Happy Mardi Gras!
Or, as translated from French, Happy Fat Tuesday!
If we were still living in New Orleans we would have honored the holiday off from work today. Typically we would have just stayed at home for a quiet day of relaxing or working on the renovations. But, today I am at work, oh well!
Mom sent us a King Cake from one of the local New Orleans bakeries last week, and it was nice to get some of the ole N'Awlins flavor again.
So, now time to catch up with all the posting you all have done since page 73.
Cheers,
Ryan
* * * *
Welcome back KJ! Yep, they moved the diner on down the track a bit, but it's supposed to help with forum performance. I haven't noticed much difference in the forum, but the service around the new diner is much better now. And those cookies do sound good!
Trent, we had a 2000 Chevy Malibu and it was full of the extras that came as standard equipment too, not those new fancy indicators you mentioned though. It was totaled in a wreck during our move last year.
Welcome newRRdude!
Ryan BoudreauxThe Piedmont Division Modeling The Southern Railway, Norfolk & Western & Norfolk Southern in HO during the merger eraCajun Chef Ryan
thanks Hoople, the woodland realistic water is cheep, and that's good, since i don't have a lot of money for my hobbies.
thanks again,
Dude
SilverSpike wrote: Happy Mardi Gras! If we were still living in New Orleans we would have honored the holiday off from work today.
Happy Mardi Gras! If we were still living in New Orleans we would have honored the holiday off from work today.
I was off from work today, but then, I'm off everyday! LOL
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
hey Alex the pics for our railfanning epericnce are now being developed! today, I should have them by the end of this week (I hope they come out great! and not blurry lol)
so I just tried a new layout arrangement today 3 sidings and the use of a tunrtable have yet to add the paper buildings yet.
oh guys we fore got to intoduce our new friend to the Twins!!! , and the nick names for the scales! duh....
HO is House Oriented
N is Nearly invisible
S is Supersized
G is Godzilla sized
O is Over the top
and Z is.... what do we call Z scale? cause I know what Z scale looks like it's smaller than Nearly invisible.
Jerry, does this help? Just click a link. http://www.micro-trains.com/00_conversions.htm
Evening Gang: Well the trip to the not so LHS went well. I pick up 12 sections of Walthers ( Now hang onto you hats) N gauge code 40 flex track. I'm going to use it for mine track so I didn't go over to the dark side. I also got an "N" deck truss bridge for the base of the Sunday Lake mine. That will work out perfectly after I do some cutting and hacking. I ordered some Bachman signal bridges and 6 more of the "N" bridges. On top of that I ordered a Jorden steam shovel. Other then that not much going on. I got some more of the rail for the 7.5 "snap" track drilled for the rail joiners. Ron called just as I was about to start on the 7th set. He said hobby shop and I headed out to pick him up.
Tomorrow is Mary Ann's birthday. She wants to go out for breakfast and then be left alone so she can work on the tax papers. Tomorrow night I'll take her out to Steak and Ale for dinner.
Well I guess I'll head for bed.
Good Night
ModelTrainLover wrote: and Z is.... what do we call Z scale? cause I know what Z scale looks like it's smaller than Nearly invisible.
Z= CraZely Small.
Paul: N scale? I suppose you could say i'm half way there since my track is only 12mm apart, or TT scale! Happy Birthday to Mary Ann. Hope you two enjoy the dinner!
James, Brisbane Australia
Modelling AT&SF in the 90s
ok I got got the pics yesterday! and they look great! it's 1:13 am here I couldn't sleep.
here is what you can expect for the batch I got.
this is when the train was comming in2 view. the lettering has LLPX in another pic.
Colby
Today's Weather for: Sundown, LA 71446-6114 2/21/2007
Sundown Fire Dept., Station 23 Wind Chill: 63°FHumidity: 91%Dew Point: 60°F So Far TodayHigh: 63°FLow: 63°FRain: 0.00"Rain Rate: 0.00"/hGust: 6mph NNE Now through 02:00 AM CST February 21, 2007
Low: 58
Through 2 AM...patchy light rain or sprinkles moving east can be expected across the region...with more activity from the Interstate 10 corridor south into the gulf waters.
rest of this AM Low: 58 Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain showers. Lows in the upper 50s. Light and variable winds. Today High: 78 Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. Southwest winds around 10 mph.
Tonight Low: 48 Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s. Light and variable winds.
Looks like this page is on me.
Good morning ! from Indiana.
02-21-07
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
Good morning
Happy MRRing
Good Morning All,
Another warmer day though the rain last night froze on everything and made life interesting this morning. I'll have the coconut covered donut and a regular please Zoe.
Worked on the display at the museum again last night - locked up the shop and went straight over there. Got a couple of pics of the yard and will try to upload them as well as figure out how to make them sizable here per Jims' request.
