Evening Gang: Not much doing. I did get to work on the 7.5 gauge. I ran the weed eater over the entire mainline. I had to switch to the weeder with the saw blade for the last section. Boy those weeds were like small trees. Anyway it's all cut down now so tomorrow I'll spray with Round Up. I bought a 25 gal spot sprayer this afternoon so no more pumping and running back to the depot to mix another 2 gals of round up.
Ed: Thanks for the history lession. Those are good pictures too.
Well I have to get back at it. I have to do some puter work for Mary Ann tonight.
Good Night All
Derrick Moore wrote: We here in Ridgecrest, CA we didn't get jack-sh for over a year........
Dude I used to Live There!
Hey Hyce are you going to be good?I am considering un banning you later this week.
Army National Guard E3MOS 91BI have multiple scales nowZ, N, HO, O, and G.
pcarrell wrote:inch, don't you just hate it when the day starts out like that? I do! But look at it this way.....the rest of the week should get better, right?
I'm hoping so, even with kids here everyday, guessing it was just Monday.
Suppose to be up in the 90's tomorrow and increasing humidty, looks like another AC day.
Laters all
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/4309
Good evening......a very nice day here today after the cool front moved through late yesterday. Warmed up to 80's today but will be in the lower 50's tonight. Finally getting some tomatoes, it has been too cool at night this summer, and now it has been very dry, but at least we are getting about 15 a day and they sure taste good.
Got the doorway and stairway all framed, drywalled, plastered and painted in the garage, this should allow me to keep the upper level warmer in the winter, as I prepare that area for a future layout. Small progress, but steady.
ED: Can you believe the Red Sox?? Swept Chicago?? And how about Detroit Tigers, they wiped out those Yankees again 16-0!!!!! Yanks are now back to 8 games out!! Nice photos Ed, are you going to place them on a DVD?
JEFF: I like your grass work in the yard, and between the old siding tracks, look very realistic !!!
MIKE: When I hear your tale of woe, it reminds me of our house a few years ago when we had two of our sons and their families living with us while their new homes where being built......it was very stressfull to say the least, the parents where fine, the kids and the animals ( rug rat dog ) took considerable time and energy every day and night. Equipment failures also, as I never had enough time to do preventive maintenance, only "repair" maintenance...lol
SUE: Are you near the top of the list for " White Cascade" ?
ATTABOY: Sorry to hear about your Aunt.......her memories will come back to you over and over at different times when something happens to remind you of her.
DUKE: I love the photos of that Garden layout, I would love to try one someday, but if I don't finish my INSIDE layout, the CFO will have some choice comments.
later guys,
nscaler711 wrote:Hey Hyce are you going to be good?I am considering un banning you later this week.
So you're who banned me from Westernrails and MWR...
I'm not exactly sure what I did... I haven't been on Westernrails or MWR in 4 days or so...
Unless... OI!
Well I gotta change my passwords before somebody hijacks my accounts AGAIN...
Mark
No one Hijacked your account You had the same IP adress for the days you were on those sites.
Also dont play that game with me i wil post every thing you said to me over AIM from that horrible night. you know i banned you from Western Rail in fact you gott ticked of and started yelling stuff that should have never been in my screen.
So now then are you going to be good?
No no no. You have it wrong.
My sister is hijacking it... she stole my password... I'm sorry for whatever she did...
Good morning ! from Indiana.
08-28-07
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
Mornin, coffee please Zoe
Like I said last night, hot today and tomorrow, with a chance of rain tomorrow night. Then turning nice for the weekend, highs in the low 80s and lows round 60s and lower humidity, good camping weather.
DICK,, we've had kids move back in with us before with their kids. It makes for stressful times just keeping up. Guess I shouldn't complain bout the mowers, seeing I have hardly used them for 3 weeks or so and they always give me fits, if their not started every week.
Kids all day [Leroy n KC here already] and by the time they leave, it'll be to hot to do much out, so no plans to speak of.
Good Morning All,
Pretty foggy this morning the weather keeps shifting back and forth but yesterday was ok. Finally got our cable back at the shop after a bit of detective work. Seems the cable company hired a subcontractor (can you spell outsource?) who detached the lines to the shop while running some fibre optic stuff. Only took 4 days, but the breakthrough came when ATT showed up and I asked why they were messing with our cable. They replied that they didn't use outside contractors and when we gave them the name of the company involved promptly told us that the people (Rocky Mount Cable) were soing sub work for Comcast. Of course we'd been on the phone with Comcast several times at that point trying to get them to send someone out and they had never mentioned that the people at fault worked for them (wonder why?). It was all less than satisfactory and still took a call to the local supervisor to straighten out.
