Elliotts Trackside Diner (est 1-1-07)

[GMTRacing]

Good Evening All,

      Even though the maritimes are a bit ahead of the rest of us, it's not quite Friday yet Der.

      Christmas did come a bit early though as we went to Morristown N.J. where they are scrapping 5 RS-11's and we were able to buy some very helpful parts for our museum RS-11 restoration project.

My trusty F-350 with the stairs in tow and the bed filled with cut levers, chairs, windows and mu bits for the project.

The elephant graveyard where the RS-11s' are being cut apart after removal of the useful bits (prime movers, trucks, generators, brake valves, etc). It's sad to see loco's in reasonable shape cut for scrap, but we can't save them all.

All in all a full days work but the parts replace parts of the ex NH 1402 that were badly damaged or simply missing when we got it. For all the grief they get, the folks doing the scrapping were very patient and very helpful. Like Tom Sawyer, they even let us help empty their picker crane truck into the dumpster so we could use it to pick our parts and lift them onto the trailer (very helpful when each stairs set weight about 400 lbs).

Well it's time for a shower and some sleep. This weekend we also get to lift our FA-1 back onto it's trucks so we can move it and get started on a repaint. Another cosmetic restoration but we just don't have the budget to get all these pieces fully restored and running. CUL,J.R.

[Paul W. Beverung]

Evening Gang: Last night I went out to feed our horse and found her down on her left side half way through the door to her stall. It looked like she had been there for some time trying to get up. We got her out, but I guess it was too much for her and she died. She was 34 years old. Today I buried her by some trees that she liked to stand under. We'll miss her. Not much else to report. No MRRing of course.

JR: Those appear to be the RS-11s from LTV Mining. They were in very good condition. It is fortunate for your group that you were able to get the parts you need. Only one small trailer load? Where was the KW? By the way those are great rock formations behind the F-350.

Dick: You're only now doing your first mowing of the yard. We've already mowed more then we did all last year. It didn't rian today and tomorrow is supposed to be clear. Saturday evening it's supposed to rain and then for the next several days until thurs when it's going to rain all day then in the evening again Friday. This is like Viet Nam during the monsoon season.

Gotta take a break for the Top Ten.

OzarkBelt: Welcome to the Dinner.

Well I think that I'll head for bed.

Good Night All

[philnrunt]

   Just wanted to mention the death of a real American hero today, Wally Schirra. Didn't sing, make movies or play sports, just a real funny and nice guy (met him at the Air Force Museum in Dayton some years back, very funny man) that put it on the line and got regular pay for it. I'll miss you Wally.

    SILVERSPIKE- Runtzpunkin is doing fine and dandy, she's just off to my left snoozing now. We had a busy day, it was a cool, sunny beautiful day, and we had company. Two of Amy's neices stayed with us due to their parents attending a funeral, and Runt reminds them of their deceased puppy, so she gets ALOT of attention. Tends to wear her out. Me too. They are 6 and 10, and they are nothing but energy, we also had our regular two, who are 7 and 8. Put them together and they could pull a coal drag without any problem. They worked out a routine on the trampoline today that had us rolling.

    Gonna work on the roof again tomorrow, or I guess today, hope to get it sealed for real. Gonna have some help so we can get it finished. Then I can repair a Korber auto plant that was semi -crushed by an  "unfortunate incident" that we shall not go into at this time.

     Y'all have a great weekend, and we will try to check back Sun night! 

    

[GMTRacing]

Good Morning All,

    A regular and the daily special please Zoe. Hope Bill's ok as he hasn't been in yet. Diner was on page to so maybe he got lost delivering the donuts.

 Paul - The prime movers and generators we already had, so no need for the KW. Besides the project is on a low budget and one doesn't bring an expensive motorhome to the wreckers and then try to cry poverty to get the cost of the parts down, right? We use the F350 all the time for local delivery/travel and it's a rocket compared to the KW. The open trailer we borrowed from a friend of the museum.

Phil - Do you have any pics of the Korber auto plant (even "modified") I like the Acme Nut and Bolt kit and would entertain another kit from them.

Lots to do today and if I'm to be at the lift of the FA tomorrow I best be getting on with it. Cheers, J.R.

