Elliotts Trackside Diner (est 1-1-07)

[pcarrell]

     PHILIP:

  We made a slide show out of your pictures and saved it to DVD to show to the grandkids just like the one we did of OZ's . Again thank you.

Wow, you're easily impressed!   Just kidding!  I didn't post all the pics I took.  Here's the page I put them all on.  You're welcome to them!  http://s83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Prototype%20Train%20Photos/Fortville%20Local/

 

[james saunders]

Chuck and Kathy...

 Thanks for the compliments on the photographs and the video. I hope your grandkids get a kick out of it. Perhaps you should visit Downunder...one day

 

 

Oz 

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Hello everybody.  I just posted my steel mill pix under the thread: "Steel Mill"......   It's been a fun project.  A bit time consuming.  Have fun!

[wetidlerjr]

Good evening ! from Indiana.

03-05-07

[Anonymous]

Garry, almost fell out of my chair yesterday, a Walthers Steelmill blast furnace went for $387.00, an a elec furnace went for $276.00.. I did check out those pic's of yours, very nice. I looked at a steel mill, but i already had way to may cars done for my paper mills.

 Phil, isn't nice to see a caboose still in action, our daily train that goes to City Brew still has to use a caboose. They have about a 10mile trip up to the brewery. The bad thing is it runs at about 1am and is still at the brewery on my way to work at 3am.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Thanks for the comments, Fargo.  Wow!  Big dollars for those kits. 

[gear-jammer]

Good afternoon, All. I will have a pepsi please.

It is sunny and believe it or not, the thermometer just hit 70.  I went out to mow the lawn and had equipment trouble.  I guess the tune up on the tractor should have been on the mower.  I suspect that it is just a belt problem, but I am too lazy to tear into it.  I was afraid that if I mow that the lawn it will start growing.

I quess that I will go plant some trees on the layout.

Sue

[pcarrell]

Phil, isn't nice to see a caboose still in action, our daily train that goes to City Brew still has to use a caboose. They have about a 10mile trip up to the brewery. The bad thing is it runs at about 1am and is still at the brewery on my way to work at 3am.

And on CSX, no doubt!  And they were using it as more then a spacer car too.  They pulled up to the switch and the guy jumped off (he was inside, so it wasn't locked up).  I did notice the red flags on it though.  Does anyone know what those are for?

And maybe some cool night shots of that caboose at the brewry would be possible.  That would be most excellent!

[GMTRacing]

Good Evening All,

    Back to page two again, must be a slow evening.

Thanks for the nice comments - I'm trying to do a proper job this time after years of green velour on wood. Made up the rest of the castingsfor the museum display and started work on the next set of spurs off the line to the gravel company. I will fit a power plant and a stone cutting plant into the remaining area of the lower level by the inlet. The power plant will have a siding and perhaps in the future a dock for receiving coal or whatever by barge. Gives a reason for having the inlet in the first place. Anyway here's a shot of tonights' doings.

Time to head out and get some zzz's.  CUL,J.R.

[Paul W. Beverung]

Evening Gang:

Jim: I finished the last section of track this morning. Now I have to make the rail joiners. I made a one joiner to try out the design but it was after dark when I got it done so couldn't try it.

We sent the 97 F-150 off to the repair shop this afternoon. We should know something soon on what it will take to get it running. Worst case will be an entire engine.

I haven't been able to get to the basement lately. Once we get a place to put all the stuff that is stored there I'll be able to get back to some serious w**k on the layout.

I still haven't been able to contact Peoplepc. There phones are alwas busy. They ask that I call back at a more convient time. Convient for who?

Well it's really late so I'll say Good Night.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 I have top of the page honors. Get it while it's hot!

Today's Weather for:  
Sundown, LA  71446-6114      3/6/2007 

Sundowm Fire Dept., Station 23
 
Wind Chill:  36°F
Humidity:  87%
Dew Point:  32°F
 
So Far Today
High:  42°F
Low:  36°F
Rain:  0.00"
Rain Rate:  0.00"/h
Gust:  0mph NNE
 
Today  High: 72    Sunny. Highs in the lower 70s. Light and variable winds.  

Tonight  Low: 42    Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 40s. Light and variable winds.

Eggs Benedict today please.

[pcarrell]

That looks good Jeff!  Since you're buying, I'll take the hungry mans size!

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Jeff and Phil.................that looks too good!       ............ and I had oatmeal...

[der5997]

folks: Plans for today put on hold by weather in other parts of the Province.  We are sunny here after a huge ¼ inch dump of snow overnight.  However where Kris was going today is a very different matter. So I will go with her on a much curtailed route to pick up our daughter this afternoon. (Breaking news…The Weather Channel has just mentioned a pulse of snow between Truro and Sheet Harbour, exactly our route!  It’s a smaller band than that which went through overnight, by the look of the radar.)

 

Dick:

DER JOHN: It looks like you and I are having record Winters for low snow amounts. We usually get 72" here, we have had about 24" and running about +6F above average. All the snow came mostly in late January and early February. We have about 5" of snow remaining on the ground.

