Elliotts Trackside Diner (est 1-1-07)

[ModelTrainLover]

Morning guys.

Happy Father's Day or Happy Grand Father's Day (it depends which one you chose)

I'll be in and out today.

 

[Fergmiester]

CFO wasn't too happy with me when she saw the camera

Duke

They never are! Amazing mine hasn't burst into flames or melted with some of the looks I've gotten!

Ed: I'll try again and even reroute through home e-mail. Shipboard system is quirk when it comes to Hotmail.

 

Well not much to report except the FOG horn is blairing again! We had an excellent afternoon of Whale Watching as a pod of Humpbacks played all around us. One or two even jumped clear of the water! Missed it by split second as I only have one of them 1/2 way out.

Anyway Salt Cod, Pork Scraps and onions, a real crowd pleaser, for lunch so I must be off.

 

Later All

Fergie

[rtraincollector]

happy fathers day yall, hope its i good one for the dads, and hope you treat your dads nice for every one else

i just pulled an alnighter watchin MacGyver(is it sad that im 14 and i know who MacGyver is and actualy like the show?)i need some pine nuts and good pine cones.  and whats the name of the natural gum that comes from pinetrees? ohh, and some matches

Well I see why you failed 8th grade. Your life but a few in here including myself will tell you your really messing yourself up you'll learn but it will be too late then.

[PA Belt]

happy fathers day yall, hope its i good one for the dads, and hope you treat your dads nice for every one else

i just pulled an alnighter watchin MacGyver(is it sad that im 14 and i know who MacGyver is and actualy like the show?)i need some pine nuts and good pine cones.  and whats the name of the natural gum that comes from pinetrees? ohh, and some matches

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning.

Today's Weather for:  
Sundown, LA  71446-6114      6/17/2007 

Sundown Fire Dept., Station 23
 
Heat Index:  77°F
Humidity:  95%
Dew Point:  70°F
 
So Far Today
High:  72°F
Low:  70°F
Rain:  0.00"
Rain Rate:  0.00"/h
Gust:  3mph ESE
 
Today  High: 90    Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs around 90. Light and variable winds.  

Tonight  Low: 70    Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows around 70. Light and variable winds.

The breakfast bar is open!

 

[inch53]

Mornin, just some coffee Janie and a sweet roll

A good DADDY DAY to all the dads here, hope ya has a good one.

Mother come home with one of the grandkids last night, she's staying for the week

Another hot one here, mid 90's and higher humidity. They're talking a chance of rain today [10%] tomorrow [30%] into Tuesday [40%] of scattered thunderstorms, no good general rainfall

JIM CG,, you right on the lens, that what it is. I haven't used one since high school. I'm hoping it helps me get some better telephoto train pics.

ED, the Kodak does good on trains n grandkids, but I still like film better. I found a place for film that I can download my pics onto my puter, plus they send me prints and a new roll of film for $5 per roll. That's less than Wally world prices.

Need ta gets started on some outside chores, before it gets to hot for me. May get in some train time this afternoon, hoping anyway. Ya'll have a gooden n take cares

inch

[wetidlerjr]

Good morning ! from Indiana.

06-17-07

[pcarrell]

That top-of-page thing is kind of like Murphy's laws. When you don't want TOP honors, you get 'em, but if you're trying to get it, someone else will hit it first.

YA DON'T SAY................

[Hoople]

Have fun with your LHS trip - if they have a sale on the passenger cars you could get those, but I myself would hold off it it isn't on sale. My , anyway. How far along are you on the benchwork and track supports, by the way? 

 

Does a 4x8' Sheet of playwood 1" of foam sound done? Sounds like it to me. Besides that, I have E-Z track mixed with atlas, atlas on Homasote. Oh and benchwork= 21/2'x8' fold up table. with 3/4 ply, its all good.

Oh and under 18 get a 10% discount on everything.

 

Mark

 

[Paul W. Beverung]

Eveing Gang:

Hoople you did very well on those grades. Keep that up and you'll have a future that will alow for lots of MRR stuff. Yea I'd keep that Big Boy too. It's a great keep sake. Maybe some time in the furture you will get it running.

I spent the afternoon and evening at the meet. John did all the running with my locomotive. It ran very well and the two gons did great. We had 2 derailments that were very easy to take care of. I left the floors loose so when it does derail you just take out a seat and the floor panel  and reach down to the truck. Grab an axle and lift it back on to the track then do the other and put the floor and seat back in and go. There was a good turn out and everyone did alot of running. The triditional track side dinner was very good and catered by Terry's son, Tommy. Tomorrow most of the folks will be packing up and heading home. A great time was had by all.

Jake: to the dinner. Join in and have fun.

Well bed time.

Good Night All

[PA Belt]

JIM-im to lazy to go to summer school, i dont realy learn much at school

[egmurphy]

Just a couple of quick responses before I turn in.

