The Coffee Shop (a place to chat) Est. 2004

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
4601

Good afternoon gents, another icy morning here in central MA, temp has finally rose over 32F and headed up to near 60 tonight before taking the big plunge Friday as yet another cold wave sweeps east and south.
After taking the grandkids once again to the bus stop, I slid halfway down the hill on shear ice, the kids thought it was great , I had my heart in my throat.
I am back in the lower level working on completing the studding of the wall, I should fini***hat this afternoon.

TOM : Hi Tom thanks for inputs on sub-track base. I have decided to go with 3/4" plywood as you suggested along with Bob and a few other guys. The difference saved $$ in going to thinner plywood just isn’t justified. As for curves, I am going to fo with 30" min also, too many inputs from too many people cannot be ignored, experience is the best teacher.

JIM : Mon Dieu!!! That coffee could be scraped out of the pot!!! It curled my straight gray hair!!! I gave some to wolf in the back yard and she ran into the dog house and hasn’t been seen since !!!

BIG WELCOME TO SASKRED[#welcome] I know you must be cold up there in the far north country, as we get the residual air after it “modifies” somewhat. Next week we are due to get cold again with temps every night in the low teens.

Time to get out of the coffee shop and back to work…I left a fresh pot on the stove, not so strong as what I had. ooooooaahhhhhhhhh !!!

See you later tonight gents.

4602

Just what I need, more bills. Thanks.[}:)][:0][swg]

4603

Mitchell: Too bad about the layout. They won’t comprimise on just one wall with a shelf? That way you don’t have to move furniture, and you do get to model something. Tell them a retired pastor on the MR forum(whose father ,BTW was in the Anglican Bush Brotherhood before the war) says that having teens into model railroading is a very good way to keep them out of trouble on the streets, as it takes all their pocket money, and keeps them at home [:D] - Just ask Noah!

Fergie: Thanks for the explanation of the missing lupo. As you say, I must have missed his exit signal. Good to know he’s likely OK.

Returning, and why not, to the Peachtree Schnaps saga, it wasn’t me who drank it. I found the cake in the tin, remember? It was all soaked in the schnaps before I found it. So whoever depleated the bottle couldn’t possibly be me! [:O]Add smilie of injured innocence!

Glad to say we escaped the ice storm. Rather more snow than was forecast. I was going to let it melt (like the Areo chocolate) but heard that behind tomorrow’s even warmer temps is a nasty cold snap, so spent the late morning shovelling. The stuff was way too wet for the snowblower. The plow came and filled back the end of the driveway of course. Kris says she’s going to clear that after tea this afternoon as she won’t be walking Rosie. I guess it’s the treadmill for me after dinner.

TTFN

4604

Afternoon y’all, just killing time in class.

I didn’t use plywood near as thick as what y’all did, I used 1/4" with a lot of bracing underneath the table. It’s still plenty strong though, 1x4’s on edge provide a lot of bracing.

I saw y’all discussing bucket trucks and line trucks, the last ones pulled out of here about 4 months ago. They were still fixing stuff from the February 2002 ice storm, yes 2 years later they got it done. Right after the storm hit we had crews here from Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, New Mexico, Arizona, and every truck in Oklahoma was out repairing lines. The last people were turned on 45 days after the storm. The ice on the highlines was about an inch thicker than a Coke can, that’s a lot of weight.

Saskred: Welcome, pour ya’ a cup of the good stuff.

Ed: Rollin in the dough with those oranges huh[:D]?

Karl: Nevada will be a big change in climate won’t it?

Teffy: Saw one of your posts on another topic out there about the BLI steam, what all is the upgrade you’re getting?

Mitchell: No layout in the house??[:O][:O]?? Now whatcha gonna do?

Does the GATS have a website? They came to OKC last year, but I missed it, saw the ad on TV and it looked like a kids show, so I avoided it. Now that I know what it is, I want to know when they are coming back.

Well, class is nearly over, so I better go. See y’all later,
Greg

4605

Well the water came up to the side of the foundation of the house and does not seem to be rising anymore, now it is snowing and getting colder so will probably have ice bergs in the yard now. We now have 1 inch of snow down and still snowing. Great weather for pengiuns. Will be able to get my redesigned layout under way again since it is too messy to do anything outside.

4606

Sure they do. It’s www.gats.com, what else?

I suppose it’s too late for the sandbags. Good luck on hanging in there until it starts to go down.

Weather update from down here. Whatever front it was blew through, the sun came back out, temp is back up in the high 70’s or low 80’s. Just a beautiful afternoon.