…Heard yesterday about some wells in our area going dry already!  We’ve been “not wasting” water for some time now.

 

Jeff: Those Eggs B. looks really good right now.  Thanks for the suggestion!

Glad the DCC woes are sorted out. Sloppy quality control in that plant! BTW: How do you put those text boxes into your photos?  Do you bring the image into WORD, and put in a text box there? 

 

JR: Great little mine that!  I like the way the back drop blends with the modeled scenery too.

 

fargo:

Phil, isn't nice to see a caboose still in action, our daily train that goes to City Brew still has to use a caboose.

…As does the local CN switch job in Truro.  That caboose needed new paint about 20 years ago, and hasn’t got prettier with age, like some of us!

 

Paul:

I'll be able to get back to some serious w**k on the layout.

…but surely tasks on the layout don’t really qualify as w**k!

 

PC: Thanks for the page of pics!  (I let it come in on the dial up while I wrote most of this.  I generally do the same with my Photobucket gif album, on “View All”. By the time I’m ready to put in the graphics, most of them are there as images.  There’s over 400, so the “Find in This Page” feature helps, if I remember the title accurately. (Case sensitive unfortunately). Hey! So far I’ve remembered them all today.

 

Snowing heavily now, that band is going through, I guess.

May very well not be in today or tomorrow.

TTFN.

 

 

 

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Jeff: Those Eggs B. looks really good right now.  Thanks for the suggestion!

Glad the DCC woes are sorted out. Sloppy quality control in that plant! BTW: How do you put those text boxes into your photos?  Do you bring the image into WORD, and put in a text box there? 

Der: I bring the image into MSPaint and use the text function to put in the text boxes. I then save the image as a BMP file (that's the only format MSPaint will save in) then bring the file up in my photo program and save it as a JPG file so I can upload it to photobucket. True I could just upload the BMP file but it will be converted to a small picture.

[grayfox1119]

Good morning everyone......it is so cold here today that it looks like we will break the all-time record for the lowest- high temperature for March 6th!!! It is 3.2F right now at 11am!! The wind chill is -15F, and at times hits -30 when the wind gusts to over 40 mph! It is so cold out that a squirrel on the bird feeder got his feet stuck to the metal....tsk tsk. I think the birds thought it was funny.

DER JOHN: With the low snowfall here, the fire dept is warning people to burn their seasonal brush piles now while there is still snow on the ground, because unless we get Spring rains, the woodlands will be too dry to allow open burning. Our Artesian well is 505 feet deep, and we get about 10 gallons a minute. The static rise is about to 75 feet, so we have a nice reservoir in the well. I also have a large pressure tank in the basement that holds 75 gallons. Do you have a rain catch barrel, or cistern?

JEFF: Have you tried using Silent Running Decoders on any of the noisier Diesels? How about a flat CAN motor from Mashita? ( for the 4400 et al )

I see gas prices are on the rise again, $.30 jump per gallon in the last several weeks. They forecast that by Summer, we will be paying $2.80 a gallon.....get ready guys.

SUE: Cutting grass???? 70F ??? Are you KIDDING ME ?????? Three weeks ago you guys had snow for crying out loud, what is this ??!!!!! The next thing you guys in the Northwest will be telling us is that Chuck, Kathy you are swimming at Sunset Beach in OR.!!!

PAUL: Nice article in this month's TRAIN magazine on the RR that I believe runs near your farm. It is one of the busiest routes in the country with 100+ trains a day.

Time to put more logs on the fire, man if I had a windmill I would be making enough power to sell back to the Utility Company today, 45 MPH guts rocked the house!

Later,

[ModelTrainLover]

hey guys! how is every thing? I'm making a list for an up comming train show.

I going to get as many freight cars as I can so my highball freights have some variety to them, 1 or 2 NYC stream line passenger cars, couplers, rail joiners, an affordable engine house, and some misanious items, I'll have to sweet talk my perents for some $$$.

 Now Layout troiuble I'm having: every so often power will be cut from my yard and I don't know why. and I have to disconnect and then connect the track to get power flowing to the yard. the main is fine it's the yard that's having the trouble.

Colby 

[inch53]

Chow time, I'll have the special and coffee Zoe,

Weather guessers got it wrong again some what. They said it was going to be sunny with a few clouds, so, far it's been mostly cloud with some light hazey sun. Forcasted high of 37 with a cold E. wind. At least it's suppose to warm up after today [hope they don't get that wrong]

I was right that Mother was getting tired of fixing big meals, but wrong about the cooking for 2 last night, went out for supper, she didn't feel like cooking. We went to an all you can eat $10 steak house, Course, I got my money's wourth [they shut me off at the grill again]..

OZ, thanks for the video from down under

PC,   liked the pics from up yur way too, thanks.

GMT, The layout is looking great. Keep us updated on your progress.

DICK, I have no problem with PC taking the photo title. A good photo is good, no matter who takes it, and I'm not that good, just lucky sometimes. I might take 50 shots, most time only one might be worth posting.