We've got a Kodak CD33 and like it. Does ok for a cheap digital

Let's say "inexpensive" instead of cheap.  Better vibes.  And with 3.1mp it has plenty of resolution if your primary interest is railfanning and posting on the internet.  Should be good enough to print up to 11x14.  And it has a 3x optical zoom too.  Not a bad package for $100.  Kodak digital products are okay.  I have a DX6440, which is only 4.0mp.  Does everything I need.

Where do they have your MRR'ing conference in Mexico? Maybe you can find some bargains if they have a trade show like ones up here NOTB do. Better soak up all the cooler weather while you're up in Nova Scotia, and see how much you can fit in the suitcase on the return flight.

 

The convention is in Aguascalientes this year.  That's close to the center of the country.  But it's a haul from here because there is no good direct route.  It used to be an important rail center.  Still sees lots of traffic, but the shops and loco servicing facilities are mostly gone.

Doubt that I'll find anything there.  Even though this is a national convention it really is about as big as a relatively small local show up north.  But I attend mostly to see friends and because it's about the only show in town down here, so to speak.  Since I'll be stopping off in Houston on the way, I get to stop in at my (not so Local) Hobby Shop.  Plus I have some stuff that I ordered from on-line dealers waiting at my daughter's house.

I'm actually going to Newfoundland, which involves flying over Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.  But I don't touch down there or I'd try to see John and Fergie.

JP - see separate email on fruit.

Okay, that about does it.

Hasta mañana

Ed

[JimRCGMO]

Hey, Mark - lucky for you, we both were on JP's tab. That top-of-page thing is kind of like Murphy's laws. When you don't want TOP honors, you get 'em, but if you're trying to get it, someone else will hit it first.

Have fun with your LHS trip - if they have a sale on the passenger cars you could get those, but I myself would hold off it it isn't on sale. My , anyway. How far along are you on the benchwork and track supports, by the way? 

Well, I'll get on out for tonight. Later!

 

Jim in Cape Girardeau 

[Hoople]

THANKS JIM AND JOHN... HAD TO GO POST BEFORE I COULD FINISH!

Well guys, dinner/dessert and maybe breakfast is on me then. Go easy, I need to raid the LHS.

[Hoople]

Looks like I'm still youngest in the Coffee Shop. Oh well. I don't mind.

Well I already had dinner, so I'll just have a coke.

I wonder where my E9 is (According to others its most likely and E9)... Don't worry. I'll only whine until it comes. Hopefully that will be soon. Maybe I should make my freightcar raid I've been planning... Or get some passenger cars. The citizens of cripple creek don't like riding in a caboose... Maybe I should get scenery... Let's see...

Freight car raid:

I could get probably 7-8 cars. I wonder if mantua is still 50% off.

Passenger car raid:

Maybe the LHS finally has some daylight cars. Probably not... might as well get those UP ones.

Scenery:

Lets see... Backdrop, cement plant, gravel, ground foam X2, trees, retaining walls X2, yeah I think thats it. Maybe enough for a freight car or two.

I'll have fun with choosing. I guess I should call my best friend who also likes trains... He can help. (Wait he'll say passenger cars and I know it...) Maybe we could both go and raid! YEAH!

Well I'll sit in the corner booth talking to myself for awhile. Ah Chloe, thanks for the coke.

Mark

[JPowell]

Ed - My customer is interested to know if you'd like to sell him a carload mixed w/ bananas, mangos, and papayas. Let me know.... thanks!

Sure, the FCVN is always interested in smuggling, make that shipping, local produce up north.  I could throw in some containers of yogurt and you'd have a smoothie on wheels.  I'm sure our acct reps can cut you a good deal.  Hey, maybe we could trade for strawberries.....

Hope you enjoy your course.  Stop in when you have a chance.

Ed

Ed - My customer would like you to make up a combination carload of all 3 items. Let me know when you're going to ship it and by who (my guess is you have a interchange w/ KCS yes?) and have them foreward it to CSX for direct drop here in Syracuse and I'll make sure my crew is waiting at the yard for it. I'll have my accounts clerk email yours on Monday for the bill, since she's off for the weekend. If you'd rather exchange your fruits for a carload of strawberries, give me till late next weekend as the farm I got mine from today said their 2nd field will be ready to start harvesting in ernest come next weekend. I'll contact the owner Monday and tell her that the crop is already sold, if you want a carload of these delicious berries!

[JimRCGMO]

Good Evening, Janie - I'd like another of those tasty root beer floats, please.

Thank you, JP!

Jake - I see a lot of the crew has greeted you already. Have a beverage of your choice on me - Janie, put it on my tab (but the rest of my stuff on JP's...) Nice loco there, Jake - is that an 0-8-0? If so, that's a good size switcher to have.

