TOP OF THE PAGE... DRINKS ARE ON ME!
.
It is Sunday evening in Florida, so Pina Coladas for everyone! Make em strong, make em weak, even make em virgin, but everyone has got to love a Pina Colada on a lazy Sunday night.
Track fiddlerKevin nice boxcar I like the striped ones too.
The neat thing is that the CUMBERLAND ROAD car was initially a mistake. I made the beige stripe too narrow for the roadname I intended to use. I fiddled with the layout of the CMR decals and made them fit.
It all worked out.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Heartland Division CB&Q Howdy ... Track Fiddler ..... I have two NP box cars in that paint scheme plus several other NP box cars in other schemes.
Howdy ...
Track Fiddler ..... I have two NP box cars in that paint scheme plus several other NP box cars in other schemes.
That's cool... I don't know how many other variations there are, the only other one I have is the green one. I've been trying to get a good deal on the red one just like it.
I hope everyone's having a great Sunday evening
Evening diners,
Yesterday I took my Driving exam, and passed!
Went to the MSMRC op session for 7 hours, I ran 5 manifests, a road train that runs the entire layout, a switching local, a road local, and two unit trains.
Today I put a new door frame on the house, the old one rotted out so I replaced it with pressure treated 1x6s, it took some finagling to get the door to fit and shut but now it's good as new.
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
Eveing Diners
Flo, give the gang and I a please and Rick and Steven what they like.
Henery The Deer Crossing put a grin on my faces! I think you all so turned me on to Toy Man Tv if so thank you. I have been benge watching them for the last few weeks after running out of Ken Patterson videos.
Ulrich First good looking old layout. With you living in Germany I am guessing you never had a large looping layout. Something in the range of say 5' X 10'. Second, Humm I thought the PRR Steam Engine looked formulaire. That is a PRR M1a and not a Heavy Pacfic or K-4. I have one and it is a good pulling engine even with out traction tires.
Later, Ken
I hate Rust
Steven:
Congrats on passing the driving test!
NWP SWPToday I put a new door frame on the house, the old one rotted out so I replaced it with pressure treated 1x6s, it took some finagling to get the door to fit and shut but now it's good as new.
You obviously have great mechanical skills! I used to do everything myself, from minor and major car repairs to construction projects to cabinet and furniture making. My back now prevents me from doing any of that, and I'm very disappointed. Your abilities will save you a lot of money! For example, we just had some major renovations done. Had I been able to do it it might have cost $3,000 in materials. The contractors cost me close to $27,000! They took out a structural wall, installed new floors in the living room, dining room and kitchen, they sorted out our rather botched electrical system and brought it up to code, they installed a whole bunch of new lighting, they rebuilt our aging (large) deck stairs, and they did much, much more. Three guys worked on the project for a full month and they were not slacking, so in the end the price was a bargain.
I really lucked out. They were fantastic!! Their attention to detail was amazing! None the less, my bank balance is now a whole bunch smaller!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Thanks dave, I had to relocate the hinges to get the door to shut properly, I cut my finger with a tape measure that had a slice in the tape, it really got me. But I'm alright.
NWP SWP Evening diners, Yesterday I took my Driving exam, and passed!
Way to go Steven TF is proud of you...
Now please submit your city and state so I don't drive through or rent a car there for at least a few months
I think you have to fear the other "locals" around here than me, some of them pull some crazy stunts!
Thanks for the congrats!
Anybody hear from Spacemouse lately? Seems it has been two months or so since he has posted anything.
Happy Monday!
Bascule2_sm-1 by Edmund, on Flickr
The flagman says... "That's where I'd rather be"
I hope you are all well and good —
Cheers! Ed
Spacemouse.... now that you mention it Ed that's a name I haven't seen or heard for a long long time.
Hopefully Mr Otte can do a little checking in the morning just like he did when we were missing Lion
Good evening. And welcome to the Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
I see we have arrived in "The Twilight Zone", AKA "The madness that is otherwise known as Page 5."
(Evil "Bowser" style "Bwah hahaha" laugh inserted here.)
Ok, ok.... I just couldn't resist.
Zoe - A giant RBF please... It's is hot and humid where I'm from, so I'm glad we settled the diner in Alaska.
Steven NWP - Congrats on passing the test. Now let's see your celebratory burnout/doughnuts. And they better be more exiting than Rossi did in Mid-Ohio!
