RE:Coffee Pot #5 May 2012 6 years [April 1 is Anniv.] and going strong and its for all to chat. Plenty of coffee and sweet ice tea for all. Come and join us and chat. GRITS for the Yankees.

New Pot. RT, you forgot to remind me. Was too sleepy last night to remember. Happy May Day. Off to the Park to walk with the kids. Then they do a May Pole thingy.

Real warm and getting humid. More like summer is here.

Work on Box some later.

Have a great May.

Morning…

That is about it…foggy, misty, blagh…Grumpy

I’m at the office right now trying to rewrite an entire report …grumblegouchmumblesnort.Grumpy

Oh well, got some traintime in last night … actually ran 6 trains and not one developed a case of the splits, derails, rearendos or any other kinds of accidents or incidents…Smile, Wink & Grin

Have a good day all!!

Good morning. It’s 65° and cloudy with fog. The high will be 88° and it will be partly cloudy.

I’m not sure what I’ll be doing today. Internet service is acting weird this morning. First it’s fast then it’s slow. Hope some idiot didn’t try doing his own connection. It’s happened out here before. I hope to get at least a little layout work in today. Ran some trains last night. The GP7’s and GP9’s got some mainline time as did the F units. I brought the GP38 and SD27J down off the display rack and ran them also.

Got to get back here and post, don’t have time now…

Train Accident at Knotts, Round House door knocked off by engine. (I wasn’t driving, I WAS Firing engine though.) More later,

Also, I’m not the new guy anymore, FEMALE engineer hired. (Very unusual person.)

Later

Konbanwa,

Our first day of May was a wet one. Baseball practice was cancelled tonight because of all the rain. My wife made ramen for dinner tonight and it was great. I finished some schoolwork already and will be turning in early.

Jeffrey – Thanks for the information. I don’t see myself changing the wheels on the tender and wiring it to the loco as this is a pretty cheap set and will only be used sparingly. I see why the 3rd rail comes in handy now. I will look for some small lead weights the next time I’m at the local hardware store. I will give the traction tire a try. Do you have any parts places you can recommend?

Dennis – No worries, I’m glad y

Aloha. [ip] Grey and warmer today. Working from home probably the rest of the week. Pushed it a little too hard yesterday. I am pondering going to the big DuPage County train show this Sunday if I’m in good shape and can work out the logistics with my better half. Kev, have you ever gone? I haven’t been in years. Prayers for Jean! Looking forward to hearing about DonB’s latest caper …

Looks like the Santa Fe sign on the old Railway Exchange building I used to work in will soon be gone: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-talk-santa-fe-sign-0501-20120430,0,5481847.story

For parts you might try Walthers but I wouldn’t hold out much hope. Life-Like is a defunct company that was bought out by Walthers. They may have some parts that will fit a loco that old but I doubt it. I still recommend the Bullfrog Snot.

53 and overcast from last nights rain. I had hoped to cut grass today but it’s not going to happen I guess. I was out early and got a hair(s) cut. Mayday is also our oldest grandson’s birthday, he turns 20 today. Wow the years are just zooming along…Have a great day…S.J.

Edit: This is the G.S. who spoke those famous words, " who gave me Banilla, I wanted chocolate".

Mornin’ all, at least what’s left of it. Went to the podiatrist this morning, have what’s called a “tailor’s bunion” on the little toe of my left foot. Got a steroid pack for it, can’t do any lower body lifting for 2 weeks and need to get a wider shoe. Ugh! At least it’s not something that requires surgery.

Got a den meeting tonight for Tyler’s Bear Den, so probably won’t get any trains in until tomorrow night. Couldn’t do it last night as I had my foot up with an ice pack. Tyler really has building those display cases for the trains in his head, so I guess we’ll start designing those soon.

Have a good one all!

misting at 8:30 AM but will be 70 later. Calif residents pay 67 cents tax or each and every gallon of gas. Thats $6.70 tax for 10 gallons which won’t even fill the smallest car.

I get ticks on my dogs all the time and they are in my yard all the time. I am in a urban neighborhood, not the country.

Suppose to be all kinds of protests in Los Angeles today. So far theres more reporters than protesters.

I turn off my computer overnight or if I don’t plan to use it for 10 hours. I put it on standby if I think I will use it in less than 10 hours, What do you guys do? I heard its 300 watts when on or of course the equivelent of three 100 watts lightbulbs of electricty cost.

Chief I should of done it last night as was still up but didn’t think of it and this am I went an posted on the old one as forgot again today was the 1 of May.

Well cut my front yard then went oer and cut nieghbor ladies she has to be in her late 70’s or early 80’s I plan to do the back yards tomorrow.

Watered flowers and our young trees. Not sure if tomorrow or tonight plan to trim a few bushes.

Lunch Time:

Busy day yesterday. One of my welders had a possible heart attack. At first he refused medical attention but we pursuaded him otherwise. he is in a hospital going thru tests. He is 62 and a hard worker.

Don B. The new engineer does not happen to be the former therapist. [:-^]

SJ, Birthday wishes to your Grandson.

Thoughts and Prayers for ALL in Need for right now there are many.