Still working on buildings at home - paint, paint trim, windows, curtains, ad infinitum. I will soon have a block roughed in and need to think about how to place the buildings and sidewalk so that I can still get to the tracks behind for service. Has anyone ever tried putting a block of buildings on a sub-board so it can all be lifted in and out? My idea at the moment is to use a piece of thin foam core board, slice off the top layer at the edge where the buildings sit to sink them a bit, then detail the sidewalk and between building walkways leaving exposed foam behind the buildings leading up to the track so scenery and buildings would lift out in one piece. The street would stay behind to give an edge to align the sidewalk to when it's all replaced. Whaddaya think?
We are getting closer here at the shop to being ready for the next four races which are Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, Elkhart Lake, and Virginia International all on consecutive weekends and involve 17 different cars with three different sanctioning bodies. Sometimes it feels like this season will never end.
My prayers and best wishes for those in need. Jerry, hope the visit with Sallie goes well and she's doing better
Inch- sounds like you had one of my home job list weeekends. By the time you fix all the stuff you need to fix the stuff you needed to begin with it's either too late to start the job or you've forgotten what the original chore was.
Ed - nice pics again. Wouldn't it be great if they reopened the original Cumbres line as a tourista railroad? Could be fun with a couple of Shays or Heislers (ok ok ar a Garrett).
Duke - that outdoors railroad is wild. Lots of nice details and maybe the museum will start on that next as we have a couple of good spots to lay a garden railroad line out in the yard area.
Gota go w..k beckons. CUL,J.R.
Morning all!
All remnants of the cool weather have since gone, and old-fashioned heat and humidity will kick in today. After hitting 88 at the airport Monday, we should be back into the 90's for the 29th time this year. Here is a look at high temperatures this afternoon. Weather should stay dry for today, but some rain chances are in store over the next several days. This weekends Drag Racing looks sunny and clear though!
I'm just doing the work thing today. I got my tent down and packed up yesterday, no small feat for an 18x22 cabin tent, so tonight maybe I can mow the lawn. Sounds like a fun day, huh?
How about you?
Prayers for all those in need! (Thats basically everyone!)
Good Morning, Diners! I'll have a cup of coffee to go, please, Zoe. Mm, yeah and one of those chocolate donuts, too. I'm just a sucker for chocolate...
Ed, good history lesson and some very nice shots of the RR down your way.
Duke, thanks for more of those garden photos.
and Inch, that almost looks like a lumber yard to me, kind of like the Clayton County building set that Walthers makes (but theirs is in a bit better shape). Great pics, also! Hey, haven't your kids around there started back up to school just yet? Or are they stopping by after school to see their grandparents?
Thanks to all of you who've been posting the excellent photos!
Attaboy, sorry to hear about your aunt, but for the family members. Thanks for stopping in and letting us know.
Garry, will be keeping Janet in my prayers, also. You're right, it is good to have a hobby like MRR'ing to help with dealing with things going on.
Jerry, how'd your visit with Sallie go? Keep us posted, please.
Not much news on my layout. At the club meeting last night, we got some more sections fastened back together. Several of the track joints between sections may need short pieces replaced so they line up. Some got warped a bit in the cutting into sections. But I think most of the original sections are connected except for the quarry, which we're still deciding if we'll use. Some of the members were talking about changing where we had a refinery (smallish one) and keeping the tanks and some piping, but making it into a paper plant with the ingredients coming in by rail (and the rolls going out on trucks). We'll probably debate that another meeting or two ('cept, we won't be meeting next Monday due to Labor Day).
We'll be heading up for the Boeing Employee's MRR Club's show on Sept. 8th. It's going to be at Queeny Park in St. Louis County (forget if it's west or south county). I'll try to find a website and post the link later today here, in case anyone might be near the area and want to come.
Well, I'd best be getting going for now. Weather was nice yesterday (the heat index was lower than the air temp!), but I don't think it'll be quite as nice today. Warming up some - weather-guessers are saying mid 90's.
Blessings and prayers,
Jim in Cape Girardeau
Good morning to all.....71F here this morning, DP is creeping up, now at 61F with a RH of 71%. I can only imagine what you guys in the Midwest and Deep South are going through.....29 days of temps in the 90's, that is tough to take and get anything done outside.
MIKE: I know what you mean, I have a cranky ride on that if it isn't started every week, I have to through the battery charger on it. All the kids around here go back to school tomorrow, August 29th. I can remember we never went back to school until after Labor Day, but, we had a lot more farm kids then, and they had to help in the fields until after August.