Additional links for the ex LTV/ME RS-11's

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/500/elephant_graveyard_014.jpg

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/500/thumbs/elephant_graveyard_001.jpg

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/500/thumbs/elephant_graveyard_002.jpg

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/500/thumbs/elephant_graveyard_003.jpg

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/500/thumbs/elephant_graveyard_009.jpg

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/500/thumbs/elephant_graveyard_010.jpg

[Fergmiester]

Morning All

Another Briny Ocean Tossed morning here on the high seas. We are presently 250nm NE off St John's and doing our thing. We deployed one deep sea morring yesterday that was 2000 metres (approx 1 1/4 mile long) in length. Has an array of instruments for measuring current, temps, salinity, etc at various depths. Once the 3000 lb anchor was let go took close to an hour for it to hit the bottom! BTW the Anchors we use are old train wheels as each one weighs 750lbs. Once they're dropped we never see them again.

Speaking of trains, I'm just about finished the locos as all that is required is clearcoat. Once that is down I'll assemble them and pack them up for the trip home.

Anyway Must run as we have more moorings to do today

 

Later All

Fergie

[wetidlerjr]

 

Good morning ! from Indiana.

05-04-07

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning and top 'o' the day to all of ye.

It's very quiet here the day after the storms, too quiet. What's next?

Today's Weather for:  
Sundown, LA  71446-6114      5/4/2007 
 
Sundown Fire Dept., Station 23

Wind Chill:  68°F
Humidity:  96%
Dew Point:  67°F
 
So Far Today
High:  68°F
Low:  64°F
Rain:  0.07"
Rain Rate:  0.00"/h
Gust:  7mph SE
 
Today  High: 85    Partly sunny. A 20 percent chance of showers in the morning. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds around 10 mph.  

Tonight  Low: 70    Mostly cloudy. Lows around 70. Southeast winds around 10 mph.

For breakfast today I'll have the bacon and eggs.

[grayfox1119]

Good morning to all.....only 53F here this morning as this cool Canadian High settles southward...it will hit 60's by noontime though, and VERY DRY.....brush fires are popping up all over the place again due to windy conditions and extremely dry air. In fact, it is so dry here that I saw a May Fly putting skin cream on!!!

Headed for Hardware store later today to get latches for swing-down gate, and next door to lumber yard to get more blue foam..HD only has the PINK stuff, and that really doesn't do it for me.

Lots of yard work still to do, maintenance on tractors, changing oil etc, cutting the lawn for the 1st time, planting 100 strawberry plants, getting the seeds planted in early started boxes inside house...you guys all know the drill.

FERGIE: That is amassing that it takes that long for 750 lbs to sink to the bottom, but then again, you are in real deep waters, and the bouyancy changes with depth. Is the data xmitted from the depths to the ship or to shore stations?

On your loco.....do you paint or spray the clearcoat? On the entire loco or just over the decals?

Time to get moving.....lots to do....see you guys at lunch..

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good Morning, Diners!

and Good Mooring, Fergie!

Fergie.... good to hear of the progress. Do you have a 2-10-2 still or is it to be converted to a 2-10-4?  I don't think I follwoed your posts very well.

Paul......... Sorry about your horse. I'm sure it's a sad time for you.

Duke ...... We return to MI from time to time and try including Frankenmuth. It's one of those tradition things for us. We normally eat at Zehnder's, but Bavarian Inn has always been just as good. At Zender's, we sometimes eat in the small "Cowpath room".  This time, however, we were in the dining room straight back from the main entrance. A favorite item in the bakery is apple struedel. Yum! We normally do not stop at Bronners.  It's quite the place, but we have plenty of Christmas decoration stuff.

Speaking of MI...  Anybody thinking of attending the NMRA convention in July?  I'm considering doing so.

Dick...........  lots of strawberry plants, eh.........  Any chance you grow ruhbarb, too?

Happy Model Railroading!

[ModelTrainLover]

while on the topic of conventions. The National Narrow Gauge Convention will be held in August at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad in Portland, Maine

talk to ya later

Colby 

[Cox 47]

Good Morning All...I'll have a cup of coffee and one of Bill's dougnuts please ...Thank you...Today looks like a rerun of yesterday cloudy damp and cool had a little thundersorm a few minutes ago.....Not doing much railroading watching some WW 2 stuff on History Channel...

Paul....Sorry to hear about your horse but 34 years is a long time for a horse...

GMT....Sounds like you got a lot of parts you needed to bad you couldn't just go down to the hobby shop and pick up a couple of packs of Detail parts LOL

Jeff.....Nice weathering job on tank car ...How did you do tagging is it a decal? or did you free hand it?

