Good morning.Today's Weather for:Sundown, LA 71446-6114 10/30/2007
Wind Chill: 51°FHumidity: 90%Dew Point: 49°F
So Far TodayHigh: 57°FLow: 52°FRain: 0.00"Rain Rate: 0.00"/hGust: 7mph NNE
Today High: 78 Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. Light and variable winds.
Tonight Low: 52 Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s. Light and variable winds.
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
Good morning Rob. I get Trains and Locomotives on saturday mornings at 9 a.m.
Flip
And a Good morning to you, Bill! from Georgia. " border="0" width="15" height="15" /> Tonight is as bad a case of Insomnia as I have had in some time. Went ahead and did critter rounds early & unloaded the van full of feed so when I finally do fall asleep, I won't have that on my mind.
Hope everyone has a good day.
" border="0" width="25" height="23" /> Rob
Good morning ! from Indiana.
10-30-07
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
I see there are no Night Owls in the Diner. Tis' just past 3:00am and I just finished watching another episode of Trains & Locomotives on RFDTV. Why this isn't prime time stuff...well, guess not everyone loves trains. Good Night!
Rob
Evening, Diners! I'll be nice, Chloe. Just a cup of hot cocoa for me, please.
Thanks, RT! Sounds like you had weather about like ours this morning. Makes it a bit tricky figuring what to wear for the day, huh (short of wearing a coat in the morning and taking a jacket for the afternoon...)?
Rob, do you have cookies and Javascript turned on in your browser? Some webpages won't load if cookies are disabled (though I'm not sure the MR layouts page is that way). And it may be there - have you scrolled down? The pull-down menus are also on the page with the layout results thumbnails, so try scrolling down to be sure it's not just hiding lower down on the page. Hope that helps some.
'bout time to finish up my hot cocoa and head home for bedtime.
Blessings,
Jim in Cape Girardeau
Ryan:
Sounds like a good plan with the talus and rock formations.
Sue, and I think it was JR: On the tree planting, it’ll be well north of 400 that are needed, the 427 of that type of spirea is just this year’s harvest, and adds to the 200+ I have in hand from last year’s crop. But, Sue is right, I’ve got to make the trees from the flower heads before I can plant them.
Sue, I like your forest floor, but must confess to having missed the deer. The Aggro-trees are looking good.
I decided to prop them up while they dry.
Jerry: Hope that service guy shows up to fix the chair. It should be a priority job, but they aren’t the ones needing to get around!
I got the roof and floor cut out for the Small Town Building may finish this week...I "roofed' it with a thick coat of craft paint then N' scale ballast and today another coat of paint...
Jeff:
There's a bunch of stuff right there that's getting in the way. Coupler mount, front truck, frame, that sort of thing.
Bed time again, and given the choice between a snack and doing the gif file graphics, it’s going to be the snack.
Goodnight all, and God Bless. Prayers for all in need of healing, comfort and peace.
"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.
***JR, I tried to look at those MRR layouts but none of them open for viewing, just brings up the same page over again??? Tried clicking on everything possible but had the same results!?!
I was sharing my interest in trains and recent SD90MAC model acquisition with this one customer of mine (a real Engineer) and asked him about the coal trains he pulls. If anyone is interested, here was his response which I found interesting:
[Hey Robert, Coal trains to Newport News are normally 100 cars,(12,000-14,000 tons, 5,200-5,400 feet long) to 150 cars,(20,000-22,000 tons, 7,600-7,800 feet long) depending on the type of coal cars. CSX does not have any SD 90s but we do have 12 SD 80s 5000hp all of them are former Conrail Locomotives. The newer EMDs such as the SD 60s,70s or the 80s are not our favorite locomotives, but the old EMDs are good locomotives such as the SD40-2, SD50 and even the 4 axle GP40-2s. But me and my fellow Engineers like the BIG GEs such as the CW4400AC, and the bad *** CW6000AC, but even the older GEs are good locomotives like the C4000-8, and CW4000-8, they were built in the late 80s and early 90s. I"ve only seen one SD90 it was 3 or 4 months ago down Newport News it was a UP engine it looked nice, but I think I rather have my Big GEs. Hey Rob if u have any questions just ask away, I'll be glad to answer them.]
Now I'm curious about those CW6000AC and wonder when KATO will make a model of one in N scale? Sounds like it would be pretty cool. All for now. Rob
Good Evening All,
Missed this morning as I was late from scraping all the frost off my car windows. Isn't any warmer just now either. A regular coffee and a slice of warmed up blueberry pie would do me a treat. Assuming ol' PC hasn't cleaned it out yet.
Still working on the iNpossible scale buildings trying to paint the windows and doors, don't suppose I'll complain about the Horribly Oversize stuff any more. I do have a greatly increased appreciation for those of you who model N as I just can't get used to the size of stuff.