SUE: The Butterfly bushes ( we have three ) are loaded with "fir trees". So I guess if I am to try your idea, I need to pick them as soon as the blue flowers all turn brown? And then spray them with hair spray to seal them ? Do you touch then up afterwards with shades of green paint to make them look like pine trees?
TIFN
Good morning. Looks like it's going to be a wet one today. I'll be staying inside today.Today's Weather for: Sundown, LA 71446-6114 8/28/2007 Heat Index: 79°FHumidity: 92%Dew Point: 72°F So Far TodayHigh: 74°FLow: 71°FRain: 0.00"Rain Rate: 0.00"/hGust: 3mph E Today High: 92 Mostly cloudy with showers and thunderstorms likely. Highs in the lower 90s. Light and variable winds. Chance of precipitation 60 percent.
Tonight Low: 75 Mostly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms likely in the evening...then isolated showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the mid 70s. Light and variable winds. Chance of precipitation 60 percent. Midland Gulf Railways #422
Looks like I'm buying today. Step up and kill the credit card!
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
coffee please.
Dick,
White Cascades will hit about winter.
Butterfly bushes. Hang them to dry in a wood shed or something. We got bugs in the trainroom last year. It took a while to clear them out. After the butterfly bush flowers were dry we sealed them with something like matte medium. They will keep indefinately. Then cheap (dollar store) hairspray, ground foam, hairspray, ground foam, etc. The stump will darken with the hairspray.
I did some without the matte medium last year, and I am anxious to see if they last. If you do them while they are still purple, you need to hang them upside down or they will droop.
As soon as we get the firewood in, I will hang clothes line in the wood shed and get mine drying.
Good luck,
Sue
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
Good Morning Coffee Clubbers,
Since Hurricane Dean passed through last week it seems that the rain spigot, which was unusually quiet all summer, has finally opened up a bit. We had rain again last night. No chance for seeing any of the eclipse. And of course the rain slightly changes the weather from hot to merely very warm and very humid.
GMTRacing wrote: My idea at the moment is to use a piece of thin foam core board, slice off the top layer at the edge where the buildings sit to sink them a bit, then detail the sidewalk and between building walkways leaving exposed foam behind the buildings leading up to the track so scenery and buildings would lift out in one piece. The street would stay behind to give an edge to align the sidewalk to when it's all replaced. Whaddaya think?
My idea at the moment is to use a piece of thin foam core board, slice off the top layer at the edge where the buildings sit to sink them a bit, then detail the sidewalk and between building walkways leaving exposed foam behind the buildings leading up to the track so scenery and buildings would lift out in one piece. The street would stay behind to give an edge to align the sidewalk to when it's all replaced. Whaddaya think?
Thanks for the kind comments about the photos. If I can correctly remember where we left off I'll give you a few more here.
We waited quite a while at Encinar, but no word from our friends. Strangely enough, not much traffic either. A slow Saturday afternoon. We missed one train when we had to leave to find a gas station for a potty break, but there wasn't much moving. I finally grabbed a shot of this eastbound train coming down the new bypass, just before it rejoins the original line.As the train went by I caught this grab shot of the mid-train helpers, AC4400-CW's. You can see how much they cleaned off on this unit, just enough to read the number. Would make for easy weathering of the model, just spray it black.By now it was getting close to dusk. We were about to give the group up as lost and look for a hotel when we finally got a call on our cellphone. They had just gotten back in range. Turns out they were camped close to the agreed point, and we headed back up the road to find them. Yup, nothing like pitching a tent in the dark on bare rocky ground. But I have to hand it to them, they did pick a spot close to the tracks. Here's a view the next morning. That's our blue Blazer and green tent in front. The other couple of tents are just behind the white pickup truck. Yeah, the mainline ran through the cut just below us. Yeah, we could hear the engines real well when the trains passed in the night. Actually, it was pretty impressive.To give you an idea, we're actually camped inside a horseshoe or omega formed by a big loop of track. I'll show you a few shots to give you a better feel.
You could hear the trains coming a long way off (plus, we had a couple of radios with FSRR frequencies) as they worked their way up the valley along the opposite side (heading to our left), passing through a number of tunnels and cuts. Just after passing along the other side, the track makes a huge U turn across the valley to our side and heads back to the right, just in front of us. Here´s a shot where you can see a train on the far side of the valley, passing through a tunnel. After it passes out of the photo to the left if will come across the valley and head up th etracks in the foreground, from left to right.In fact, after waiting a while, here it comes.It then passes out of the photo to the right, entering a sweeping right hand turn that will bring it right out in front of us, and pass by the campsite. Here's a shot of it heading around the curve.I actually had to run back up the hill in order to get above it and capture the next shot. It's now completing the curve that will take it by the campsite.
