Well, top o' the mornin' to you all, even though it's half past evening. Another Killians, and a round for my friends, even the ones I haven't met yet.
I'm up here in Maine trying to ski. We had heavy snow, which transitioned to a yucky "wintry mix" before dawn. It was just plain unpleasant out there, and I quit at noon. The lifts were having mechanical problems too, so I spent a lot of time swinging in the breeze. I told my favorite leprechaun joke (not repeatable here) a couple of times while we waited for the lifts to restart.
I did get to see the St. Lawrence and Atlantic geep at its nighttime quarters in South Paris, Maine. That's a shortline that runs up through ski country, connecting parts of Canada with the port of Portland, Maine.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Sure, an' it's a fine evenin' here in Sin City now that the house is back to its usual number of inhabitants. Joe, a round o' Guinness fer all these foine folk.
Speakin' o' Guinness, I doubt this'll make Guinness World Records, but today is the fifth straight day of record high temperatures here in Hades. While Chicago is scrambling to reach freezing, LAS (McCarran Airport) reported 91 this afternoon. Somehow, T-shirts and shorts beat the tar out of parkas and mukluks for (politically incorrect activity regarding the observation of UNLV coeds.)
By sheer dumb luck (and totally accidental good timing) I got to see the Grand Canyon arriving at the station of the same name Tuesday - nose first into the wye stub, then reverse into the station, Alcos smoking like steamers. Earlier the same morning (2:30 local) the old Flamingo Hotel was imploded on live television (and I didn't even know that Stacey and the CDI crew were in town!) That would be something interesting to model - NOT.
Didn't even open the railroad room door for a week. Can't wait to get back at it.
A pleasant evenin' to ye all, an' a safe journey home.
Chuck (whose Irish ancestors are probably spinning in their coffins!)
Evening guys...Joe, I'll take a tap (I'm feeling WAY MUCH better) and a round for the house on me too!
The Showboat Showcase of Talent went real well this afternoon...Thank God I was feeling better and was even able to pull of the singing part!
Mr. Beasley, I just have to chime in regarding being invincible with a 4WD....There is a very fine line here!
There are those that "feel invincible" and don't know how to drive one and those that are (almost) "invincible" that do know how to drive one! With that said: I've lived all my life here in MN and have driven 4WD vehicles since the late 60's, ranging from a 1947 Willy's pickup to a 1998 Subaru and most everything in-between! I will be the first to tell anybody that wants to listen, that there a learning curve regarding this type of vehicle...And, each one is a bit different, mostly dependent upon the wheel-base, with the "snakiest" of anything I've driven being the old Willys CJ-2-A (although it's top speed was only, at best, 40 to 45 MPH and it's hard to get into too much trouble at that speed) and the Jeep CJ-5 that you could get into all sort of trouble with.
Sorry to have to be so frank, and sorry if I'm stepping on any toes...But the ones you see in the ditch are the "hot-rods" with plenty of money to buy the biggest and best....But haven't a clue how to drive a 4WD, nor have they taken any time to learn how to drive one. I see it all the time! Somebody in a Lincoln (or is it a Cadillac) Navigator with more lights on the front of it then a Boeing C-5A with it's landing lights on, passing you in a cloud of snow on an icy highway, only to find them in the ditch a mile or two up the road....I have to laugh...As long as they didn't hurt themselves or anybody else!
Didn't get out to the Trainroom today, just too much other stuff going on, but I'll be back to the Trainroom tomorrow morning after chores...I'll give a report.
Preee-cisely, JB! We're in complete agreement. There are an awful lot of these things on the road, and given the newness of the vehicles and the scarcity of snow this season, it wouldn't surprise me if this was the first time these Escaladians have done more than muscle up their driveways. I had a friend who said he never used the 4WD until he got himself stuck in 2WD, and then it was only to get out of the mess he'd gotten himself into.
