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Jeffrey's Trackside Diner, July 2018 Locked

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  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
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Posted by MisterBeasley on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 11:41 AM

A couple of updates on me:

In mid-June, my house sold and I moved out.  I drove to Virginia to move in with my girlfriend.  When her house sells, we plan to buy a place in Delaware and relocate there.

But it's not that easy.  A couple of days after I got here, she noticed I looked weak and took me to the urgent Care place.  Next was the emergency room.  I have atrial fibrillation and I needed a stent besides.  I feel good now, but still weak.  So far, only one doctor has told me that I might have had a heart attack.  I'm on a bunch of meds but I'm getting better.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by NWP SWP on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 11:40 AM

I had Norton protection on my PC a year ago, when I got it I did an full scan of all the files on the machine, found nothing, yay, right? Wrong, a few months ago the PC started acting up, so I brought it in to a local computer tech, he went through everything and found dozens of viruses, they came from freeware aircraft files I downloaded for a flight simulator, he also noted that Norton puts a big strain on older machines, like mine. 

Steve

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

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Posted by RideOnRoad on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 11:13 AM

Today's excitement: Norton/Lifelock let me know that my email address may have been compromised on the dark web. Cool, huh?

Richard

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Posted by der5997 on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 10:43 AM

Hello Folks – hope things re going well for you all. (throw any accent you wish at that!)  Had a couple of “firsts” today. Second first was to actually have an A&W breakfast at breakfast time! Normally this is our go-to lunch out as their version of the Egg McMuffin is in our opinion better, and their hashbrowns leave that other franchise’s offering in the dust. The first first was a mammogram!  Been troubled by a chest muscle issue lately so the Nurse Practitioner set up the scan to check things out. Hoping for a positive outcome….
Terry your “other sister” is in our thoughts Angel
Train Front: That coupler extension project worked out OK I think. 
The platform I made took the screw and glue just fine.  and  Sorry about the focus, my point and shoot framed the close up with the normal in focus green square thing – but….
 I’ve dry brushed those passenger car trucks with a dusty brownish mix – did the couplers a tad rusty and the brake lines blackish grey. What do you think?    Do the actual coupler faces need to be a brighter rust? Ken you don’t have to reply to that as we know you HATE RUST!
The motor and fan in my spray booth have quit. I’ve posted on our local Kijijji to see if anyone has an old working heater fan and motor combo from a vehicle they don’t need. We shall see.
 

"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.

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Posted by saronaterry on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 6:07 AM

Sure look like Kadee. Blackened metal wheels and the" flexible" plastic axle.

maxman

 

 
saronaterry
I've been assembling my stash of Branchline Trains kits. I absoulutly LOVE these kits!! A side-effect is they come with Kadee wheelsets and Clone couplers.

 

Are you sure about the Kadee wheelsets?  I built a number of the Branchline kits and I don't seem to remember any of those being in them.

 

Terry in NW Wisconsin

Queenbogey715 is my Youtube channel

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Posted by NWP SWP on Monday, July 16, 2018 11:44 PM

I know the parents personally, we used to go to the same church.

Her mom was my teacher for 2 and a half years and her dad was leader of the AWANA group I was in (AWANA for the uninitiated is basically a vacation bible school that runs the length of the school year one weeknight a week.) So they know I'm a stand up citizen.

Steve

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

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Posted by hon30critter on Monday, July 16, 2018 11:39 PM

Steven:

You are a decent guy. I'm sure her parents will say yes.

Best of luck!

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 Monday, July 16, 2018 11:26 PM

OOOOOHHHH YEAH!

(said in a very low voice, like in Ferris Bueller)

She said a very enthusiastic maybe and she has to ask her parents permission!

Cool

Steve

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

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Posted by NWP SWP on Monday, July 16, 2018 11:10 PM

There it's done, I asked her to go to a movie with me.

I'm now awaiting a response.

And the suspense is killing me.

Steve

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

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Posted by NWP SWP on Monday, July 16, 2018 10:19 PM

Evening diners,

Terry hope for the best, expect the worst, and make everyday worth it.

Driving, I'm getting practice in, the truck now has AC!

Work, the reason I haven't mentioned work in a while is I am kinda sorta laid off for a few weeks until the 2 maintenance guys go back to school. I'm going to have my dad see if the General Contractor guy from the hotel that's also a family friend needs a helper part time.

Dating, OK I finally resolved to ask her out, and she's not talking because they went to Florida for the weekend.

I'm still going to ask her though!

Steve

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

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Posted by hon30critter on Monday, July 16, 2018 9:35 PM

Terry:

Sorry to hear about your sister's poor prognosis. 

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 maxman on Monday, July 16, 2018 9:15 PM

saronaterry
I've been assembling my stash of Branchline Trains kits. I absoulutly LOVE these kits!! A side-effect is they come with Kadee wheelsets and Clone couplers.

Are you sure about the Kadee wheelsets?  I built a number of the Branchline kits and I don't seem to remember any of those being in them.