Rob - One piece at a time will work as funds are available and you see something you just can't get by without. Have you looked through the track plans section of MRR? They have all the track plans spanning at least the last decade in all shapes and sizes that they've published. I have a copy of the Wescott book and found it useful but in the end I made my own plan starting with the room I was granted plus a bit more I snuck by moving the water heater to the other side of the furnace. We won't talk about the week long saga of trying to get the resoldered joints to seal afterwords or tipping the heater over on myself (really did think I had all the water drained out before i started heaving ho).
Time to get back to it and finish up for the evening. , J.R.
rtraincollector wrote: PC stay away from the big meals please
PC stay away from the big meals please
Surely you can't be talking about little ole me?
Evening Gang: The hay is baled and we just have to get the equipment cleaned up and ready for winter storage. Of course we have to haul tha hay into the hay lot but we can take our time about that. The tractor isn't bought yet. Maybe tomorrow. Mary Ann wants to talk to the CPA about somethings and the tractor. Shell screwed up and sent the IRS the wrong SSno for me. The number was wrong on the forms they sent to the gov but correct on our forms and checks.I have a burning desire to drive down to Houston and chock the ______ out of someone.
RT: See what happens when you don't come in often? I liked your display shelves. I may have to do something like that for the Milwaukee Road stuff that I'am aquiering.
Rob: I wish that I could send you some of our hay. Distance and the fact that it is not sutable for horses makes that impossible. It has Johnson grass and burrs.
Well I gues I'm going to hit the sack.
Good Night All
Good Evening Coffee Clubbers,
Weather continues nice down here in Paradise. Probably in the 70's most of the day. I didn't even have to run the a/c.
We got back home from our trip last night just in time to see Boston clinch the series. "How ‘bout them Boston Red Sox!!" The hotel in Mexico City did get the game, so I was able to see a lot of the series. The Rockies did a good job to get to the series, but Boston really put on a show of offensive production, backed by great pitching and defense.
The trip worked out fine, and I did get a few shots, although nothing to write home about. I downloaded them to the computer today, but it will be a couple of days before I get around to editing them and choosing a few to upload to my album on Rail Images.
Other than that I don't have much to report.
Nice to be back.
Regards
Ed
Hello everybody.
I went to P&D Hobbies in Fraser, MI near Detroit. Thye really have an outstanding selection. One of the largest selections of O and S scales anywhere. Plenty of HO and N also. Didn't get much though. Yet another Hobby Shop with not many 2-10-2's. They keep plenty of micro=Scale decals, though.
Tomorrow, we go to franjenmuth for all-you-can=eat German food.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
I'll have the pine-apple barbeque chicken.
Mashed Potatoes, Lima beams, & some crab cakes this evening. And my usual, in a Union Pacific mug, please & thank you.
Thanks for the suggestions guys and I look forward to hearing more of them. Guess I should also browse though the layout building forum for more ideas. As I am gradually cleaning up the workshop (will take months to actually finish this), I am finding some OK lumber with which to build a first module with.
Wife is preparing for her Flight Nurse interview which is tomorrow. Some of those pre-test e-books are EXPENSIVE. Wish I had a business like that...just sell downloadable copies of books for gobs of $$$. What a racket. Anyway, also had to buy a basic printer as our old one is SHOT and we both use one fairly often.
Well heres the card girls been awhile and look who ends up with the tab think I'll stay away some more now can't afford this like I use to lol drink up guys oh
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
Hi all it was on the cool side this am when I got up (off from work today so about 9a.m.) looked out and on the roof and windshield had about 1/8" of frost on it. Thought it was cool when I woke up here in the house
Not to much going on here today just filling out paperwork I have.
Like the pics of all the trains you all put up jeffery yours really looking great.
Good afternoon. I thought that I would stop in for some pumpkin pie and coffee.
I have been working outside this morning.
SilverSpike wrote: Sue - glad you like the pits and the RH, thanks for noticing! And nice hill of trees you got there. I like that plan with a trail, some hikers, and campers, looking forward to seeing that progress.
Sue - glad you like the pits and the RH, thanks for noticing! And nice hill of trees you got there. I like that plan with a trail, some hikers, and campers, looking forward to seeing that progress.
Ryan, Are you putting tools and benches in the RH? I planted a couple trees and several bushes this morning. I was hoping to plant the whole hillside in one evening, but it looks like stages it will be. After the trees falling down the hill, I decided to prop them up while they dry.
Later, Sue
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
Rob, I have a couple of really good ones at home. I'll look them up tonight and post some titles for you.
And you're right, scale doesn't make a big difference when planning except for isle space, parallel track centerlines, overhead obstruction clearences and their related grades, and minimum curve radii.
It's a used copy for only $5 so figured that is not a lot to lose. Is there a book on the market with lots of "up to date" track plans that would also be good for a steam era layout? Anything for N scale...although I cannot see why that would matter as far as track planning would go. Thanks for any further comments and/or suggestions.
Wife is home with sacks of cracked corn...gotta raun help. Rob
Cederstrand wrote: Any of you have a book called: "101 Track Plans for Model Railroader by LYNN WESTCOTT" ? Is it worth picking up a copy for track idea generation?