As for this weekend of skiing, if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't. Freezing rain one day, and then moderate horizontal snow the next. For some reason, the lifts were having mechanical problems both days. I think I spent a total of only 4 or 5 hours on the slopes. Daughter Annie probably wasn't out for more than two hours the whole weekend. (But she was inside doing her homework, so I can't say she was goofing off.)
Howdy, folks. Joe, I'll have coffee, and the lunch special.
Don't know how the conversation got around to 4WD, but it is interesting. While I was living in South Dakota a few years back I came up with an observation that might be of interest. a vehicle with 4WD has twice as much GO as a 2WD - but not twice as much STOP! IMHO, failure to recognize that basic fact is what puts so many 4WDs into ditches.
I'm rapidly approaching the time when I'll be able to do away with the last of my temporary trackage. One more curve, on an easy grade, and I'll have enough first main in to continue running as construction proceeds. Granted, the running will be early Canandaigua Southern style - reverse to the end of the completed track, then forward to the other end. Way better than just a work train track, and worlds better than nothing at all!
Time to get going. Hope everyone has an outstanding day.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
A cold Pale Ale Joe...And set up the place too...If you please.
Chuck: Yup!! I'm with you all the way! Running a train forwards and back again is 100% better than nothing! That's what I had been doing for some time! Now with a turntable...I can at least turn the steamers! But, it's still just a short out and back with only about 1/4 of my proposed track down. Some day!!
I got a little more done in the Trainroom today, but very minimal, as I had to move a couple of cords of fire wood...And then run off to the pool to teach and be the CPO. All of that was seemingly too much and I'm feeling pretty wasted at the moment. Guess I'm not as recovered as I thought!
Tomorrow I've got to figure out my needs for ballast material and get some ordered...I've run out! I have used Woodland Scenic, High Ball and AZ Rock & Mineral and really like the "real" stone the best, even if it is a bit more costly. I'm now thinking of going with the AZ stuff....Just cause I've had some good conversations with the fellow and somehow identify with his outlook on life.
Anyway....I find that with my cork on foam, I have a major amount of trouble with the WS stuff getting all charged up with static electricity, sticking to everything it isn't supposed to (ties and rails) and having a dickens of a time getting it to settle down. Anybody have a tip here in regard to this problem? Other wise I'll be ordering about 40lbs. of rock from AZ one day REAL soon.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Morning all, Joe I guess just set up the house this morning and nothing for me. I am going to the hospital in a while for some more test. Today they are going to run a scope down my throat and have a look around, then they will run one up my a** and look around. I sure hope I am totally out for that!! any one want to take my place? I am more than willing to share.
Jeffrey, How is the best way to get the vireses and pop-ups out of this computer? Is there an easy fix? I wasn't giving any trouble until the other day and now I cannot hardley even get on the thing without pop-ups going crazy.
Not much going on heree, a little train time and a lot of working time. Sound familuar to anyone? Got to run Mike
I've got AVG Free Edition on my home systems. I've been using them for years, and they've kept the machines clean, even my daughter's with teen chats and online gaming.
www.grisoft.com if you're interested. Look around for the free edition - they also have "business class" products but you have to pay for those.
Thanks for the info, I also have had the free AGV for a couple of years, and the other day after I discovered the virius, the AGV was no longer active. I then downloaded the nwer one and ran a scan of the computer, and found like 122 viriuses. I was on line this morning and again the AGV was no longer active. I am thinking that there is a virius that is killing my protection. Also I do have a pop up blocker installed and it doesn't seem to be working. Maybe it is time to tke the computer to the hospital
Joe, set ups for the house, got to go. Mike
If you had an old version, it may simply have run out. AVG up-revved their free version, and discontinued support for the older one. That was a couple of months ago, as I recall. I downloaded the new one, which cleanly replaced the old one as far as I could see. You'll need the newer one anyway to catch the latest threats. And the price is still right.