You all have a good one....Jerry

[Cox 47]

Looks like I am buying again!! Get the apron out girls I'll be helping with the dishes...Order up and enjoy.....Jerry

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Jeff.....Nice weathering job on tank car ...How did you do tagging is it a decal? or did you free hand it?

That one is a Blair Line decal that I picked up at the LHS. The next one I use will be one I print myself. Those Blair Line decals are unbelievably fragile and tear very easily. That one broke into 7 pieces before it even came off the sheet.

[cheese4432]

 

Is now!

It's a bit chilly this morning though I exspect it to warm up this afternoon.

 

I'll have that powered long john with the chocolate icing, with bacon, a costco size blueberry muffin with a glass of orange juice.

 

And I hope I'll have time today to fix that little up and down part on the curve.

[grayfox1119]

Good noontime everyone.....just a grinder for me...too much do, not very hungry, but plenty thirsty...it is DRY out. RED FLAG is up for fire warnings all over central and northern New England.

GARRY: You guessed correctly , we have about 12 Rhubarb plants in the garden up back, and they take such little care to raise, being perennials, plant them once and that is it, every year you get plenty of Rhubarb, I can usually get two crops during the Summer.

PAUL: Sorry to hear about your horse.....think back 34 years to when your first got the horse, what were your doing, how time goes by so fast.

JEFF: Do you remember fighting brush and woodland fires with pump tanks on your back? Back in 1955 when I was 16, I was a volunteer firefighter in town on the auxillary squad, we would cover the town/s between noontime and 5pm after school when the regulars were at their fulltime jobs. I caught many a bad cold doing that job....the tanks were filled with cold water, and we would be sweating bullets in the woods...the next day we have a terrific cold. Now we have tankers and miles of 1 1/2 lines.

DER JOHN: Now you know you can't eat that stuff, your GL level will go through the roof, leave all that sweet stuff for Colby, he is hungry as a bear when he gets into the Diner after school.

Anyone seen RYAN today? I was watching TV and I thought I saw him in Williamsburg, VA with the Queen of England who is visiting the first English Colony in America, Jamestown, VA. I hope his boss doesn't see him on TV.

I was talking with FLIP, the fire in Florida is about 30 miles away, but he sees the smoke. I think relief is on the way for both Florida and Georgia this weekend with rain.

Well, time to get outside to work...see you guys later,

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Hello everybody

Dick......  sounds like there will be zillions of strawberry ruhbarb pies this year.  Keep on gardening.

Everyone:   Does site maintenance mean the diner is closed or what?

[jeffrey-wimberly]

JEFF: Do you remember fighting brush and woodland fires with pump tanks on your back? Back in 1955 when I was 16, I was a volunteer firefighter in town on the auxillary squad, we would cover the town/s between noontime and 5pm after school when the regulars were at their fulltime jobs. I caught many a bad cold doing that job....the tanks were filled with cold water, and we would be sweating bullets in the woods...the next day we have a terrific cold. Now we have tankers and miles of 1 1/2 lines.

I've done that, many times. They're called Indian packs, and I carried many a one into woods and forest fires. We carry 1,200 feet of hose on each pumper truck, 500 feet on the tanker and 250 feet on the brush truck. Even with all that it's sometimes nessacary to break out the Indian packs. Our first ones were metal mounted on backpack frames, the ones we have now are canvas and plastic. Much lighter and easier to carry.

I stopped at the Sundown fire station on my way back from town a little while ago and found that the station had taken a major lightning strike last night. It hit the service box on the outside of the building, causing the box to explode. I found pieces of it (big pieces) scattered in an almost straight line out from the building to a distance of about thirty feet. Upon examining the phone lines inside the station I found that all the connections were blown apart and the lines were melted. This is looking like a total rewire. Also their computer took part of the hit. It was plugged into the biggest, baddest surge protector that Dell sells and still got hit. The port in the protector where the phone line goes in is burned and melted. This was a really big strike! One of my fellow fire fighters asked me if that phone line was grounded. I told him the same thing that many professional electrical techs have told me. There's no such thing as a grounded phone line. As far as I know that's not possible without degrading the service. I've worked on many homes and businesses as an electricians apprentice and I know a lot about electrical application and safety. I rewired my own home when I rebuilt it and it and it passed as surpassing code, no problem. My main wiring, breaker box and outlets are earth grounded. My trailer has been hit several times with little or no damage.