Pittsburgh - NS train 21Q, Intermodal from NJ to Chicago, with NS 4000 in the consist, derailed in Station Square today. The double-stack intermodal well cars are stacked up in Station Square, which is a passenger station area in downtown Pittsburgh. (I counted 5 or so on the news video.)
Those who know NS roster will know that 4000 had a sister in another major derailment on the Pittsburgh line last year, but she faired much worse.
This derailment all locomotives were clear of the site prior to railcars jumping around. No injuries to anyone, so it is only a inconvenience to the area and railroad.
Weather - Hot, 92F today, and humid. Tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter, and excessively humid. Tomorrow the "Official" record, at Erie International Airport, is 96, and it just might get broken.
Nascar - A Elliot back in victory lane, and a Chevy finally won something (other than Daytona, which is always a crapshoot anyways.) this year! All is right in the Nascar world for today.
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.
Is that where we are?!
I'd do a burn out in the truck but my parents are kinda over reactive about such things, like drifting in a front wheel drive car, which I've done in the back of our property, the secret? Use the E brake to lockup the backend.
Track Fiddler ..... Here are some boxcars I have in GN amd NP paint schemes. Most are weathered, and the colors won't be like new because of that. ... The 50' NP car almost looks black, but it is dark green.
Ed ..... I like the speedboat under the bridge.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
NWP SWP I'd do a burn out in the truck but my parents are kinda over reactive about such things, like drifting in a front wheel drive car, which I've done in the back of our property, the secret? Use the E brake to lockup the backend.
I'm a little puzzled here does anybody else know....... can you say a prayer for equipment?
Or, get a 2 door 1998 Chevy Cavalier....
I had one, That thing could drift in the rain, let alone snow, no E-brake needed!
And, they are front wheel drive!
Mine at least was just way too tail happy. But man, when there wasn't traffic around, it was fun to drive!
Except on your way to anywhere you had to be, in the winter with snow on the roads...... Then, it was just nerve-racking, white-knuckle, really hope I get there, driving.
Yeah my drifting days are over till I get a rwd car or I dare try it in the truck!
Had I not been blessed with my 6'3" height I would consider a career in some sort of open wheel racing.
I'm what I'd call a "driving enthusiast" one who finds even the most monotonous of driving chores, like going to the grocery store an exhilarating experience.
I prefer to take slight detours that have roads tag are slightly more technical than the main drag. My favorite way of going to Zachary is via 412 instead of 19, 19 is a straight shot from Ethel to slaughter. 412 also goes into slaughter but is more curve and still takes only about 10 minutes to get to slaughter, from slaughter I just take 19 into Zachary. Another plus is that on 412 you can't really speed, 55 in the straights, and 45-50 through the curves, so it keeps my lead foot in check.
I'm just fascinated by performance autos, I recently stumbled upon a car called a De Tomaso Pantera, it's powered by a Ford Cleveland 351 and has the looks of a Ferrari 308, too bad it's got the price tag too!
I better make sure I do well in life to afford all those fine autos! Guess I better get to work!
And I should probably find a decent racing club to do such things where they're meant to be done, on a closed course.
Back to burnouts, yeah it's probably better not to make a habit of drifting and burnouts.
Garry I have not seen that forest green almost black Northern Pacific before.... you darn well no I will be looking for it though.
Nice modeling.... Some great looking scratch builds on those grain elevators.
Ed I like the speed boat under the bridge too and the bridge.
Good Morning!
I see we are on page 5 now ...
The night has been quite cool and the temperature in our apartment is comfortable. I caught a little more sleep and actually feel refreshed - for the first time in weeks. The next two day are forecasted to be hot again, but following Wednesday, temperatures will drop o our usual level of 65F to 70F, plus lots of rain.
Steven - congrats on passing the driving test. The roads in your `hood won´t be the same from now on!
Nothing could beat the old VW beetle with its rear engine drive for drifting! Well, may be the infamous Corvair could have. That car was not as bad as Ralph Nader wrote in his book, which put him in public spotlight in 1965 and earned him millions of $$. He is 84 years of age and still kicking!
Ken - I never had a room filling layout and I never wanted to. I always built small layouts that could be moved, should the need eventually arise.
No plans for the day - just wait and see what happens!
TTFN!
P.S. Ray hasn´t shown up for a couple of days- I hope he is OK!