I've found that XP with Service Pack 2 is sufficient to block the generic pop-ups with IE-whatever. If you're getting a lot of pop-ups from random sites, you may have some spyware/adware issues. Spybot may help with that.
As for that test, well, I had one a few months back, just routine for my age. The stuff they gave me was a mild amnesiac, so I don't remember a thing. But you've reminded me that I've got to take a look at the train-cam in front of my subway train - it's been acting up lately.
I'll have a tap Joe...Looks like just you and me tonight.
Jeffrey. Yup, I know it's the foam that's "generating" all the static electricity, but it's to late to abandoned that ship with most all of my upper level in place. And, I have to say I like working with it real well. It gives me a lot of flexibility regarding the types of landforms I'm doing, and it certainly is strong and light weight.
I'm just wondering if there is a way to ground / discharge the static when ballasting, using the Woodland Scenics type of stuff. I haven't had any problem with real stone ballast, but using the ground walnut shell...or what ever it is...Is a real adventure in frustration!
Speaking of foam: I got most all of the landforms (some large hills and two cuts) in place on the North wall benchwork today! I also worked on Charlie Walberg's Broadway Street Tavern (maybe it will end up as Louie's Saloon) for Sawbill Jct. It's a Down Town Deco structure and my first plaster kit. So far it's coming along pretty good, but I've only got the four walls glued together and the seams filled with spackle. Got a long way yet to go! We'll see how well I'll be able to paint and weather it, as I hear there are a few new tricks to learn to do it right.
I realize it's too late to say "Good Luck" Mike...So, I'll just say "Hope everything went well for you today"
jeffrey-wimberly wrote:Oh how I remember that commercial! My father and I laughed so hard at that our sides hurt. That guy in the commercial uses Tobasco the same way I do, on everything.
Found it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBEL1X0PCmk for those who want to watch this great 30-second spot.
Morning all Joe, I'll have a cup of you best coffee and a cople of scrambled eggs.
I made it through everything allright, I don't think they found anything. I was in recovery when the Dr. came in and talked to me so I really don't remember it. I plan on calling his office when they open this morning. I don't know why he wouldn't let me work tody, I feel allright. Oh well, maybe some traintime is in store for today. They are going to check my gall bladder next week with ultrasound and a stress test on the treadmill tommarrow. Man, are they trying to kill me or save me? LOL
So much of my blabbering, Joe set up my friends with a cup of coffee or what ever they are having. Mike
Thanks Mike! I'll have a big breakfast (hash and eggs) Joe.
And....Good to hear from you and know that all went well yesterday! Sounds like they are really doing a major inspection on you! The tread-mill / stress test, I can understand with your chest pain symptoms.....Maybe they just figure you're due for the rest too.
Talked to Phil (AZ Rock & Mineral) again this morning and have decided I'm going with the real thing for ballast. I need to "add up" the trackage that still needs ballast, along with all the proposed trackage and place an order today. I'm thinking that I will get most, if not all, I need now (Birthday money readily available and earmarked for the Trainroom) and have it on hand when ever I need it.
Thanks again for breakfast Mike! Think I'll take a cup of coffee to go and head for the Trainroom, calculator in hand.
Wow! Just you and me Joe! And I haven't been in for a while either.
Poor Squeaky is loosing money this week! I'm thinking I had better have a pitcher of something dark and a pizza too...Make it the house special..
Well....It's a done deal. I ordered about 35 lbs. (I think that was the final total) of ballast from AZ Rock & Mineral today! Amazing how much is needed when you start adding it all up. As it stands now, I'm going to have to deal with using the Woodland Scenics ballast for the remaining Sawyer Lumber trackage (about 35') as I have that already mixed in a coffee can and ready to go! I'll have to try to do some "discharging" while working that trackage! I'm thinking that maybe a heavy copper wire "plugged" into the foam at one end (grounding myself too) and plugged into the ground receptacle at the other end might do something!