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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Monday, July 16, 2018 8:43 PM

Terry ... I’m very sad to hear about your sisters having cancer especially the one who may have only 3 to 5 months to go.  ... I use Kadee metal wheel sets , Inter mountain  wheel sets and other Metal wheel sets.  All are better than plastic wheels . If you try the Kadee metal wheels , you might find they work as well as Intermountain wheels. After trying them, and you still don’t like them, I would be interested.  I don’t mind paying for them though. 

I agree about plastic couplers.  They can break too easily. 

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

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Posted by BigDaddy on Monday, July 16, 2018 7:45 PM

Steven didn't realize these were 3 axle cars.  You asked a question in another thread a while ago.  I've been recording loco numbers for the last two months from the webcams.  Most are CSX out of Deshler OH.  I am now starting to see repeats more frequently after recording 550 locos.  Locos do not appear as all one type or consecutive numbers.  But a type of loco falls into a specific number range. 

CSX locos from 2 to 598 are usually are AC44CW's (based on railpictures.net)  Eventually you see a lot of numbers that are close, like 103,110,115,117,118,122,126,131,140,145,146,147,153,155,156,161 and 164.  All the locos with the fan housing? on the back roof like the ES44CW, look the same to me.

Terry sorry to hear about your sister that is doing poorly.  I reached out to an old co-worker on Facebook that I knew was on dialysis.  She tells me she now had metastatic melanoma.  Jimmy Carter is the only person I've heard of that has beaten that.

 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by NWP SWP on Monday, July 16, 2018 6:54 PM

Here's the latest pictures of my kit bash in its finished state.

http://imgur.com/a/YYHZQDm

Scroll to the bottom to see the latest detail pictures.

 

Steve

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

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Posted by saronaterry on Monday, July 16, 2018 5:31 PM

Hi, all!

In answer to Garry's question, I've been assembling my stash of Branchline Trains kits. I absoulutly LOVE these kits!!

A side-effect is they come with Kadee wheelsets and Clone couplers. Since I use Kadee couplers and Intermountain wheelsets exclusively, I have a bunch of the former for someone who can use them!

PM me and I'll send them out, no cost. Just want them to go to a good home!!

One good and one bad:

Sister's B-cancer is in "remission"! That's good!

Other sister's "lady parts" cancer is back, and with a vengence.That's the bad. Three, maybe 5 months.

That sucks.

So, if you're thinkin' your life is cruddy, it probably isn't.

That's all for now.

Terry

Terry in NW Wisconsin

Queenbogey715 is my Youtube channel

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Posted by cudaken on Monday, July 16, 2018 4:46 PM

 Afternoon Diners

 Flo, the gang and I will have a Beer give Ed a Crown Royal On The Rocks and Rick and Steven what they want.

 Semi Retired Pay is not cutting it. While SS has helped alot (no longer worried about making the House Payment Big Smile ) rest of the bills needs a more of full time pay check. Think I am going to ask to work 5 days a week once a month. Want to lower my CC blances $300.00 each month.

 Ed Thank you for the information on the PRR Lake Merritt and Centfaun Coaches. They looked like a kit when I started working on them, lots of small glue dripps but did not hurt the way they looked.

 Far as the Bachmann Coupler Pockets moving with the Trucks? I kind of like it, but it does eat up room in the Coaches which may be the reason the B&O Loch Ness and PRR Edgar Allan Poe do not really have interiors.

 My other Bachmann PRR coaches track fine with there stock trucks and coupler set ups. Coupler Pocks swivel but do not move with the trucks.

 Time to cut some legs off HO people.

 Later, Ken

 

I hate Rust

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Posted by Jimmy_Braum on Monday, July 16, 2018 4:04 PM

Hey all, hope everyone had a good day.  

Went to a Nmra division 2 MCR meeting yesterday, and my brng and brag won second place. So that's going for me. 

Ive got a lot of work to do at my dads(my) place to make it livable. I need to gut the bathroom, and redo the kitchen. 

The train room is 25' x 25' so that's a decent space 

(My Model Railroad, My Rules) 

These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway.  As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).  

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Posted by gmpullman on Monday, July 16, 2018 2:34 PM

Hello — [echo...]

Is the Diner closed on Mondays, now?

 RR_Postcards_0003 by Edmund, on Flickr

Even the coffee urn is cold!

I'll come back for Happy Hour—Drinks

Cheers, Ed

 

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Posted by NWP SWP on Sunday, July 15, 2018 10:29 PM

Next project will probably use the left over parts, the two (no longer covered) covered gons will lose their sides except for over the trucks, kinda a low end bulkhead flat with short walls at each end to buttress the ends, why will I cut off the sides well one car is pretty messed up because when I went to remove the covers half the side came with it.

And the two extra thrall coal gon ends might make a ore jenny, maybe but they're really in bad shape from all the cannibalizing I did to them for parts.

 And the next super gondola I do will probably use the sides and underframes from a fishbelly gondola and the sides of the thrall coal gons to get the look right, it'll be a bit more involved and less straightforward that way but it will hopefully come out a bit closer to the prototype.

Steve

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

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Posted by NWP SWP on Sunday, July 15, 2018 10:22 PM

Here's my progress,

I cut off the extra brake wheel/mounting box and the end ladders (I will be replacing them but I didn't get to it tonight)

I solved the coupler issue.