Dude (or Alex - just let us know what you prefer) - the Woodland Scenics stuff works well, but if you can find Modge Podge in matte and gloss it's even less expensive.The matte works well diluted for ballast, and the gloss is what I used for the inlet water the page before. If you work it while it's tacky, you can also make some ripple and wave effects with a brush. You can get ballast by sifting sandy soil at home (run a magnet through it to get any metal out and bake it if possible at about 350 deg to remove any live critters). Small roots make excellant tree armatures and a bonus would be finding an entire uprooted tree. Should be enough there for an entire layout. To make a small pond you can chisel out a depression or build up around an area with foam or plaster and wetted towels.
Jerry - I use plaster of paris mixed with celluclay or sculptamold for surface finishes and usually add in some brown and/or black poster paint for color so it won't show if chipped. Mix in some brown or iron ore ballast for that genuine New England rocks everywhere effect. I dump the plaster mix onto the foam or paper and daube it around with a 1/2" stiff bristle brush (the cheap type we get in bulk for the shop called acid brushes but we use them for cutting fluid in the machine shop. If you mix up gray paints you can make rocks just as well and I don't mix that as well as the brown so I get color variations in the finished rock. The support between bridges in the second pic is weathered popsicle sticks with a black ink wash glued on around a piece of foam sheet.
All for now - time to pick up tools. CUL,J.R.
Well, we've got fog today! Thick as pea soup!
Falling behind on my paper for school. Gotta get up on that today. Whats going on with you guys?
Colby, good shot!
Paul, tell Mary Ann Happy Birthday!
hey all,
Colby: the shot looks much more clear then i thought it would turn out. hopefully the rest will be as good.
GMT: Yeah, i don't care what you call me. Dude, Alex, Allan, whatever suits you. Oh, and thanks for the advice, i'll probably do that.
-Dude/Alex/Allan (lol)
Hey,
I was wondering if anyone could give me a few of the pros and cons of both doing plaster land and the pink styrafoam? And is there a prefered method of those two?
thanks,
Afternoon, Zoe - I'd like a BLT and a Dr. Pepper, please - thanks, Jeff!
Colby, nice pics of the trains - we'll be looking forward to seeing the others (or give us a link to the album page, for those who are still on dial-up).
Dude (Alex)! Have a drink on me - just ask Zoe or Chloe (our twins and virtual servers) to put it on my tab this time. As for your layout, I think most of us started with a 4 X 8, and your price for it sure was a bargain! Just the brass track alone is probably worth that now, not counting what the lumber would run you at the local lumber place. As Jerry said, check out train shows, the sale table at your LHS, yard sales, and any other place you can think of for possible stuff you can use. Despite the impression some get from the huge layouts in mags, there are a lot of more reasonably sized layouts out here. (Mine for example, is two 2' X 4' sections, and I'm in HO scale) Don't forget - if you have a Hobby Lobby locally, you can get the Modge Podge there for water/ponds. Also (if they all do like my local HL), check with them from time to time - especially right after Christmas - our local HL discounts their MRR'ing stuff 30 percent around then (and they carry Woodland Scenics, some Model Power built-up buildings, track and other stuff)!
Jerry, I'm trying in my mind to picture you, dumpster-diving... I thought that was a younger fella's sport!?
Paul, tell MaryAnn for us - and I hope she gets those taxes done pretty smoothly.
Sorry I wasn't in yesterday - busy at work, and started a new small group/study at church, which ran until a bit before 9 p.m. Not much new to report on the MRR front, except that I placed my order with our LHS owner/MRR club member for some items (including one of the Pullman heavyweight 3-2 Observation lounge cars).
On a GREAT note - my state tax refund arrived today at the bank (should cover my order, almost). Still waiting on the Federal refund. But I'll need to use some of that to replace my printer (Epson Stylus Color 740). It has been very unwilling to print lately (not without major fiddling with the thing), so it's going out the door and I'm getting (most probably) a Canon Pixma iP4300 printer. I like the features of Canon's printer software, and this printer will print borderless and/or 2-sided from credit card size out to 8-1/2 X 11. Has a paper cassette I can put photo paper in, plus an auto feeder for paper on the top.
Well, that's about all I'm up to lately. See everyone later. Take care and stay healthy - it's nice outside here today - supposed to hit 61 this afternoon!
Blessings,
Jim in Cape Girardeau
The Pics are in!!!
(for non-dialup guys)
http://s64.photobucket.com/albums/h181/Trainboy13/
and for dialup guys!
enjoy
Paul W. Beverung wrote: Tomorrow is Mary Ann's birthday. She wants to go out for breakfast and then be left alone so she can work on the tax papers. Tomorrow night I'll take her out to Steak and Ale for dinner.