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Good morning Ulrich... according to my calculations it's about 6:30 in Germany right now. I'm up late because I never work Mondays.
Correct me if I'm wrong.... Beautiful work by the way on your old layout you posted.
Someone stated they guessed it was about a 5x10. I seem to remember once you stated it was only a 3x6. But then again who knows I could be off in left field.
PS.... do you move vehicles, people and things around on your layout. I think you do, it looks different and new every time I see it. That's what I like about it.
NWP SWPI'd do a burn out in the truck but my parents are kinda over reactive about such things,
When I was in my early teens I had occassion to accompany my Dad to the local shopping center one evening. On the way home I greedily pointed out that he didn't spend any money on me! He was driving a 1965 Oldsmobile Delta 88 with a 425 cu. in. engine which, needless to say, had far more power than the bias ply tires could cope with. The car was a one-off from GM built as a test bed for multiple options including the huge engine.
At the time we were sitting at a red light. He said something to the effect that "You want me to spend some money on you? OK, here we go!" When the light turned green he put his foot to the floor and proceeded to burn rubber for I'm guessing more that 100'. The amount of smoke coming off the tires was incredible! It had posi-traction so both rear wheels were spinning. I was absolutely beside myself with amazement that my conservative, laid back Dad would ever do such a thing!! When he finally lifted off the gas he said "There, I just wasted $10.00 in rubber on you! Are you happy?". Indeed I was!!!!
Dave. I'm sure as you know old Muscle Machines back in the day were built to the hilt. Quality was the factor, that's why a lot of them restored are still around today.
Drive your more modern-day equipment the same way we used to with our old machines back then.... snap, crack, crunch, break.... well you know the rest. Job security for modern-day mechanics...$$$ no longer 10 bucks
PS. Good story though. You had a cool dad.
Track fiddleraccording to my calculations it's about 6:30 in Germany right now
That is correct!
Track fiddlerSomeone stated they guessed it was about a 5x10. I seem to remember once you stated it was only a 3x6. But then again who knows I could be off in left field.
The pictured layout measured a mere 1´6" by 6´3", with the scenic part being only 1´6" by 3´10".
The following pictures illustrate how small the layout actually was.
My old Swiss NG layout was 3´ by 5´ and my current tinplate layout is 2´4" by 5´3". None of those layouts is what you´d even consider to be a small layout.
Small layouts can be as much fun as big ones, though!
Goooood morning diners!
Monday morning already?!
The power company tried their stuff at 2 am, the cut the power for 10 minutes. I checked the outage map there were blackouts all over the parish (that's a county for the rest of youse)
Track fiddler Spacemouse.... now that you mention it Ed that's a name I haven't seen or heard for a long long time. Hopefully Mr Otte can do a little checking in the morning just like he did when we were missing Lion
No posts from Mr. Mouse since May 25. Account is still approved and unmoderated. Someone who knows him could send him a PM...
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
Good morning all .
Here are more Alaska photos such as they are. These are on the train from Anchorage to Fairbanks. ... Very sorry I lost most photos of a nice trip.... All I have left of the train trip was coming into Fairbanks in heavy rain ...
These are when I was in Alaska about 25 to 30 years ago. ....
Heartland Division CB&Q Track Fiddler ..... Here are some boxcars I have in GN amd NP paint schemes. Most are weathered, and the colors won't be like new because of that. ... The 50' NP car almost looks black, but it is dark green.
Garry I was digging through my stacks of train show cars and lo and behold I found two unopened four packs with the dark green Northern Pacific cars in them.
It was like a Christmas present... I forgot I even had these.
Then I came across these two cars Canadian National and Grand Trunk Western . These cars look like sisters but they're from two different roads... huh
TF .... Nice group of frieght cars.... I have two of the dark green NP cars. The one I showed does not have the advertising for the North Coast Limited, but my other one does..... Regarding your second photo, GTW is owned by CN, and that is why they look the same.
Evenin' Folks!
Tinplate ToddlerRay hasn´t shown up for a couple of days- I hope he is OK!
Oh, I've been here trying to keep cool and taking a nap in the back.....
I did get up early this morning and got over to the Fieldhouse for my walk around 9:30am. It was already hot there, but bearable. By the time I got finished around 11:45 (I didn't try to break any records, but did get in the full 4 miles) it was over 90°F inside the place. I was drenched in sweat! As I left I said to the college kid working the desk, "Thanks for turning the heat on today..." He laughed and rolled his eyes. Said he was drenched in sweat just sitting at the desk.