Beefed up the underframe.

Made a cover for it (it's just a temporary fix till I make a load (and I had the parts laying around)

Now I need to figure where to put the underframe details (photo below) I essentially have two sets of underframe mounting holes so where should what go?

Steve

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

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Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, July 15, 2018 8:55 PM

hon30critter

Nice detail Ed.

 

Thanks, Dave Yes

 

cudaken
I have a question for you and others here in the dinner. I need to replaces the trucks on the PRR Centfaun Coach and they will be Targo Trucks by Athearn.

I finally figured out, Ken, that these two cars are former Branchline cars now marketed by Atlas. For some reason I thought you were working on Rivarossi and Bachmann cars.

http://www.laserartstructures.com/inst_sheets/bp-pass.pdf

 

Actually, trying to get cars from three (or more) manufacturers to play nice together can be a challenge. You have the Bachmann with the silly (IMHO) pivoting draft gear box, then some TALGO truck mounted couplers and the Branchline body mounts which you are going to swap for Athearn?

Years ago I ran dozens of Rivarossi cars (Like the C-N YALE I sent you) using those clip-in McHenry replacements. They all ran great. I had trouble with Con-Cor and Branchline cars, even on my 32" radius curves. Newer Walthers, Rapido and MTH cars run great.

For sharp curves like yours you might be on the RIGHT TRACK to replace all the trucks with the Athearn four or six wheel, as appropriate, trucks with Talgo couplers. Do the Bachmanns, too.

http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH90413

 

Good Luck —  Ed

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, July 15, 2018 8:33 PM

hon30critter
My wife ordered alligator meat

.

I have eaten alligator on several occasions... and I really do not enjoy it. I would rather just have chicken.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

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Posted by FRRYKid on Sunday, July 15, 2018 8:28 PM

Heartland Division CB&Q

Does anybody have any model railroad progress to report ?

As soon as I get done with this, I will screw down the replacement 1x4 and cut the excess plywood on the corner section to get it to the needed width. Unfortunately, I can't drill the holes for the leg. (I left my 1/4" drill bit on the ranch when I was building the segments.) Hopefully, I can get that problem dealt with on Tuesday after I get the 80" frameworks home and get a couple of sections moved to storage.

"The only stupid question is the unasked question."
Brain waves can power an electric train. RealFact #832 from Snapple.
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Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, July 15, 2018 8:19 PM

Nice detail Ed.

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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  • From: Bradford, Ontario
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Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, July 15, 2018 8:18 PM

cudaken
neither young girls could afford Undergarments nor proper covering outerware.

Glad your day wasn't a total loss!Smile, Wink & GrinLaughLaughLaugh

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 cudaken on Sunday, July 15, 2018 8:00 PM

 Eveing Diners

 Flo, I will have a big bowel of Tuna Sald, side of spinach. Give the gang and I Beer as well and Rick and Steven what they like.

 Work was dull well till 15 mintues before closing. Had 2 young ladys come in to buy a King Sizes Frame. They seem to be down on there luck because neither young girls could afford Undergarments nor proper covering outerware. Guess they spent all there funds on body ink. Smile, Wink & Grin

 Gary you asked about train projects. I have a question for you and others here in the dinner. I need to replaces the trucks on the PRR Centfaun Coach and they will be Targo Trucks by Athearn. When I replaced the PRR Lake Merrit PRR Coach (sister to the Centfaun) trucks I hacked off the coupler mounts from the trucks and used there factory body mounted couplers. What I don't like is there stock couplers have to be glued, there are no screws.

 I know Targo Trucks do not like to be backed up. But other than that is there any other reason I should not use the Targo trucks? I would perfer using the Athearn clip to hold the coupler pocket.

 Trains are running great, so later.

 Ken

I hate Rust

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Posted by BigDaddy on Sunday, July 15, 2018 2:06 PM

I was going to let the wild beast thread pass on it's own, but this bear is too cute.  Said to be one of those Interstate bears 20 miles north of Baltimore.

Some one scraped the door and fender of my car when I was parked at the farmers market yesterday.  Didn't notice it until today.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, July 15, 2018 1:47 PM

angelob6660
Ed- How hard was it to notch out a MU port onto a locomotive?

The MU socket has been something I've wanted to try for a while. It was relatively easy. With a pin vice I drilled maybe a #50 hole and used a square jeweler's file to square the opening up.

I cemented the MU receptacle (Detail Associates 1507) onto a thin square of styrene and fit this in from the back side of the nose. I snipped a piece of .010 brass for the cover, then with ACC, cemented it in place, flipped up as shown.

 NYC_1607_nose_edited-1 by Edmund, on Flickr

 

angelob6660
Is that photographer allowed to be on the switch tower stairway?

I model the late 1950s- early sixties. Tower operators would often invite me up for a tour and a chat. Aint' like that anymore! Surprise

Thank you—

Cheers, Ed 

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Posted by NWP SWP on Sunday, July 15, 2018 1:35 PM

Also if you have the means (which I don't) one could always get one of those banner towing planes!Laugh

Steve

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

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