AF53, they are still GOOD. Welcome to the civilized side of RT 9.

John

Good Morning CTTFans!

It’s 60F currently heading for the high 70’s as we make a slow march into 80’s for the rest of the week. Hoping to finally get in some Railfanning soon so need to get the camera equipment ready for the 2012 RRAdventures season.

http://myrailroad.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/img_3211.jpg

Heading into town to pay bills, get groceries and gas. Have to go to post office to send off a package to New York state.

Be back later.

Nope Doug I have not gone but would like to someday. Can you do that much walking now?

If you do go let me know what you think and maybe we can meet up there sometime. They have one every month I guess

I kinda spent my money for this month on those 7 Santa Fe passenger cars. $314.85 [:O]

Don’t think I could get Sandra to agree with me spending any more for now. [:-^]

Fife, I went to Menard’s today. [;)]

Happy May day all,

Heavy marine layer this morning causing drizzle getting everything wet.

D.Baker, hope damage to the roundhouse door is minimal. I’ll bet it has probably happened before. I did a boo boo once when I was new on the SP. We were separating some diesel units and I forgot to unhook the safety chains on the walk ways between the units. When the engine pulled ahead, it bent up the hand rails to which the chains were attached. They looked like Texas long horns. A little heat from a torch made them straighten out again. It was more embarrasing than damage. Re the new female engineer, did you tell her she ought to be home baking cookies and cleaning diapers? I’ll bet that would go over good. We had a few on the SP and some of them were tougher than the guys and some of their language would make me blush. Most of them stuck to yard jobs but we had a couple who worked over the road. One gal who worked the freight pool was supporting a whole army. A handicapped husband and a whole mess of kids. My hat is off to her.

Making slow progress on ulcer or whatever recovery. Started walking again yesterday after laying off too long. Felt good.

Paper says contract for new light rail cars was given to Japanese firm. Whatever happened to buy American. There was at least one U.S. company bidding too.

Chief, have you seen the new NS heritage diesel unit painted like the original Norfolk and Southern Railway? It is beautiful and I think you would like it. MTH has it in their catalog but they jumped the gun and showed it on a General Motors SD70. The NS was going to do that but changed their mind and put it on a GE 44ES. Maybe MTH will change thier model to be the right type since they are making both types it would not be too late to change it. As you know the old original Norfolk and Southern Railway ran in your neck of the woods through

Good afternoon,

Well we are finally getting some much-needed rain. A little over an inch so far and it has fallen nice and slow so the ground is able to soak it up. [st] The corn is popping up in all of the fields just overnight.

Blownout Cyl, good to see you did better than me running your trains last night. [Y]

Joe, The switch tower has been relocated to a safer position in the yard. The watchman is out on light duty for a few weeks. Workmen’s comp is next. [%-)]

DonB Glad it was not you who hit the roundhouse. Can’t wait to hear the rest of the story.

SJ, Happy birthday to the grandson. [^] My oldest grandchild Alyssa, will be 12 on Sunday.

Spanky, “tailor’s bunion” [+o(]

V8 Dennis, I turn my PC off all of the time and only use standby if I know I will be back within an hour or so. It does not take that long to boot up so I just shut it off. I don’t know if that is good or bad, but it is what I do. [:^)]

RT, sorry I never got back last night, fell asleep in the recliner. [zzz]

Jeffery, you had better take it easy.

Ray, Good news on the ulcer recovery. Speaking of boo, boos. Last year I took out the augers on two fertilizer trucks in one day. [D)] I hit a phone pole with one and the beam in the loading station with the other. I wonder why they did not call me back this spring? [:-^]

John, I hope your coworker is all right. Sounds like a close call. Prayers for him and all the others that are in need. [angel]

Got the bills paid, some groceries bought, package delivered. Gas was $45 for twelve gallons (filled up from half a tank). Picked up a big bottle of Pennzoil 10-W30, oil filter and two cans of Restore Engine Restorer for the van. May get a chance to change the oil this weekend if not before. Had to cut back on the groceries to get the stuff for the van but I should have enough in the cabinets to cover and my food stamp card gets reloaded on the 3rd. Just $46 but it’s better than none. Van vapor locked then flooded at Wal-Mart. I cleared it by holding the gas pedal to the floor when I cranked it over. After a few attempts it fired with the pedal still to the floor. Danged thing sounded like a Hemi firing up! It sure turned a lot of heads not to mention turning my face red. One guy asked me what I had in it. He didn’t believe me when I said a stock 318 with a two barrel until I showed him. He said it sounded too good to have that tiny carb on it. If it had anything bigger I couldn’t afford to drive it!

Ray, I think our gas taxes here in the Land of Lincoln are higher…

Kev, let’s do that! I can’t walk that much yet, but hopefully soon. It’s every month. I’ll look for the schedule. I’ll also have the excuse to go to Romeoville when my son begins college at Lewis (presuming he graduates high school) [:P]

Raining a bit here too. Maybe I can shuffle off to the basement later to run trains.

Good Evening.

All done in the getting yard cleaned up department…did not rain today…but, boy, was it dull…

Going to actually have some people over later to run some trains…let us see how that goes…