Hey Paul. You can't go wrong with Breakfast. I'm jealous, I'll have to wait til the weekend.
GUB
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Hi Gang! Made it into both LHSs today after a Dr. appointment in Halifax. Got another large rock casting, and a Grab Box (bag actually) of Grant Line N Scale Windows – Doors – Misc things. Most of the windows are multi paned, but I think I can cut out some of the mullions to make a larger paned, more modern look. There’s plenty of both domestic and industrial window frames, and much more besides.
Also found a home for my MRC Tech 4, which is how come I was able to get more mrr supplies so soon after the last LHS trip.
KJ:
The Lewistown portion itself may be as deep as three feet. Some will be for the viewblock, background buildings, and in the midground,
Alex: Ponds are quite easy if you are not all hung up on being able to see right down to the bottom through “feet” of water. (That’s the epoxy route, and can be pricey.) What I do is pour a plaster bottom (or just use the flat of the foam on foam scenery), paint it some nice dark colour (black is, surprisingly, the colour of many pond bottoms) with lighter browns shaded in from the banks to indicate the shallow shore. Then, when all that’s dry, brush on gloss to represent the water. I use Mod Podge gloss medium. If you go for varnish, well and good, but you’ve got fumes, drying time, and clean up with solvents. All that hassle is avoided by keeping everything (acrylic paint, Mod Poge, water based, and water clean up with no odour.) The WS stuff is water based, I think. I've not used it as it too is too pricey for my liking. Several coats of the gloss makes for a deeper finish. Good luck with that, and let us know how it turns out.
The brass track can be made to look more “real” by painting the sides of it rust = dark brown. (not red brown in other words.) The top will have to be cleaned up so it conducts electricity better. An eraser block is quite good for that. Using a fine sandpaper is NOT the best, as it will scratch the surface, and then more dirt will cling to the track Doubtless Colby has run you through a few of the basics anyway. On the pros and cons of scenery types, it’s too late tonight for me to get into that, so I’ll let those wiser and more awake tackle it for you!
JR:
See - Fergie doesn't have a monopoly on messes.
That inlet is really good.
Ryan: I remember the King Cake you brought to the CS last year! I can virtually taster it still.
Colby: I know you couldn’t bring yourself to say it, so I’ll do it for you.
Horibly Oversized.
Normal Scale
Thanks for dial up consideration BTW!
Gary: ...Care to tell us a bit about yourself as dinner goes down?
Gotta Go, it’s been a long day. Goodnight all, and God Bless. Prayers for all in need of healing, comfort and peace.
"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.
Evening Gang: Dinner went well. We started with appitizers and the salad bar then had sirloin steak for the main course. I had a glass of red wine( good for the heart ). Mary Ann is in bed and I'm going to head that way as soon as I finish here.
Garry: to the diner. From your first post I'd say you will fit right in.
Colby: That first picture belongs on a calender. It is great.
As I said I am heading for bed.
Good Night All
Good Evening, Chloe! Just a cup of cocoa to go, please.
to the Diner, Garry! Have a cup on me, and enjoy the craziness fun here.
I've been beta testing the Macintosh version of Train Player for their developers. Nice, so far (for a beta), but takes a little getting used to a new program's way of doing things. If any other Macintosh users are lurking in the Diner and want more info, email me through the forum.
Colby - is that layout yours, or Alex's? Either way, I think I recognize that as the layout that appeared in Boy's Life magazine (somewhere around the 1950's or 1960's). It's a pretty good layout for operations and really good for scenery stuff. Let me know if you can't find out more info on the layout; I think I still have my booklet on it. The plans and all ran as a whole series of articles in Boy's Life magazine back then, including ideas for building your own structures, loading dock, stock yard pens, mountain scenery for the upper level, etc. That was the type of layout I first built (didn't get it done, though, and when I was away for school, my folks moved out of that house and left the layout in it). I may figure a way to use some layout design elements from that layout later on additional sections of my current layout (and future sections). Okay, enough rambling...
That's about all my news for now - I'm watching a couple of items on eBay that I might be bidding on, but they have a few more days to go.
Blessings on everyone's 2nd half of the week,
02-22-07
der5997 wrote: Doubtless Colby has run you through a few of the basics anyway. On the pros and cons of scenery types, it’s too late tonight for me to get into that, so I’ll let those wiser and more awake tackle it for you! Colby: I know you couldn’t bring yourself to say it, so I’ll do it for you. Horibly Oversized. Normal Scale Thanks for dial up consideration BTW!
Doubtless Colby has run you through a few of the basics anyway. On the pros and cons of scenery types, it’s too late tonight for me to get into that, so I’ll let those wiser and more awake tackle it for you!
HO IS NOT Horibly Oversized!
it's House Oriented!!
I didn't get much sleep last night so watch out!!!!