There, at least that's a higher ratio of pictures to text. I'll post a few more later, including an interesting aerial view of a meet. Real 1:1 trains that look like a model train layout.
Later
Ed
Hey y'all.
Root beer float for me please!
Norfolk Southern Update:
I called NS today to make sure that they got the medical papers I sent them the other day. They have them, but they have not been given to the right person to look over yet. So hopefully soon I will be given a date to report to Georgia and start my conductor training. This gives me a bit more time to try to get myself back up to speed and ready for harder work. I've been doing small little workouts to keep myself in shape, now it's time to kick it up a notch as I'm approaching what hopefully will be the 'final stretch.'
So, I was in WalMart today and found that they are finally carrying the 1:144 scale WWII tanks that others have reported seeing! They're a little large for N scale, but I think they look right at home on a depressed center flat car. Now I need to take some thread and make some chain die downs...I'm lookin' for little projects to do to keep myself occupied right now...
I'm out y'all, I'll be around.
Scott - Dispatcher, Norfolk Southern
TrainFreak409 wrote: So hopefully soon I will be given a date to report to Georgia and start my conductor training.
So hopefully soon I will be given a date to report to Georgia and start my conductor training.
Great news, Scott. It will be nice to have someone with the real inside scoop on railroading here. That is if you have enough spare time to post once you start work. Good luck with the job.
Now I need to take some thread and make some chain die downs...
I've seen some metalic (metalicized?) thread at Michael's or Hobby Lobby (in the bead or jewelry dept) that looked like it would work well for chain.
Regards
Afternoon all
Jerry Hope the visit with Sallie went well.
Garry Hope Janet continues to show improvement
Ed Another good set of pics and have you and others here noticed that most of the pics of 1:1 stuff run through some of the best scenery you will ever see??
Dick From time to time I have said something to the CFO about other things I would like to do or try and the answer has always been "You can do it,but something else has to be given up." So what is a guy suppose to do??
Here are the last two of the garden layout in the back of the house
http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/bjdukert/?action=view¤t=GARDENRAILROAD053.flv
http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/bjdukert/?action=view¤t=GARDENRAILROAD054-1.flv
That's about it
Best to all on sick call and those recovering
Talk to you later
Duke
"Don't take a wooden nickel,because it isn't worth a dime" by my Dad
"There are only 3 things you need out of life:A gentle grade,the wind in your face,and cinders in your hair.....But keep an eye on the water glass!" Jack Evans
Found the diner halfway down page two. BUMP!
egmurphy wrote: TrainFreak409 wrote: So hopefully soon I will be given a date to report to Georgia and start my conductor training. Great news, Scott. It will be nice to have someone with the real inside scoop on railroading here. That is if you have enough spare time to post once you start work. Good luck with the job.Now I need to take some thread and make some chain die downs... I've seen some metalic (metalicized?) thread at Michael's or Hobby Lobby (in the bead or jewelry dept) that looked like it would work well for chain.RegardsEd
Metalic thread, eh? Neat, I'll have to keep an eye out for that. I was going to take thread and dip it in paint, but that might work a bit better. Thanks for the suggestion.
Evening, a barley pop Cleo please
GMTRacing wrote:Inch- sounds like you had one of my home job list weeekends. By the time you fix all the stuff you need to fix the stuff you needed to begin with it's either too late to start the job or you've forgotten what the original chore was.
That's about it it, I do the have to's and go from there, by then I don't feel like doing much else.
I've built buildings that I could remove, but not with a base like your talking. I think it would work ok and may be an idea to play with.
JIM CG,, the kids started school last Tuesday, but I still have the littler ones round under foot, and the other before an after.
grayfox1119 wrote: All the kids around here go back to school tomorrow, August 29th. I can remember we never went back to school until after Labor Day, but, we had a lot more farm kids then, and they had to help in the fields until after August.
All the kids around here go back to school tomorrow, August 29th. I can remember we never went back to school until after Labor Day, but, we had a lot more farm kids then, and they had to help in the fields until after August.
Like just said to Jim school started all ready here. About a 1/2 or so of the kids were from the farm when me n Mother were in school and we were some of those who'd skip school to help farm. Harvest here normally starts in Sept and runs till Oct-Nov. I could tell a bunch of what the kids call "grandpa stories" from back then, but I won't bore ya with any. I'll just say farming sure is different now.
ED,, some more great pics and story from down south thanks.