Regards

Ed

4607

Hi guys talk about wierd weather our 6 inches of snow and ice is gone and it’s 60F in the middle of Jan[%-)][%-)] The city is camped out beside the grande river though because with all the meltin the river is at it;s spring height I’m not close enough to worry but it’s wierd all the same. *** you fed your wolf my weathering material?[banghead] now I’m going to have to boil more down.[C=:-)] Der John my brit com vote is for Are you Being Served and Allo Allo both make me and the wife roll on the floor and best of all both are available on DVD! Also what is it with the Anglican pastors ours is also an “N” scaler is this something you guys take as a minor degree in collage[8D][?] Well I’m off to catch up on the rest of the gossip talk to you soon. Rob

4608

Maybe it’s really **‘N’**glican …

4609

Perhaps but it makes we in the Horribly Oversized feel less pious. Rob

4610

Mitchell do you have any other real estate in your house that you may be able to barter for. Mind you I survived for many years with a club membership to run the big trains and a small bedroom shelf layout that was 8 feet long by 20" wide for many years switching puzzles can be fun too! Rob

4611

Greg:
All of that bracing under the table gets in the way of wire and switch machines.

BLI has an up-grade program available for those of us that purchased their first entry into the market. The old locos, stock # 001, didn’t have nickle silver wheels and were lacking some of the better refinements that are available now. They offered us a chance to turn our loco in with $99.00 and get an up-graded loco. I thought about that offer for about two months and decided to go for it.

One of the rewards of using 3/4" plywood is the fact that you can eze into the risers with out a sharp attack angle. If the angle change is to great the pilot, on a steam loco, will short out on the track. I make my subroadbed about 3 1/4" wide so that gives me a lot of open space between the tracks but enough room to tack plaster cloth to it. The only places that I have solid plywood is in the main yard and in the two small towns, and that’s only because I design the town as I lay the track. I may go in and trim the plywood out after I get it all laid, but who knows. I like not having a flat prarie to work on.

***:
I used 30" and 28" on the main as they can be concentric circles (same center point) and still not sideswipe an 85’ passenger cars. I laid those radii out on a scrap piece of plywood to be sure they would work. I use 24" and 26" on the branch line as I want it to look more delapatited, (heck, old and worn out) and their is no double track. Tom told me about cutting off every fifth tie and spreading them out to look like an old track. It beats my way of moving the ties all the way to the end and then cutting them all o

4612

Mitchell, you know, I think I’ll have to try one of these deep fried things. Pass a deep fried Root beer and a deep fried chocolate cream pie over here please!

Well, I made progress on one 5 inch wall on the building yesterday, and it only took me two hours to cut the Door openings![:(] I am making progress though, I should have all the walls finnished this weekend, and I hope to get the roof on by the next weekend. Then comes pictures!

I hope to get pictures of my layout too. It’s not lit really well, but I got to thinking, and if I use time lapse, it’ll lighten it up a little. So hopefully I’ll have those results this weekend.

I also have about eight cars to run over the layout for the first time, test for coupler height, truck give ect, and I have to measure siding length for my track schematic, and so I have alot to work on. I think I’ll get a move on then. That, and I want to come up with an ARK decal scheme, something I can stick on boxcar, and trade with others. So I guess I’ll see ya!

Noah

4613

peY, enco niaga.

Oh, and Luct my glasses are on straight, it’s my brain that’s in crooked.[:D][:D][:D]

GDRMCO, sorry to here about the layout. Maybe you’ll get it going one of these days. And, oh btw, cool [8D] pictures.

Elliot, don’t worry to much about your bill, I gave you, because you opened this place, my usual 1% discount. Hey, want to make a deal. Let me eat [xx(] and drink for free here, and I’ll rip up the bill.

Robert

4614

Oh, Elliot, one more thing. What will be the prize for the person who makes the 5000th post. Guy’s you got any ideas to help Elliot choose. I want a couple of Athearn C44-9W’s, preferably in BNSF colors. Write it down Elliot, so you won’t forget it.[:)][:D][8D][;)]

And, [#welcome] to the newbies.

Robert

4615

TrolleyRob:

Listen very carefully, I will say this only vonce…[(-D] thanks for the news about that being on DVD. We were given a Benny Hill DVD for Christmas, and are waiting for a good deal on a player before being dragged kicking and screaming into the late 20th. Century [:D] Now, if we can get Allo, Allo, we might just speed up the process!