PA Belt, sorry to hear about the 8th grade - will you be able to make things up in the summer? I know not every school has that option if a student's missed only part of their work. Best wishes on getting things up to speed again, though.

Jeff, lay low until that storm passes by! No need to risk computer, life or limb - the posts will be good to read tomorrow, too! Oh, since others were showing where they were (relativel), I'm here (the red circle near the very top):

 

We're kind of dry here, but I don't think they're talking any rain until the start of the w**kweek (and then, only 'isolated thunderstorms' - so probably just summer afternoon pop-up storms if that). It was plenty warm today, I think it reached 94 F, and the humidity is up some.

JP, have a good trip and as Ed said, write when you get a chance. Two years for a promotion?

Mike, I recognize that 67 mm. lens you got at the yard sale. The 67 mm is your filter size - the lens is a Vivitar 70-210 mm. Macro Zoom (can do close-ups and also from a slight telephoto to a long one)! If it's the Series One model (most of those were), it should have pretty sharp optics on it . There's a ring on the barrel that you move to shift from macro (close-up) range to the telephoto range. I think you pull it toward you to go into macro mode, but it's been a while, so not for sure. I had one of those (in a Canon mount) when I still had my 35 mm. cameras. Good shopping there!

Duke, nice pics from St. Louis - the first one, I was thinking "Is that the Arch and it's a cloudy day, or some stone pillar?" Then I looked at the others... (Duh!) Glad we got to talk on the phone, at least. We should be able to do better next time, since I have a couple of days a week when I see my outpatient clients (and have a regular lunchtime).

Ed, good that your ISP got things reconnected so quickly. Where do they have your MRR'ing conference in Mexico? Maybe you can find some bargains if they have a trade show like ones up here NOTB do. Better soak up all the cooler weather while you're up in Nova Scotia, and see how much you can fit in the suitcase on the return flight....

Speaking of NS, anyone heard (email or otherwise) from Luc lately? May need to get out the search dogs to track him down.

Went by the in-town LHS this afternoon (on the way back from post office), and visited/looked to see if they had any new books (don't think so). He said on the Thomas the Engine recall, the company's sent out four different memos to the dealers, and they contradict each other... I also found a Microscale car data decal set they had marked down to 50 cents, so I got that.

That's all of my news for now - not any MRR'ing w**k done today, but I might tomorrow (if I get the dining room table cleared off). I have some Accurail hopper car kits and some Athearn kits I might see about putting together. Need to do that so I can make my own coal loads for the hoppers. 

Everyone take care and see you tomorrow! 

 

Blessings and prayers,

Jim in Cape Girardeau (and the air conditioners are humming...) 

[inch53]

Evening all, I'll take it easy on JP and just have barley pop, Mother's been gone all day to a doings up in Albany, so I fixed me a T-bone steak for supper

Haven't been round much this week, nothing really to talk about, just kids, baseball n chores. They did get Clyde n Heathers modular home set and with luck they'll be living it next week. Them n the kids are sure happy to be back on the home place since the fire I've got a little train time in, got my wooden bridge done and some more ground cover down, nothing worth a photo yet. I also got the frame work done for my drawer control panel finished and bout ready to start marking tracks n wiring.

Gardens doing ok so far, we've had to water it a couple times now. We're under the same conditions as a lot of folks, very dry. Water districts are asking people not to water their yards or gardens [we have our own well]. Lakes n ponds are starting to get low. Hard to believe we started May 3" ahead, now we're 3" short.

Did get to go yard saleing some before Mother had to leave, no trains, but did pick these cameras up. The Minolta leather case [left] for $2 and a Pentax for $75, including Vivitar 67 mm lens [bout $150 on Ebay], flash and tripod [$100+]

Don't think I did to bad, now for some rail fanning. Better get some more film first

Talked to RT Friday evening, good to hear from him. I'd a talked longer, but #1 daughter called

BOB K, COLBY an GARRY, liked your pics this week.

BIGHEAD, I see you already receive some welcomes and I hope you enjoy your visits here. I model HO also and collect trains of bout every kind and size. We've got a Kodak CD33 and like it. Does ok for a cheap digital

JP,, hope your training goes well and you get to check in some.

DUKE, it's not wise to upset the CFO. We've been by the arch a bunch times, but have never been in it. I think I'll pas though, claustrophobic.

Best gets round gotta couple things to finish up afore dark. May get over n get some pics of a couple old NYC, Cairo line [abandoned] bridges, that are [or were] still standing hopefully tomorrow, might even get in some trains pics out back. Hope ya'll has a gooden n stay cool

inch

[jeffrey-wimberly]

In short, everything you can talk about on the forum and a bunch of stuff that you can't talk about 'out there' without being booed for being off-topic. Nothing is off-topic here.

With the proviso that we tend to stay away from politics, and/or open discussions of religion, and that we tend to keep the discussions G rated. 

