Not to worry, you still have four more years before you can order off of the back page of the Denny’s menu.
This was a busy weekend for me in the Valley of the Sun. The weather has been a little warm for this time of the year, but what are you going to do. The annual El Tour de Mesa was held here on Saturday. It is a bike ride/event that attracts a couple thousand riders. There are four rides, ranging from a 4-mile fun ride to the 72-mile main event. This year I rode in the Bike Patrol for the 28-mile ride. Basically, my job was to ride the course and render assistance, as required. There was a little wind, but the temperature was between 65 and 75. All in all, a great morning.
On Sunday I played the piano in my piano teacher’s recital. (Second time) Once again, I was old enough to be the grandfather of every other student, except for one, and I was certainly old enough to be her father. My performance wasn’t perfect, but I did it. I am learning the more often you step out of your comfort zone, the easier it becomes.
Had a beautiful weekend; yard work on Saturday; and Sunday, I sat on the patio, and built car kits. Built a Santa Fe Accurail covered hopper that had a lot more detail than I was expecting; have three more just like to do. Then started on a Kato 3 pack of Monon 70 ton covered hoppers; got one finished, then one of the hatch latches fell off, and I spent an hour looking for it. I did find it, once I got everything else picked up.
I also tuned about 20 freight cars; checking coupler heights, gauging wheelsets, etc., working through cars that haven’t been run since we last set up our modules 4 years ago…
Have issues with a couple of engines; not sure if I will get those ironed out. The 2-10-2 ran well last week. The Monon F7s ran, but the headlight didn’t come on. Don’t know if that is a CV issue or if the bulb is burned out. Need to get the CF7’s tuned; and decoders in my GP7s, too.
Oh, Mr.Otte: now is the time, if you haven’t already, to join that esteemed organization: AARP! You will get 15% off your tab at Denny’s and other places!
Also, Mr. Otte, it is time to invest in a CANE for those days your back, knees or hips don’t quite cooperate! That is one reason for the hiking of the pants to the navel…to act as support trusses!
Age always has its revenge!
Now the cable company made us go through all this crap to avoid a service call, which would be great if any of the things they had BOTH of us try hadn’t already been done before and still no TV! So tomorrow between 11and noon some tech is supposed to be here…now watch the tuner bix will be fried!
Now to fight over AOL NOT online tomorrow… At least I showed MOH how to load AOL on the smart phone so MOH could do work reports without the computer.
On THAT front, we had a Long talk about what each needo from the other to make this work. We each need improvement naturally, and I ALWAYS do or try to do exactly any and all requests registered by MOH, now let’s see if MOH makes the efforts to change the things I’ve requested.
I have PT tomorrow morning for the knee and hip. I believe I have torn something behind the knee cap so I don’t know what the stupid insurance company thinks PT is going to do! And in order to get the MRI to find out you HAVE to go through PT first. Stupid stupid stupid. if I HAVE torn something the it could be damaged further. That’s the issue with my neck the two herniated discs aren’t going away due to traction, in fact THAT gave me multiple migraine headaches! Then the MRI showed the two herniated discs. I know someone they almost paralyzed with PT on her neck when she really had a slipped disc! But that is how the stupid stupid insurance company works.
Well more snow and cold tomorrow. I think we got more snow in the last two days than all winter.
Since I decided to skip my workout today because of the snow, I figured I should get something useful done. So, I pulled out the soldering iron and the rest of the small wiring tools and replaced the motor in that subway car. I’ve had the parts for a couple of weeks, but I just hadn’t gotten around to it. Today was the day, and it’s running fine once again.
Thanks for the strawberry cake Steven and happy birthday for yesterday. I was shore I thought I saw the process layout written on the board behind Jenny in the March MRVP.
Train News: I tested the track plan from the Berkshire Division. When they suggest flextrack they do mean flextrack. My Kato unitrack didn’t form the way it should have without the need of flextrack.
New plan, figuring out a new approach and planning on another layout design, but keeping the number of switches.
Adding a four lane road over the railroad turned out to only be a 2 lane road. Now am wondering if it should be a same thru traffic or against traffic.
Howdy … Just returned home from the trip. This will be brief.
Krump … Glad you are back. Talk more later. I’m tired now.
V8 Dennis … [bday]
Steven … [bday]
The family emergency involved one of our Michigan daughters and her two kids. They were in danger. The kids’ father is the problem. Thankfully, Daughter has a new husband who is a good man. The kids’ father consumes a lot of alcohol, pot, and other drugs. Recently he beat up his latest girl friend. Witnessing the assault were three young children (the girlfriend’s little daughter and our two grandkids.) Police and Child Protective Services are involved. Our Daughter was threatened and police escort her into the school where she teaches. The girlfriend has been intiminated by the kids’ father, and she is afraid to testify. In court today, things did not go well for the kids father. There is another court date next Monday, and my wife is staying in Michigan untill after that. I’m home to take care of the normal stuff.
