
sotte@kalmbach.com

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Posted by NWP SWP on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 9:26 PM

Evening diners,

Where is everybody???

Diners empty!!!

Maybe if drinks are on the house it'll lure some customers...

Well I'll be in the corner if anybody stops in...

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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Posted by BATMAN on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 10:07 PM

It was a beautiful sunny warm day today on the Coast. Just popping by to thank you all for the kind Birthday wishes.

Had another full day in the train room, I better be careful, it could be addicting. Laugh

  

All the best to all.

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by cudaken on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 10:19 PM

 Evening Hum, Steven? Seems the other diners where delate by Mr Otto Delated Ray?

 Flo, if the gang Materializes again give them a cold Beer and give Rick and Steven a drink of there choices.

 Steven Found a little bigger box.

 Just beat so that all I have to type.

 Ken

I hate Rust

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Posted by ricktrains4824 on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 10:37 PM

Good evening all.

Chloe - I will take a nice mug of peppermint hot cocoa please. Thanks.

Ken - Sorry, but the mountain lions themselves don't scare me.

See, it's like this: They brought them in to hunt down some of the coyotes that have over-run the area.

The coyotes were brought in to help cull some of the deer that had over-run the area.

So, me thinking about what kind of animal they are going to bring in once the mountain lions over-run the area?!? That is what scares me!!!!! Indifferent Blindfold

Weather - Cold and snowy. And, cloudy. (Important for a point below.)

Erie PA snowfall record watch - 143.3" and counting. The record for a entire winter season? 150.9.... I see a record falling real soon! (Pun intended.)

Blue moon night - Blue moon (second full moon of the month) tonight, while being a super moon. It's also a blood moon, meaning there will be a partial eclipse for most people. (Full eclipse will occur for our friends in Hawaii...) Can we get any more rarer then that?

And here I am with cloud cover.....

W*^k - Slow customer day.... Annoying everything else day... Not a good combo.

We got some new communication about floor plans, and not at all is this going to be fun. Just about everything is being rearranged.

One communication I have already said I will flat out not follow right now. That one they want us to pull every item out of one display, effective immediately. One of those items, is a built-in double wall oven. 

We have zero places to put it once it is removed from the displayer. So, it is either staying there until we sell it off, or it will get extremely beat up, and become un-sellable. (Would we rather write off a $3800 item as scrap for no reason other than we no longer want it displayed there, where it is protected from damage?)

Once the wall oven is out of the displayer, we are to then modify the displayer, as it will no longer be holding a double wall oven.... But a refrigerator. 

Only problem with that? I built the displayer, and I know that modifications of that nature will not be easy, or advisable. The displayer is made of particle board, with a few 2X4's to hold up the wall oven, hidden behind a facia panel. 

What is behind that facia panel? Bare particle board, now filled with screw holes from the facia, and the 2X4's. 

Oh yeah, the left side of what would be the fridge? Will be scratched to smithereens  by screws, that are currently holding a over the range microhood to the front wall. The built in wall oven is not as wide as a fridge, and therefore, there is no protective facia panel behind the front wall the microhood is mounted on. 

And the displayer that can fit a fridge on that side? 

Well, it has some extra panels added for stability on that side, that this displayer with the wall oven doesn't have.

So, not only will this displayer look horrible, it will be less safe, and possibly damage any products displayed on that one side, except for wall ovens. 

The other new communication was about price matching "issues", mainly stemming from the fact that over 70% of price matches are to match a single competitors pricing, implying that store employees are creating problems, and that if it continues we will be losing our commissions. I politely pointed out that we are told, two very important things. 

First, being told that we do indeed price match for identical items. (Same brand, model number, etc...) That is the rule. We have all been told this.

Second, we are told, that we are to, as much as possible, "say yes" to our customers. (Very few exceptions, but there are a couple. This is not one of them most times.)

I also politely pointed out a couple of facts.

First, that we do not initiate the price matching, but the customer does. (We do not volunteer to anyone to give them a "better price" by matching it to company X. That is the customers responsibility to do, not a gift because I feel like it.)

Second, that our customers are educated enough to have already price-compared, with more than just us.

Third, that we do not take our customers online to a competitors website, but check our own site (and most customers don't know what it even is.) for expanded in inventory options, color options, and for additional specs. (It was implied that we are not going to our own webpage, but elsewhere.)

Fourth, I have not had a single customer know what our correct website addres even is.

I then said that, if, you are telling me I have to match this price, and that I have to say yes to the customers on this point, that it should not come out of my pocket, as I am doing my job the way I am told. 