On the other hand, I now have (on the way, at least) all of the ballast needed for the DM&IR and the CCRY mains. I had to estimate a substantial part (over half) of this trackage, as I don't have any of the lower level in place yet, but I'm thinking that this amount of ballast should pretty much take care of the entire trackplan.
Phil was in true form while ordering..."Well, if you don't have enough you can always get more....I'm thinking I'll be in businesses for a little while yet. And if you have too much...Hey, I've seen my stuff for sale at swaps, shows and auctions too." Gotta' love that kind of life outlook!
Morning all, Joe, I'll have a cup of coffee and a stack of pancakes with peanut butter.
Not mugh going on the RR this week, but a lot of going to the Dr. So far all good news, I haven't got the report on the stress test I took yesterday, I hope everything will be good.
colvin, good luck on the time consuming task of balasting. When I ballasted my tracks I went to the quarry and got 3 five gallon buckets of screenings, Got it home and had to wash it. After it was washed and dried, I then sifted it through various sizes of screen wire to get about 5 different grades and used it everywhere, from ballast to the different size rock on the mountains. Was defintally cheaper than buying it at Hobby Lobby since the kind people at the quarry did not charge me anything.
I see my breakfast is here. I will check in later. Mike
Howdy all...I'll take a tall, old, tap please...And set the house up too Joe!
Wow, Mike...How lucky to have a quarry near by that you can get "rock" at. Here, where I'm at on the "Range" the rock /sand is very magnetic (iron ore country) and we have NO quarries....Just Iron ore and taconite mines!
I do feel as though ballasting is my most "least fun" duty...But I'm thinking that with the real thing, it will go better!
Regarding "native" sand / dirt, I do have a number of grades of sifted sand, from VERY fine to Medium, that I use either on dirt roads, yards, hillsides and even on some spurs as ballast...But I really do have to rely on commercial ballast for the remaining roadbeds. Just a matter of where you live and what is locally available....I guess.
Howdy...I'll take a tall, old, tap please...And set the house Joe!
Regarding "native" sand / dirt, I do have a number of grades of sifted sand, from VERY fine to Medium, that I use either on dirt roads, yards, hillsides and even on some spurs as ballast...But I really do have to rely on commercial ballast for the remaining roadbeds. Just a matter of where you live and what is locally available.
Good morning, ladies and gents. Coffee, eggs and hash, with an English muffin, please. Yum.
I got up early this morning to have a few extra minutes to take my latest hydrocal casting from the mold. This is the first pour in my hexagonal cobblestone mold, the one I made from a section of plastic honeycomb used by beekeepers. I started with modelling clay and rolled it on the honeycomb (using the first "roller" I could get my hands on)
Here's the result, after I trimmed the edges a bit:
I used that clay "positive" to make a latex mold, using Woodland Scenics liquid latex:
That's it for the action photos. The casting came out great. This will probably be a test casting that I'll use to get the painting right. Meanwhile, I'll make up a couple of these a day (they're 2 1/2 by 6 inches) and fit them into place so I can do the whole paint job at once and have a uniform appearance.
Ibeamlicker wrote:Just a bottle of Hamden ale,please and get everyone else what they want.Mister b is that a full size can of primer your octagons look kinda big no?
Yes, they are larger than what I would consider the ideal prototype cobblestones. But, this is the size that the bees like, and I don't see any reason that cobbles couldn't look like this. It is a full-sized can of primer. The honeycombs are about 3/16 of an inch across.
I think this will "represent" cobbles pretty well, even though they are definitely bigger than I would expect to see in the steam or transition eras. They are actually not far from the "patio block" size I've seen at home improvement places.
Mister Beasley,
What you are doing there is very interesting. It brings another aspect to the hobby, regarding the beeswax, that I bet most people don't even think of.
And when it comes to being accurate in size, I don't think there really is a "one size fits all" in the stone industry. Pre-cast brick and blocks come in all shapes and forms in real life, so I don't thnk being prototypical here would really matter.