High today was in the mid 90s with a 67% humidity level. A strong, dangerous thunderstorm passed to the North of where I live, and the lastest news is that a tree came down on a trailer home with 3 brothers in it. The oldest was 19 and was watching the others. Two of them were on the couch when the ceiling started to shake and screamed at each other to get out. The third brother was pinned down by debris for a short time. Eventually, all three boys were able to make it out safely. They all all OK and safe...
Lets see, Saturday I was gone most of the day on a bus trip from the R&GV RR Museum. The first stop was in Hornell, NY to get a tour of the Alstom Car shops. Some very interesting builds going on there. One is some new high speed passenger cars that are so new that they are considered to be "secrets" at this point. We were not allowed to bring cameras into the shop for the tour. This is a huge facility and I put in a couple miles of walking there.... The guide explained a lot of what goes on there and most of their work is rebuilding cars for service.
We then visited the old Hornell Station Museum to see some great artifacts they have assembled. Stopped at Wegmans for a quick lunch, and then reboarded the bus to go to the last tour of the day which was the American Motive Power (AMP) in Dansville, NY. We were allowed to bring in cameras but were strictly told we could not take any photos in certain areas! They are working on new locomotives that are completely State of the Art and other than the tour guide saying, "Ok, these two are ones I can't tell you about and please don't even think about your camera!!!" in a couple places, that was a WOW tour as well. A lot of walking for us as the plant is enormous. Got my 10,000 steps plus in, I did.
One thing we got to see is the building where they create the wiring harnesses for motive power. Talk about involved but done quite simply....... They also showed us how the electric motors are assembled for the drives. Ah... that was actually at a different part of Alstom, not at the AMP factory.
Yesterday I spent the afternoon visiting a gent by the name of Harold Russell. He is selling off a large portion of his rolling stock in anticipation of moving... I came home with one of his ALCO switchers, a couple cars, and one of his GF&O Cabooses. I plan to put them on a display to have amongst my hobby collection. Harold has become a close personal friend over the past decade and has been a great mentor for me in the hobby. He told me he has just found out he is getting several articles pubished at the moment (I think that has lifted his spirits a bit!), one of which is in the current issue of MR. I have to get to reading it ASAP! He also mentioned several other hobby related ones but I don't want to violate the "rules" so I'll let you find them on your own.
Ok. that is most all of what I have been doing..... Photos will be forthcoming at least in the way of an URL where you can see the trip. I'll post the "O" Scale aquisitions as soon as I get some time to photograph it.
"From Paris we took the Orient Express to Vienna. I must say I was terribly disappointed; nobody was murdered on the train." - George Burns
Later... 73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Evening diners
I usually take the Canadian walleye filet. We are a little further north in Alaska now. I'll take the Alaskan Bering Sea King Crab with a side of asparagus and a loaded baked potato.... In fact Alaskan King Crab for everyone!
I got to say I admire seeing all your finished layouts on this Forum, and-or finished scenes. The variety of different Road named locomotives and rolling stock with the beautiful scenery behind them admired. I got to admit I am a little envious because I am not there yet.
I made a pact with myself I will finish my bridges before I lay my track and run my trains. It has been two seasons. I have four bridges done. I am halfway there.
I have received a lot of insight from many of you which I have put to work where needed. The main one Dr Wayne showed me how to make removable Bridges which I am doing. This will be very helpful later when I get to scenery. I can easily remove a bridge making my underlying ground much more accessible.
With that said I found something very funny the other day. As I said I somewhat envy you guys seeing all your cars on finished tracks. I don't have that. I have all my locomotives and rolling stock stored in a cabinet in my living room where it's climate controlled.
I take them out, look at my favorite ones, line them up on the coffee table and end tables. Sometimes I get somewhat enthralled and start lining them up on the custom build-in lower cabinet surfaces.
At times my wife comes along organizing and cleaning the house.
It's always the same a smirky smile. Sometimes her hands on her hips. She looks at me and says "PUT YOUR CARS AWAY!" I do what she says and it makes me feel like a little kid.... maybe that's a good thing
Went bowling earlier.
Watched Red Dawn this afternoon.
We'll I'll be around.