[bjdukert]

Garry

Speaking of MI... Anybody thinking of attending the NMRA convention in July? I'm considering doing so.

I am planning to go on Sat for the train show but won't make the convention.

Duke

[cheese4432]

Well I better hurry up with my school so I can fix the drailment problem. I'll  have a grizzly bear with a glass of water will be fine.

 

And yes I think the diner will be closed for the next two days for mainteneace.

But if you are not a subscriber you will be able to view subcriber only stuff.

[grayfox1119]

JEFF: Those Indian packs sure sound a lot lighter than those beasts that we carried through the woods, and I'll bet they are insulated better against that cold water on a sweating back!!!

That electrical strike must have really been a loud crash! We had a very similar strike 3 years ago in August. There is a high tension tower line 400 feet behind the house that crosses over the hill we are on, and a lightening bolt either hit the tower or a tree near the lines. The flash of lightening was so bright ( daytime) that it blinded me for a minute, and the thunder clap was immediate, so I knew the strike was nearby. It took out two TV's, the MB on my PC, the comm board on my wife's PC, the portable Phone, one garage door controller. There were sparks coming from several outlets in the lower level of the house. I had an APC UPS system for my PC and the wife's, so they covered the MB. I have since found that it was a ground strike, and it lifted the ground from 0 volts to some higher voltage which caused all the trouble. I now have an APC lightening protector on the Cable line and the phone line is protected by the APC UPS system.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 I had an APC UPS system for my PC and the wife's, so they covered the MB. I have since found that it was a ground strike, and it lifted the ground from 0 volts to some higher voltage which caused all the trouble. I now have an APC lightening protector on the Cable line and the phone line is protected by the APC UPS system.

The surge protector that was blown out at the fire station was an APC also, the biggest, baddest one they make. It's totally fried.

[SilverSpike]

Anyone seen RYAN today? I was watching TV and I thought I saw him in Williamsburg, VA with the Queen of England who is visiting the first English Colony in America, Jamestown, VA. I hope his boss doesn't see him on TV.

I Well, time to get outside to work...see you guys later,

Darn it again!

Dick, you got some kinda covert operation going on here? I mean you seem to know exactly where I am and what I am doing at all times....

 

[pcarrell]

YUP!

And it's about ridin' weather!

 

I see Jeff already has his scooter out!  Now he just has to work on riding it!

[JimRCGMO]

Good evening, Chloe - Jerry still doing dishes in the back, or did he get caught up yet? I'll just have root beer float, please.   If I had one of those dagwood sandwiches like Jeff had yesterday, I'd have to save half of it for dinner!

A pretty good day at work - was doing well until one of the support staff who answer the phone said something to me about it being a "quiet day." I told her we don't say that word around here. Sure enough, few minutes later we got several crisis situations to deal with. I strongly admonished her about that, so hopefully she won't do that again... This afternoon after I got to go to lunch was better.

My supervisor mentioned to me that she'd noticed I was a bit more frazzled than usual this week. She asked how soon I'll be able to take my licensure exam, and offered some ways that they could help me arrange to do that without lots of delay, so I could do something besides crisis work. Nice that she at least recognizes it. 

I have a troublesome problem with my 'puter tonight - the left arrow keycap on my PowerBook cracked, and I haven't been able to figure how to get a new keycap on the mechanism, which makes it difficult for anything using the left arrow. Actually, I replaced the levers mechanism from a former keyboard and got that in place okay, but the keycap went flying earlier this evening, and I need to go hunt it down and try to get it to stay on (again).

Ryan, you have to remember, Dick has all that spare time on his hand, and probably knows all the ins and outs of how to work Google Earth, so he can keep tabs on your whereabouts. Well, that's unless the Queen Mum tipped him off...

Good to see that the Cardinals won today (sorry for any Astro fans out there...). 

Monday is payday, but if I figured correctly, the direct depo$it will have to be processed tonight after the bank closes for the night - so (based on my past experiences) that means the paycheck will be available in my account Sat. morning. [whew] But just in case, I have enough cash to do laundry tomorrow morning...

Well, the late news is on, so I'll head out for the evening. Prayers for everyone's weekend and good health.