[quote]
QUOTE: Also what is it with the Anglican pastors ours is also an “N” scaler is this something you guys take as a minor degree in collage[8D][?] Actually, I’m technichally not an Anglican, although I was raised as one, my dad being the Australian Anglican Bush Brother, etc. However, it is true, I think, that there are not a few ministers, priests, etc. who are model railroaders, especially in the UK. Maybe pedromorgan can confirm that. The local Anglican priest here is a mrr wannabe. I described before you became a Coffee Shop regular, his faux pas with the Dickens Village layout on the dinning room table while his wife was off visiting, and the subsequent wrath on her return. Now she finds her craft space needs ever expanding into any space he may desire for his layout. [V] He’s in HO, so when Ed says “Maybe it’s really 'N’glican …” he’s very amusing, but …inacurrate. (who was that Laugh-in character who played the German soldier coming up from behind the vegitation with the observation "Very interesting, but …stupid?)

Noah:

With your digital camera software, you may be able to adjust the brightness so that the underlit detail shows up better. Downside is, I find, that the background is then often overexposed. If the background doesn’t matter, as in many photos of buildings, then this m

4616

Evenin’ y’all, not much going on around here tonight, guess I shouldn’t complain though.

Ed: Yeah, that’s pretty obvious I guess, just didn’t think about it. My mind kind of shuts down when I’m at school.

Teffy: Yeah, bracing does get in the way of Tortoise machines, but it is easier to install them in thin wood also. I guess you have to sacrifice some to gain some. So would you reccomend sending my BLI in for the upgrad? Guess I better find out how old it is first, how can I tell?

Robert: uoy attog tiuq gnipyt ni esrever rof esoht fo su ohw t’nod evah eht latnem yticapac ot etalsnart siht ffuts. wehW, taht saw drah!!!

Rob and Der: Do they have Keeping up Appearances also? That’s mom and dad’s favorite Sunday night show.

***: Good, I wish I had radii that big, you’ll love them.

Jdolan: I’ll put my penguins on the next train out of Calumet. They have been looking for a good winter home. Trouble is by the time AT&L gets them shipped out it’ll be next winter!!

See y’all,
Greg

4617

TW 100: I thought you guy’s could use the exercise. But, because you asked nicely I’ll quit typing in reverse.

TTFN,

Robert

4618

Good evening guys, I have to get some of that Peachtree that Der used to soak the Christmas fruitcake in. I have one hellava headcold, I just sneeezed about 20 times, nose is running faster the Grande river!!!

We have fog so heavy tonight that visability is literally less than 50 feet, and the temp is supposed to hit 60 by midnight before crashing back down tomorrow. It has climbed to 50 now at 7:30pm. At least all the ice has melted.

Bob : I like the idea of old sidings, removing some of the old ties, etc, and smaller radii, makes great sense. I have started a notebook so I can remember all these ideas for my layout. Also, regarding the 3/4" plywood for table top, I want to have plenty of room under the table. I have seen some layouts where you could literally get “strangled” in wires crawling under the layout for TS or mods.

Der I did not even bring my snowblower out of the garage for these last three storms. Before each storm ended, it changed over to FR and coated everything so thick that using a SB was a complete waste of time.

Rob : Sorry Rob, I think wolf weathered her house with that “mud”. I made a fresh pot, and Ed sent me up via CSX to Rochdale, Ma station, some Good Mexican Peachtree Schnaps, so if the coffee is too weak, mix some PT with OJ and enjoy, but please, NO DANCING on tables like yesterday, or was that DER after he polished off the last bottle of PT?? Der ???

uhh ohhh, another sneezing fit, see you guys later,

*** AAAAACHOOOOOOO!!!
[:(][xx(]

4619

Evening all.

This has been a busy day. Haven’t had time to work on the hotel today.

The CFO thanks everyone for their well wishes. She said she passed a large one today but feels that there are more to come.

Elliot - If I get the prize, I’d like a CPR Royal Hudson please. [:D]

Robert - I know this shrink…[}:)][;)][(-D][(-D]

[#welcome] saskred. This a fun place, come in anytime and have fun with us.

Lawrence - Good shows, I have the books for Yes, Minister and Yes Prime Minister as well as the scripts for Fawlty Towers. There are many more enjoyable brit comedies. You choice of name for your dog is excellent. Sir H. was indeed the epitamy of a civil “serpent” and a proud member of the “cibilant” service. [swg][swg][swg][swg][swg]

Mitchell - good work. Keep it up.

Ed - Our bishop (Anglican) is into HO!!! now that proves that HO IS the Normal. [swg][swg][swg][swg]

must go for now.

Happy MRRing.

4620

Evening all, hope everyone is doing well [:D]

***, heard you sneezing all they way out here. Take care and get better.

treboR pnipyt sdrawkcab si dreiw. sknahT rof eht egnellahC.

Mitchell Thanks again for the cool colors. Kids want me to print each of them a copy.

Gotta get dinner ready, so will check more later.

Take care all

Tim