Any of you have a book called: "101 Track Plans for Model Railroader by LYNN WESTCOTT" ? Is it worth picking up a copy for track idea generation?
It's a decent book, but you have to keep in mind that many of the layouts are very old school in their styles (island and pit style layouts for example) and some of the track arrangements (yards for example) could be vastly improved. Also, many of the layouts pictured cannot be built as shown but must be tweaked to fit because of either slightly off measurements in the plan or pieces of track that were available then fitting a certain demention that are no longer available. Staging concepts are also non-existent (see, I said it was old school).
Is it worthless? No. It's good for ideas and such. You could lift out towns from an island plan and work them into a shelf style layout for example. Concepts of spacial relationships are also worthy of study.
None of this is to say that their aren't some plans in the book that are just fine, but it should be noted that it's not the most up-to-date or totally infallable book out there.
If it tells you anything, I own a copy.
afternoon.
about the Red Sox.................... *sigh*
Cederstrand wrote: in a ATSF mug, please & thank you!Any of you have a book called: "101 Track Plans for Model Railroader by LYNN WESTCOTT" ? Is it worth picking up a copy for track idea generation?Late start here, gotta get busy. Rob
in a ATSF mug, please & thank you!
Late start here, gotta get busy. Rob
Good afternoon everyone, yawn, never got to bed until 2:30 with the World Series game being in MT, and then celebrating in the Diner all night with Ed, J.R, J.P., Lisa ( Fergie's Lisa ), and Colby. As if that wasn't enough, the Patriots buried the Redskins yesterday also to go to 8-0!
The temps are seasonal today, 24F overnight and 43F now at 12:45pm, and we have snow up in northern Maine about 40 miles north of Colby's house.
Dick - cut down a spruce tree eh, and 70' too boot! Oh, and I see two maples too! WOW, you guys really did save some money felling those trees yourself. Firewood for a while now eh! What about the spruce, can you burn that too, or is it too much sap to clog up the chimney like pine wood does? On the cholesterol topic, it's probably a combination of "all of the above" that contributed. That's a great deal on the solar panels, wish our utility did that kind of special down here too!
RYAN: After I checked the price to take these trees down, the boys an I worked out a plan to take them down safely. As for Solar panels, for hot water panels you can get three panels installed for about $5K, but State and Federal tax credits pay for about 50% of that cost. And the remaining $2500 will be payed back in savings off your utility bills in about 5 years, maybe less, depending upon how much domestic hot water your family uses. Dish washing, showers, washer, etc it adds up very quickly.
As for burning pine, yes, you can burn pine, however, you must let it dry longer than hardwoods. Once the pine is dry, it burns hot and fast, smells good, and does not create and creosote...it MUST BE DRY though. I don't burn it because we have so much maple and oak here.
ROB: The solar electric panels are SUNSINE panels. The inverters are mounted right under the panels, so you have AC voltage delivered right to the house circuit from the roof panels.
FERGIE: Hey, I didn't know that Lisa was a Red Sox fan????? Where did you get that nice lady ????????? Lets see now, she's a great cook, she tolerates a MRR guy, she likes meteorology, AND A RED SOX FAN ???!!!!! WOW, what a keeper !!!!!!!!!
Later,
Cox 47 wrote:Jeff .....now that a HEAD LIGHT...Is there any way you could put a block in so it wouldn't shine down on the track?
Mid thirties here this morn. Frost on the windshields and from what I here up in there Rockies, Colorado to be exact!
I know there must be some happy campers out there... Dick, Ed and my betrothed to name a few.
RT! Thanks for the line and thanks to Phil as well for relaying the message. Hopefully all will work out and yes I'm with you on the manufacturer being the one to pick up costs!
And I'm still in the for another week in the Neighbourhoods NFL Suicide Pool. Giants won so I can't use them again and I'm saving Pats and other teams for the end.
Anyway time for more Renos!
Later All
Fergie
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=5959
If one could roll back the hands of time... They would be waiting for the next train into the future. A. H. Francey 1921-2007
Morning, all!
PC... best of luck and best wishes to your wife this week.
Penn State couldn't crack the Buckeyes this weekend, but the trip was worth it. I forgot just how beautiful Pennsylvania is the fall. I also forgot what it's like to be in Beaver Stadium with 110,000 fans! OSU manhandled our defense, which is surprising. I was ready for our offense to not produce much in the red zone, and for the usual turnovers. I just thought the D would do a better job. OSU picked up nearly every 3rd down conversion...
Oh, well. The upside is that we got to go back to Dear Old State, and my kids got to see what Penn State's really about ... one huge party!
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
JimRCGMO wrote: First frost of the season to scrape off the car's windshield today. Not too heavy, but dreading the thick of winter. Got to be looking for another place with covered carports, at least!
Jim, we had that last week. The week before, there was hail, and lots of it.
Today I get out of school for soccer, WOO! See y'all later!
Mark