JERRY, hope Sally's got the feelin better today.

GARRY, liked the steel mill pics also, you did a great job on it.

SUE, don't even talk about cutting grass. You can still find some snow patchs on the N. sloping hills here. I can't find most of our yard for the limbs and leaves yet. Besides I need to rebuild the starter on mowy this year.

Best get back to some chores, while I don't have any kids. Get them done, then it's back to the layout for awhile, maybe.

inch

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Now Layout troiuble I'm having: every so often power will be cut from my yard and I don't know why. and I have to disconnect and then connect the track to get power flowing to the yard. the main is fine it's the yard that's having the trouble.

Colby: Three words: Bad rail joiners.

JEFF: Have you tried using Silent Running Decoders on any of the noisier Diesels? How about a flat CAN motor from Mashita? ( for the 4400 et al )

Grayfox: I put a Silent Running decoder in an Athearn BB F7. It runs like a champ. I'm going to convert a few more.

 

[Cox 47]

Afternoon All .......Its cloudy and kinda cold and damp here good day for old Aurther.....I'll have a Polish Sasage drag it thru the garden, Onion Rings and a Strawberry Shake...please...Thank you...Ran trains for a while this morning...Also started closing in the front and rear of a GE LL Spectrum.. Its the biggest loco I have..I had to shave a little off some rock work  that it wouldn't clear I'll have to go back and redo later...Kathy ...Thanks for the kind words..Sallie had another bad nite and has spent the morning in bed but she is eating a little now and watching her soaps..She got another 10 hours a month with the caregiver so that will help....Inch..I am proud of you..They cut you off at the grill...I have put a couple of "all you can eats" out of business in my day but just can't do it anymore went to QQ in charleston Friday and didn't even get my moneys worth...JR...Thanks for the pictures thats some nice scenery work keep us posted....I am gonna set here enjoy my Shake and see who drops in...You all have a good one...Jerry

[grayfox1119]

JEFF: I just got through talking with the guys at Tony's and they recommended using the Silent Running Decoders for the Athearn "growlers". I see you are already ahead of the game.......smart move !!!!

PC: Lunch is OVER, get back to work, Jeff and my SS check depend upon your productivity !!! LOL

[Anonymous]

Talking about decoders, i brought a three pack of Bachmann 1amp decoders with the eight pin connectors on them. Put one in a Stewart FT works great quiet, put one in a Proto 2000 2-8-8-2 great works fine, then I did my Bachmann Spec 2-6-6-2 Runs so-so and grawls like a lion. Go figure?

[ModelTrainLover]

Now Layout troiuble I'm having: every so often power will be cut from my yard and I don't know why. and I have to disconnect and then connect the track to get power flowing to the yard. the main is fine it's the yard that's having the trouble.

Colby: Three words: Bad rail joiners.

I use power-loc track.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Now Layout troiuble I'm having: every so often power will be cut from my yard and I don't know why. and I have to disconnect and then connect the track to get power flowing to the yard. the main is fine it's the yard that's having the trouble.

Colby: Three words: Bad rail joiners.

I use power-loc track.

Doesn't matter. The little copper plates on the rail ends flatten out after a while and don't make firm contact. There are three remedies for this. #1 - Get new track. #2 - Using a small flat tip jeweler's screwdriver, pry the little tab in the plate up a little bit, so it sticks out a little more. #3 - Solder all your rail joints.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

JEFF: I just got through talking with the guys at Tony's and they recommended using the Silent Running Decoders for the Athearn "growlers". I see you are already ahead of the game.......smart move !!!!

Yes. The NCE Silent Running decoder is rated at 1.3 amps, more than enough for an Athearn BB.

[grayfox1119]

JEFF: ( others too ) I just received an email from BLI detailing their new AC6000 locomotives in their new Blueline. $ 169.99. Has anyone bought any of the the new BLI locos? If so, any comments? 

[wetidlerjr]

Good evening ! from Indiana.

03-06-07

[pcarrell]

Jeff: Those Eggs B. looks really good right now.  Thanks for the suggestion!

Glad the DCC woes are sorted out. Sloppy quality control in that plant! BTW: How do you put those text boxes into your photos?  Do you bring the image into WORD, and put in a text box there? 

Der: I bring the image into MSPaint and use the text function to put in the text boxes. I then save the image as a BMP file (that's the only format MSPaint will save in) then bring the file up in my photo program and save it as a JPG file so I can upload it to photobucket. True I could just upload the BMP file but it will be converted to a small picture.

My MS Paint allows me to convert to a jpg if I do a "Save As".

[pcarrell]

PC: Lunch is OVER, get back to work, Jeff and my SS check depend upon your productivity !!! LOL

Hey!  How'd you know my lunch was just a bit over 2 hours?  Gotta love the BMV!

[Hoople]

Hey east coasters...

GET READY FOR SPRING!

It's 75*F out here in march, and it just snowed last week! talk about wierd!

I got nothin to do, other than saving up for a 2-8-0 with a Tsunami....

Mark