Good morning! I'll take a cup of coffee to go please.
It's been a little tense around here of late! I'm getting all of my "tax stuff" together to bring into the fellow that prepares for me. I gave up doing it myself years ago now, after making a mistake on a return and getting a letter from the IRS indicating that I owed additional thousands and that I should contact them immediately to settle this discrepancy! I really hate tax time! Part of it is that I don't keep as good of records as I should. Part of it is that I don't organize the records I do have very well. Part of it is that I disagree with how my government spends some of my money. Some of it is the unfairness in the tax codes. Part of it...Part of it...You get the picture.
So anyway, after a goodly portion of the past few days digging through piles of papers, receipts and so on....I'm actually going to spend some time in the Trainroom this morning escaping to the unreal world of the CCRY at Sawbill Junction where I'll work on Headstrom Lumber and Louie's Saloon.
Mr. Beasley, I like your cobblestone project. Seems like a pretty good approach to the need for paving / pavers. And, I have to agree with Squeaky that the size may not be all that relevant once it's down. Keep us posted with the progress...Please.
MrB, Great cobblestones. I can't wait to see the weathering job.
Sue
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
Coffee and a Mexican omelette, Joe, with some cornbread. Great, thanks. Boy, I've gotta get back here when the beer tap is flowin', instead of always the coffee pot!
Slow going so far on the cobbles. Between skiing every weekend, going to work and then bringing Annie to and from lacrosse events (she made Varsity!) I've had very little railroad time. I've been doing one-a-day's on casting the cobble sheets. The first one was good, but I had way to much water in the mix and the second came out soft. Oh, well, that will be my test sheet for painting and mortaring. Casting 3 was fine, and 4 is in the mold. I'll need one more to finish Farmers' Plaza, and then I can take a break. All of this started because my sister gave me a Woodland Scenics "Farmers' Market" figure set a year and a half ago, and I wanted a proper place to show them off.
(OK, I linked to an image of the Farmers Market set on Walthers. When I came here this morning, the image was replaced with a "Visit Walthers" message. Since when? Rats.)
I picked up some light speckled spray paint at Lowe's and took stuff outside to paint it. (Yay, warm weather!) When I opened up the can, there was no nozzle on top! Bah! So, that will mean another trip to Lowe's to replace it. More dagnabbed delays. I'm not really ready for production painting anyway, but it would have been nice to get it painted so I could see how it works with the mortaring and weathering.
But, I did get the trackwork fixed up, and the Hudson can now chug all the way around pulling its ancient passenger train. (Unfortunately, it's an old model of a passenger train, not a model of an old passenger train.)
Skiing again this weekend, probably the last of it for the season. The pleasant weather does a number on the snow cover, I'm afraid. Anyway, my copy of MR came in the mail yesterday, so I've got some reading material for the weekend. A friend gave me a gift card for Barnes & Noble for my birthday, so I've got a copy of John Allen's book on order there, too.
As I say at the close of my personal skiing newsletters - Keep your tips up!
Good morning... I missed last call last evening, I was working REAL late.
I've been checking the forum a bit this morning...Thinking I had better visit the Barn for a bite to eat...So a coffee and a big breakfast will do me this morning.
Our weather has gone the way of cold and wet today, so I hope to get some thing accomplished in the Trainroom today.
Have fun on the slops Mr. Beasley...Our snow is gone! Even the man-made stuff at Mount Itasca!
Mike...Hope that all is well with you! Haven't seen you for a while.
Whellp; here it is on page four. I sent Joe over to try and see if he could retrive it, but he got lost.
So, here comes Squeaky to the rescue!
Rub a dub bub a beer and a tub. Howabout a tub of beer? I likes it.
I have been playing with my trains, and have been swallowing some suds; And; And; crying when the things derail. It's just not fair. Put in all this work just to have them come apart, or not work at all.......
In the meantime, I hope Mike is doing alright. He hasn't been around for awhile