Stopped raining long enough to take the dog for a walk. Threw the Garmin in my pocket and discovered we walked 3.6 miles, averaging about 3mph.
Looks like the finances will allow me to pull the trigger on just about all of my wish list from the recent Lionel catalog. Will be interesting to see when the items actually get delivered.
Went to the museum to refresh myself where I was on that project. Got a list of items and an idea of what needs to be done, so we will be spending some time there this week clicking items off of that to do list.
Good Evening,
A belated Birthday Wish for Mrs. SJ !
RT, you really did well on the cars and trucks! Sounds like quite a collection! Hope you get better sleep tonight.
Spent the chauffeuring Kay around today, she was not feeling well yesterday and needed help today. Then after got home I wanted to mow the yard to get clippings on on Friday, as rain expected Thur and Friday.
Regarding the traffic with the trip to Vegas, I believe the biggest issue is the volume of traffic and amount of available road space. First issue is there isn’t an alternative route, unless you go 100+ miles out of your way. The highway is 4 lane almost the entire way, a couple of places it widens to 6 lanes. Assuming there are no major accidents, fires, dust storms, or snow storms the trip can be done in 3 1/2 hrs easily. 15 - 20 years ago the existing highway was more than adequate, not anymore. With one lane being taken up with the trucks most of the time, lots of passing. Then that increases the traffic on the fast lane. And all of the idiots that think they driving in a Nascar race, and weave back and forth creating more hazards. Friday nights going there and Sunday afternoons coming back here is the worst. It is not unusual having to drive 40 or 50 miles at 20mph or less. Oh yeah, then we have the road construction too. It just is what it is. (Roy, the Poppy are about 50 miles south of the Cajon Pass, so its not really a factor.)
I’m not sure what the guidelines are here regarding pictures, if there are any pleas
Yesterday I changed the boiler control at the farm house. It’s been sticking and getting the house really warm.
Then started gathering up the sod snowplowed into the neighbor’s yard before he b×××hes about it. Need to finish that today.
Finished the day with a visit to the retirement advisor. Had a quick dinner at Perkins and saw the latest Madea movie. Funny as usual with some serious stuff included.
Jeffelectric should surface soon,York is getting close.
Not much happening, Long days, short nights, get home have a little dinner and off to bed…
Phish - I’m using Elmer’s glue with foam brushes and then sprinkling - for the path - Woodland Scenics medium ballast and Light Turf for the grass. I’m thinking I need to go with a darker turf as the ballast and the lighter turf look about the same color and, at first glance, cannot tell the difference. Once I’m happy with the outcome, I’ll spray diluted white glue on the whole thing to cement it down. So far, as this is my first attempt on my own, I’m very pleased.
Will check back later, work is starting to ramp up again…
Raining here and will be mid 40s. Today, first day of spring, is our daughter Katie’s 31th birthday, hard to believe she is that old. [:)]
Don, great pictures. That Bar reminds me of one I stopped at back in the 1980s when I rode to the Teton mountains on my bike. There were some pick-up trucks there and some horses tied up in front and the guys at the bar had pistols and holsters. [:O] But they were all nice guys, just lived their own kind of life.
Krogers later.
My elect toothbrush died today. [banghead] Always something!
There are at least five Menard stores in Ohio that I have visited. The second floor has the train stuff out of season.
Don…Did you photo shop those poppy photos? California has been in a drought, all the fish are dead, the crops burnt up and Grapes of Wrath, Reverse Course is now a hit movie.
Been MIA for too long. Sent my 89 Probe GT to the crusher last week after stripping for anything I could sell. Pretty car up top, but being someone’s year round daily in Mantua, Ohio for 14 years before being put into storage in 2003 did it in. Strong runner though for 191,014 miles on the original powertrain.
Day started as overcast, then the sun eventually come out. Spring has sprung and to celebrate my nose is running…
Working on a another 400E that was a parts donor for a project. Picked up enough parts at the last York, plus made a couple of shoulder screws (that secure the pony/trailing trucks) on the mini-lathe (that I did not realize I needed while at York last fall). Have it nearly completed.
Haven’t popped in for a while. A mild-ish day with a bit of rain right now.
I’m in the process of booking my father/son trip with my dad to Pennsylvania this September. We’re planning to take in seeing and riding behind N&W 611 as she makes a rare trip to Strasburg. I’m sure we’ll stop at Horseshoe Curve and go by the Altoona yard (Banks country!) as well. We’ve been talking about revisiting that area for 20+ years. I know my time is running out with him, so I’m definitely looking forward to it.
I’m fortunate to have a Menards near by. It looks like they have kept the trains out this year. Ironically, I still end up ordering online and having my stuff shipped to the store. That way I can get their “Freebie” add-on promos.
Roy - My leaky nose is telling me it’s spring too!
Rich - Nice progress on the layout.
Kev - Still waiting on my Autoracks from 2018 Volume 1 order, about 13 months since ordering. I hear the end of March, but…???
Don - So what exactly are those poppies used for???
Quiet day at work. Not much time to walk at noon. Talked to Lucas tonight. He is feeling down about divorce again. Wish we were closer. May go see him this weekend. I hope everyone has a good day.
Mornin’ boys. Overcast & 37 along the front range of the Alleghanies. May have to visit my folks today up on the mountain (Mom is feeling poorly).
Did get Sam the Semaphore man installed and operational last night. Opted not for the stop/sequence feature. Just don’t want that being applied to my Washington 4-4-0. It does look neat up on the hillside. The lights in my semaphores (AF and Marx) can be “touchy”. They are snug enough in their housings, but I think it’s the slamming down motion that makes them go “dark” at times.
Buckeye - That method is not for me. It looks like it takes multiple applications of paint to get that batting ready for scenery. I get better results with plaster cloth strips draped over a cardboard lattice-work.
Another sunny start (49 this am) and will hit 74 late today! Nice!
Had clear crisp sky for the last supermoon of this year! News said the last time a supermoon coincided with the spring equinox was 1981. Next supermoon will be in Feb 2020.
Cooler with rain showers here today. Managed to catch a cold some how so being lazy today to try and beat it.
Yesterday I finished the driveway cleanup and started to get ready for construction.
Rob…thought you’d got lost. Postpone your trip a couple of weeks you could takein the York show too. Let me know when you’re in Altoona. Maybe we can do coffee or a Pitza.
Buckeye…got to admit my mountain making is limited. Screen cloth with plaster of paris, but that looks like a PITA to me.
Dennis - if the screw were someplace that was exposed and I wanted an exact replica (minus the plating) I would have turned it from some cold rolled steel bar and cut the head/shoulder and threads on the lathe, then to the milling machine to cut the slot. Since this one is hidden, I turned the one piece head/washer/shoulder body in alum and bored it (clearance) to take a standard #6-32 screw. So it performs the function.
Another approach would have been to turn the head/shoulder portion, bore and thread it for #6-32, secure the #6 screw into the head/shoulder with Loctite Red (semi-permanent), cut the #6 threads to length, and then take it to the milling machine and cut the slot in the head.
This avoids threading the #6 threads with a die or single pointing them - which is tenuous on small dia stock (Usually twist/break a part or two in the process).
When these small parts are mass produced the small treads are roll formed and and not ‘cut’, which avoids the stock twist/breakage when using a die. Single point treading small parts is tedious and easy to make an error on the cut depth.