I will take the stance that I will refuse to say yes if it costs me money every time I do. (My boss is aware of this fact.) 

I will stop ranting now.

Hope all are well, and all have a good night!

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.

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Posted by gmpullman on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 11:00 PM

Evenin' Folks

Here we are, almost done with January Yeah

 

ricktrains4824
Blue moon night - Blue moon (second full moon of the month) tonight, while being a super moon. It's also a blood moon, meaning there will be a partial eclipse for most people. (Full eclipse will occur for our friends in Hawaii...) Can we get any more rarer then that? And here I am with cloud cover.....

Well, Rick, it's clear skies here in Geauga County, Ohio and with the freshly fallen snow the moonlight looks like a well-lit stadium outside!

We were blessed with two baby boy goats a few hours ago. I think I'll come up with names related to the full moon (Maybe Luna and Badar?). We had one of the babies in the house for a while to bandage up a weak pastern (rear hoof). The cats were pretty curious but nonplused for the most part.

Headed down to the layout now. I'm not sure which project will arouse my interest but I'll find out when I get there Whistling


 

Most folks seem to want a warm and sunny spot for February's Diner. May I submit the Sacramento California State Railroad Museum?

https://www.californiarailroad.museum/

Lots of train action, including Amtrak, a Cab Forward and a model railroad to see. The Diner can be taken there by the California Zephyr, cut off and shoved into the Museum siding.

Sacramento Valley Live Steamers are nearby, too!

http://www.svlsrm.org/index.php

 


 

Well, that's all for now...

Here's a photo I came across of my dad standing on the pilot of old No. 7 on the Narrow Gauge Bridgton & Harrison Railroad when he was there for a fan trip back in September of 1937.

 B and H No. 7 by Edmund, on Flickr

I sure wish I could ask him about his experiences that day. It looks like there was a pretty big turnout for this excursion.

Cheers! Ed

 

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Posted by hon30critter on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 11:23 PM

gmpullman
Here's a photo I came across of my dad standing on the pilot of old No. 7 on the Narrow Gauge Bridgton & Harrison Railroad when he was there for a fan trip back in September of 1937. B and H No. 7 by Edmund, on Flickr

Hi Ed!

That shot would be almost impossible these days. Can you imaging a railfan being allowed to stand on the front of a steam engine as it rolled onto a turntable in this day and age?

I found something interesting when I was looking at the picture of your dad posing on the steam engine. If you look at the tracks in front of the cow catcher you will see that some of the boards between the tracks are out of place. I wonder if the wheels would just push the boards out of the way or if there was a disaster about to occur?Smile, Wink & GrinLaughLaugh

I love the angled boards on the engine house doors!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by NWP SWP on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 12:48 AM

Good morning diners!

Glad a few regulars stopped in!

Shame with terrorism, lawsuits, insurance, ect... you just can't do things like that or take a self guided "tour" of a yard, ect... people today need to chill out and be cool as a cucumber! (Which are actually cooler because they're basically 100% water therefore they are always a few degrees cooler that room temperature)

Hey, anybody heard of a singer one Andrew McMahon and his band In The Wilderness??? He opened at the BJ concert and foe some reason my family got me one of his albums (CD) for my Birthday?! Guess they're telling me I need some culture in new music...

Well I might lurk around for a few more minutes then I'm gonna hit the hay...

Oh by the by I'm working on getting my own website I might go through squarespace now that I will be getting a job... I also may post a "History of my Railroad" thread here on the forums...

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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Posted by BigDaddy on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 7:23 AM

I was watching the SOTU speech.

Do mountain lions actually kill coyotes?  They use dogs to hunt mountain lions, I would think coyotes would get that message and turn the table.

I have decided to use 2' wide kraft paper to plot out my next module.  I had planned an L-shape but then I bought a turntable off ebay.  Which means I will need a roundhouse.  I have the room to not use the L, I have to see what works out best, space wise.

 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 8:41 AM

Howdy .... We were in Nashville yesterday. We drove back home in the evening listening to the speech. 

We need somebody to start the February thread. It really does not matter to me what location is selected. My suggestion is only a suggestion. Steve O has a suggestion also. 

Model railroads: ... Who has projects they are working on or are about to work on ? 

Regarding my model railroad, I have a big mess I am cleaning up. My 1900-era project is the reason for the mess. Making scenery is always messy. 

Next, I need to clean the rails on the layout. I've not been running trains while I worked on the 1900-era scene. 

After that, I can get back to the work table. I have some decoders to install and a few freight cars kits to build. I never run out of model railroad projects.. 

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

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