Hang in there SCOTT, you'll be conducting afore ya know it
Time for s shower, so I'm catch ya'll on the morrows
Evening Gang: We hauled hay for about 4 hours today. That tractor of mine has smaller tires then Mary Ann's so it rides harder across the fields. By the time we called it quits I was really bushed.
The UP has been working on the track here. They didn't have to take up our crossing so that worked out well. I was talking to one of the gang and he said that when they get the section from Abalene to Sweet Water on CTC they will be running 50 trains a day. It's going to get busy here, for sure.
Duke: I use a .50 cal bore brush for cleaning the flues in my locomotive. I also have a small shop vac for cleaning out the smoke box and fire box. Before that I used the air line to blow them out. Boy was that messey.
Well I'm about to fall asleep at the key board.
08-29-07
egmurphy wrote: ...It will be nice to have someone with the real inside scoop on railroading here...
...It will be nice to have someone with the real inside scoop on railroading here...
Hmmm... I guess my almost 31 years with Norfolk Southern doesn't count....Hmmm
Good morning.
More rain on tap today. It's just as well, since I'm not going anywhere.Today's Weather for: Sundown, LA 71446-6114 8/29/2007 Heat Index: 79°FHumidity: 99%Dew Point: 74°F So Far TodayHigh: 75°FLow: 73°FRain: 0.00"Rain Rate: 0.00"/hGust: 3mph SSE Today High: 90 Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning...then showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Highs around 90. Light and variable winds. Chance of precipitation 60 percent.
Tonight Low: 72 Mostly cloudy with chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening...then partly cloudy with slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the lower 70s. Light and variable winds. Chance of precipitation 30 percent. Y'all have a nice day.
Another warm one on tap today. After hitting 94 at the airport Tuesday, we should be back into the 90's for the 30th time this year. Weather man is calling for 94 today.
Here's an interesting little tidbit. We are now tied for #1 on the list of hottest August temperatures ever recorded in Indianapolis. It'll be a close call over the next several days to see if we break the record set back in the Dust Bowl days of 1936.
Glad I work in an air conditioned office! Speaking of which, I best get moving towards that office!
Later!
wetidlerjr wrote: egmurphy wrote: ...It will be nice to have someone with the real inside scoop on railroading here... Hmmm... I guess my almost 31 years with Norfolk Southern doesn't count....Hmmm
Yeah, but your so quiet about it!
Morning folks!
Chole, I'll have a coffee and a donut please! Thanks!
Well, I went to Eye Care Associates on Saturday and determined that my near sight is not what is used to be, been doing the ole trombone thing with small print for the past year or so, and now I have a new pair of reading glasses. Just picked them up yesterday. Did not realize how fuzzy things were getting until I put these specs on last night.
Scott, thanks for the NS update! Probably a good thing with the delay though, Hot-lanta is quite steamy this time of year anyway.
Ed, your photo essays from South of the Border are always entertaining and quite interesting.
Duke, do I predict a garden railway in your future?
Dick, thanks for the emails, the NASA photos are spectacular, forwarded that one to many friends.
Did I see that someone else here in the Diner used to work for NS? Now I have two people to pick brains on info....
Hope all is well with the rest of the gang, Philip, Jeff, Mike, Sue, sorry if I left anyone out.
Thoughts and prayers to all in need.
Cheers,
Ryan
Ryan BoudreauxThe Piedmont Division Modeling The Southern Railway, Norfolk & Western & Norfolk Southern in HO during the merger eraCajun Chef Ryan
Morning, Zoe, Chloe - looks like it's shift change, huh? I'll have a cup of the TH to go, and one of the twisty donuts, too, please. Thanks!
wetidlerjr wrote:Hmmm... I guess my almost 31 years with Norfolk Southern doesn't count....Hmmm Why Bill, you've been holding out on us - bet you might could give Scott a few tips, if you have the time.
wetidlerjr wrote:Hmmm... I guess my almost 31 years with Norfolk Southern doesn't count....Hmmm
Um, Ryan, does getting those glasses mean you've joined the rest of us geezers? Good to hear that at least you won't have to stretch your arms so much now.
Jeff, sounds like your weather will be soggier than ours today - stay dry!
Jerry, good to hear Sallie's doing okey-dokey. Once she gets that cell phone, you may get your morning "honey-do list" call.. Good to hear you got a little railfanning on your trip to and from Sallie's.
Currently in the City of Roses, we're at 73 F (23 C) with 90 percent RH, and supposed to go up to 93 F this afternoon (34 C), with scattered thunderstorms during the day. As PC said, thank Heaven for air conditioning!
Speaking of that, I'd better get myself going to get to the other air-coniditoned place for the day. Prayers for those in need of healing and comfort.
Blessings,