 

Blessings,

Jim in Cape Girardeau 

[Paul W. Beverung]

Evening Gang: I got the railroad grass and weeds mowed and was reminded about how many ties I have to replace. I out out a car load of ties in January and haven't been able to get back to doing anything with them. Now after all the rain I have to round some of them up from where the run off washed them.

I think that I will head for bed. I'm tired and it's late. Tomorrow I'll go over to my friends and give him a hand getting ready for the live steam meet next month.

Good Night All 

[grayfox1119]

RYAN: That Cape Jim is one smart dude, he has figured out one method we employ here at the Diner to keep tabs on everyone....Google Earth. The satellite shots are remarkably accurate. Last week we saw MIKE out rototilling his garden, we saw JEFF surveying the damage at the Fire Station, we saw DER JOHN out taking a walk, and we actually saw FERGIE's ship out at sea. BTW, GREAT PIC of you and the Queen mom.

JEFF: Seeing you had an  APC, you are covered by their insurance guarantee to anything plugged into the outlets that are protected.

Time to hit the sack, see you guys in the morning,

[cheese4432]

It didn't warm up this afternoon But then again we didn't have to turn the fans on either so there was less nois and tha's always a plus. I finally got the up and down part fixed now I need to make some more supports for the up part of the grade and the inner loop needs some to because of the pair of turnouts that joins the mainlines.

 

For supper I'll have some waffles with strawbeery sauce and some maple syrup on the side please. For a drink I'll have some sprite and skip dessert tonight I think the strawberries will be sweet enough thank you. 

[inch53]

Mornin, just some coffee for now Janie,

Still got rain forecast for here today, so nothins got done on the garden or other outside chores. Suppose to end by this evening an clear some for a couple days, maybe I can get the yard mowed atleast.

DICK,, the railfannings chances been mighty slim lately with the weather, chores, n kids, so no new pics. Still take the camera when we go some place, just not many good shots around.

GARRY,, sounds like you had a good trip, even with the weather. If'en you ever go through Terre Haute, In., theres a great german resterant the "Bierdstub" to try. Me n mother get over there every so often. Prices kinda high, but the food is great

GMT, glad ya'll found some parts, sounds like an ok outfit to deal with. Thanks for the pics too.

JEFF, lighting can do some damage. Had a strick when I was working at a feed store. Lighting hit the pole with the transformers on it, blowed one off, and fried the boxes in the mill and warehouse. Guess we were lucky it burn the place down.

Been trying to get some wiring done on the layout, but the weathers got the arthur acting up, so it's hard to get round under the layout. I best get round ta chores, if I want any play time. Hope ya'll has a gooden n stay dry

inch

[wetidlerjr]

Good morning ! from Indiana.

05-05-07

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 

JEFF: Seeing you had an  APC, you are covered by their insurance guarantee to anything plugged into the outlets that are protected.

That's right. Dell is sending out a technician to fix the system, no charge. We found out last night that the insurance on the APC will pay for ALL the lightning damage in the station. Lines, phones, everything. We don't have to pay a cent!

JEFF, lighting can do some damage. Had a strick when I was working at a feed store. Lighting hit the pole with the transformers on it, blowed one off, and fried the boxes in the mill and warehouse. Guess we were lucky it burn the place down.

You're right about that, for sure. I've seen quite a few homes and businesses get burned down due to lightning strikes. We actually had a strike that was helpful one time though. At the top of the road I live down there used to be a really flaky transformer. It hummed really load all the time, came over our radios and tv's, interferring with the signals and would trip anytime a thunder storm came around, but the electric utility insisted that there was nothing wrong with it. One night a thunder storm rolled in and within the first 2 minutes a lightning bolt hit that tranformer. It exploded and took the top eight feet off the pole. The electric utility replaced the pole and put up a new transformer and we haven't heard a peep out of it and the radio and tv signals are clear.

======================================================================

Good morning and top 'o' the day to all of ye.

Today's Weather for:  
Sundown, LA  71446-6114      5/5/2007 

Sundown Fire Dept., Station 23
 
Heat Index:  80°F
Humidity:  89%
Dew Point:  72°F
 
So Far Today
High:  76°F
Low:  75°F
Rain:  0.00"
Rain Rate:  0.00"/h
Gust:  9mph SSE
 
Today  High: 88    Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 80s. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph. 
 
Tonight  Low: 70    Mostly cloudy. Lows around 70. Southeast winds around 10 mph.