I don’t want to say much more about this situation. It is a long complicated story, and I don’t want to turn the Diner into a soap opera. It is too stressful.
I did make a brief side trip to the Model Train Shop while in Michigan. I hope to get back to working on my layout. My gandy dancer project is half completed.
It´s wet & windy again, but still fairly warm. Just got a call from my doc - he wants to see me tomorrow. Now, is that good news or is it bad? Don´t really know, the way I feel I suppose it´s not good news.
Just saw that those Bachmann Spectrum modern 4-4-0 are selling for less than 100 bucks, that´s down from MRSP by nearly 260 bucks! I always loved this little loco, but never could afford one [sigh]
Garry - I am sorry to read about those family matters. What a traumatic experience for the little ones! I hope everything turns out well soon! My [angel] for that!
krump - I am glad you like my little layout design! Changing the industries is no big issue. I would recommend to keep the scenic divider - it adds a lot to the appearance and makes the layout look bigger!
“Got to be home” for lunch, so all I´ll be having is some [C], served right here at the RC, Janie, please!
Just dropping in to let you know Petra is taking me to the ER in a moment. I cannot move properly without being flooded by pain. As I am typing this, tears are running down my cheek.
I am single and my layout is in my living room so I see it all the time. it’s L shaped along 2 walls. 118 sq. ft. Mainline track total 112 ft. 4 track yard and other track 62 ft. total track 174 ft. 9 switches on the mainline and 4 other switches. 2 meandering loops, I run 2 trains at once. I complied this info. awhile ago.
I’m scared to say this here but it’s Gasp 3 rail O gauge.
On a freewayI travel a lot there are big black marks going across the whole freeway and then a big black mark on the wall. I see this occasionally. What do people do, go 100 MPH and then loose control?
Dennis, a belated [bday] from me as well. I must have missed the original announcement.
Scared? Scared? Of what? 400 model railroaders showing up at your house to see your layout? Most of us started out on 3-rail O gauge, remember, and just seeing Lionels on a dealer table at a show is enough to send us back to those thrilling days of yesteryear.
You, sir, don’t have a model railroad. You have a toy train of the finest kind, and although they won’t acknowledge it, even the guys at the Rivet Counter are very, very jealous.
You can call it a model railroad if you’d like, but no matter what you call it, it’s something to be proud of.
Uh… Huh? Oh! Mornin’ everyone! Yes, I’m up, awake, and been out running some errands already today…
Zoe, I just need another pot of Seneca Lake Blend Dark Roast Coffee for my FGLK Mug.
I just took the PiP over to the body shop to check the paint color for the new front bumper/cowling for the car. That should be ready in a few days, and then it can be installed in less than a day. So before the Spring NMRA Meet, the car should look like new again. I want to get at least 3 more years out of it before I buy a Tesla 3!!!
Early afternoon I have to go over to the hearing center and get one of the aids repaired. The little holder that holds the screen in place snapped off again. It seems to be the weak part of these. Right now the sun is atrting the solar panels and every so often I see a chunk of snow slide off onto the portch… That is a good think. Every panel that clears adds heat to the others to get the snow melted on them.
[color=red]V8[/color] nothing at all wrong with the three rail toy trains… Only reason I said “Toy” trains is because you said they are O Guage… There is technically no such thing. O, HO, N, etc are not guages they are scales. O Scale is 1/48th. of the original. Guage is the distance between the rails as in Standard Guage (4’ 8.5"), or narrow guage (such as On30 at 30 scale inches between the rails), or 5’ guage such as the original Erie RR around these parts which was spaced at 5’ between the rails. One of my best friends and mentors in the Hobby (Harold Russell) models in O Scale! I do wish I had my old 3 rail “O” stuff I got as a child!!! My father gave me more every christmas until I left for college. Last I saw of it was when I was college and it was all stored in an upstairs bedroom in the old farmhouse…
Well the cable man had to replace the connects, something I could not do. Stupid cable company! No, playing with buttons WON’T work when the connectors are old and bad!
Train nut friend due in an hour or so. Keep his mind off Christian’s hanging for a while anyway.
It is cold but sunny…RAY would be so proud! He’d be generating some good current!
Still need to get amerca NOT online figured out.
The laptop died this morning but all it was was a failure to shut down properly