Absolutely.

[egmurphy]

Good Afternoon Coffee Clubbers

Another beautiful (if rather hot) day down here in Paradise.     Spent most of yesterday out at the orange grove doing last minute maintenance before leaving town next week.  I was fortunate in being able to "convince" Junior to help out with the work.  I'm sure glad I don't have to run that grove as a real business.  Too much like work.  But it is fun to have as a hobby.

Not much progress to report on the loco I'm trying to remodel.  Starting to look like it will have to wait until we get back from the vacation to get completed.  I hope I remember where all the screws go at that time. 

Are you going to be able to visit John in Northern NS, or LUC and Fergie in the coastal south area? At least you will be cooler up there.

Unfortunately, no.  I'd love to make the trip driving so that I could drop in on a number of Coffee Shop friends along the way, but I think such a trip would require a couple of months.  We fly Houston to Newark, then Newark to St Johns.

Ed: e-mail is on it's way with the answers you are looking for.

Fergie, never received the email.  Any chance you could resend it?

Ed - My customer is interested to know if you'd like to sell him a carload mixed w/ bananas, mangos, and papayas. Let me know.... thanks!

Sure, the FCVN is always interested in smuggling, make that shipping, local produce up north.  I could throw in some containers of yogurt and you'd have a smoothie on wheels.  I'm sure our acct reps can cut you a good deal.  Hey, maybe we could trade for strawberries.....

Hope you enjoy your course.  Stop in when you have a chance.

Ed: never got to talk to you, I had been following the progress of your layout some time ago. You must be close to completing the scenery by now.

I wish.  Unfortunately work is advancing at a speed approaching zero.  I'm going to see if I can get myself motivated after getting back from Canada and after attending the national railfan and model railroading convention down here.

I enjoy hearing about the orange industry. Even when I lived in So Cal over 20 years ago, and was surrounded by groves, It never dawned on me how much is involved the industry is. Ahh, that great smell of the blossoms, never can forget it. Have a safe trip to Houston

California citrus growing is really big business.  There's a lot of citrus products grown down here too, but it's not anywhere near as advanced (speaking of technique, equipment, etc) as up in California or Florida.  Hard to get good information or advice, there doesn't seem to be any equivalent of the state or county agricultural agents that are so common in farming areas up north where you can go to for advice, counsel, soil testing etc.

 

Welcome to The Coffee Shop, Jake. 

In short, everything you can talk about on the forum and a bunch of stuff that you can't talk about 'out there' without being booed for being off-topic. Nothing is off-topic here.

With the proviso that we tend to stay away from politics, and/or open discussions of religion, and that we tend to keep the discussions G rated. 

Lost signal from our ISP for several hours last night.  Fortunately they seem to have repaired the problem overnight.  Hope things stay stable this evening.

Hasta luego

Ed

[bighead]

Anyone up for dinner? After that i'm headin' on down to the layout

[bighead]

---

Well now 9th...

[bighead]

Your in 8th?  I am to. =]

[PA Belt]

lets see, um, i failed 8th grade, im buying a Ninja 250R murder bike, and i had and dumped a girl friend, other wise, its all been the same

[Hoople]

hey yall, im back, to a hiatus on my layout and the internet, whats new?

Welcome back.

What's new? Well the good grades aren't...

I got out of school...

And I am now impatiently waiting for my Proto 2000 Southern Pacific Daylight E8/9...

[myred02]

Hate to chat and run, but there's this big ugly storm coming my way.

See the red circle? I'm in the center of that. See the stuff south of me? It's heading NNE at a fair clip and I don't want to be online when it gets here. Bye for now.

Wow, hope it's not too nasty!

As for that bigger red circle up in Kentucky, I'm in the middle of that. I hope we get some of that rain soon because, like Garry said, the Bluegrass is turning brown!

-Brandon

[PA Belt]

hey yall, im back, to a hiatus on my layout and the internet, whats new?

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Hate to chat and run, but there's this big ugly storm coming my way.

See the red circle? I'm in the center of that. See the stuff south of me? It's heading NNE at a fair clip and I don't want to be online when it gets here. Bye for now.

[bjdukert]

Afternoon all

Been awhile since I have posted but I have been in the corner booth. The CFO and I took a bike trip(motorcycle) down to St. Louis last week and thought you might be interested in some of what I saw. I did talk with JimCG one morning but our schedules didn't let things work out so that we could get together,but it was nice to put a voice with the name.

OK,without further adue I will post a few at a time so that hopefully those on dialup won't have too long to wait.

CFO wasn't too happy with me when she saw the camera

More to come.

Best to all on sick call and those recovering

That's about it

Talk to you later

Duke

[pcarrell]

Hi Jake!

I see you've already met a few of the regulars.  Nice steamer BTW.

Gotta run right now, but I wantd to say hey.......HEY!

Later!