Good morning everyone (I’ll stand here a moment while everyone stops to remember who I am[:D]). Sorry I’ve been out for a while, but I’m looking at relocating within the next few months–isn’t job hunting fun???[(-D] Anyway, I figured out how to set up my HO layout without irritating “the boss”… I have a cabinetmaker friend who’s helping me make cabinets with foldaway benchwork. So now I can build a 10x12 that fits in cabinets/bookshelves only 24" deep! [8D] Well, time to go mold young minds.
Cheers!
Morning all,
I’m headed back out with another raft of pipe this morning. Got three days off this weekend because of weather.
Spent the weekend working on the layout. Put down the road going ut of town. Did something different than I’ve ever seen on a layout. The road is an oilfield style board road. A layer of planks with a little dirt over it. In the process, I found a novel way to weather my wehicles. To get the ruts in the road, I just took one of my pickups and ran it back and forth thru the dirt of the road. Well, the glue in the dirt wasn’t any where near dry so alot of the dirt stuck to the wheels , wheel wells, and sides of the truck. I got to looking at it and couldn’t believe just how realistic it looked. Just like a vehicle that has been driven down a muddy dirt road.
Worked on the lift out some, too. It’s just a plank with the track on it. I’m adding a Warren Truss on top of it. Got it about half done and is looking good.
Well, got to go back to doing captainly things.
A round on me, Cloe!
JimCG -
Check your email, I sent you the name/address/phone# of a place that has a few of those Walthers printing warehouse kits in stock.
Evening all
We had some entertainment during the seminar today - a fire alarm. Initially thought it to be a test until we noticed it was still sounding (tests usually sound for about 10secs or so), so everyone out into the carpark (not 100% sure we were supposed to grab our stuff first, but if they thought we were going to walk back up all those stairs…) and we had the remaining 10mins of discussions on nuclear weapons in the car park.
John, glad I can be helpful. I’ve been backing off on the DCC conversions for a while as I’m leaning towards G scale at the moment - anyone else find their modelling goes through phases when they’re interested in different prototypes? Planning to DCC the rest of the fleet at some point though.
Jim, yep, it’s solid alright - not tried it out yet but judging by the weight it should be a surprising hauler - the motor is probably the same as in most LGB locos and it has a traction tyre on one wheel. Pickup is via all four wheels and a couple of sprung sliders. I’m glad they’re painted bright colours (orange in this case, yellow on the other version they offer) as otherwise you’d lose them on a garden layout!
Well, I’ve been picking modules for next year - have to do provisional registration tomorrow where we tell the department what modules we want to take next year and hope they’ve not filled up (some were capped last year due to demand). I currently have one on 20th century warfare, one on nuclear strategy, one on humanitarian intervention and one on US foreign policy. On top of this I have a sizable dissertation to write this time next year - really not looking forward to that!
Bye for now
Afternoon everyone.
I just got back from my interview about 10 minutes ago and now I have an orientation/2nd interview in Los Angeles on thursday morning. I hope all goes well.
A 2nd note on the job search. I just got my application packet in the mail from Amtrak and I have to fill out the information and send it in on thursday… so I think I will send it in and just wait and see where this insurance job leads me… if I get the job then that is a good thing… if not I hope I get the interview with Amtrak.
I hope this is going to be a good time for me. I also hope that if I get this job I will be able to start my layout… WOO HOO… Now I just can’t get overly optomistic about this but I am very very happy that I even got an interview.
I guess that American Income gets like 120 - 200 applications/resume’s for each position they apply for… and out of those they only take up to 60 for interviews… so I think that maybe just maybe I have a shot at this job.
Well that’s all the news from me at the moment.
Oh yeah before I forget.
On my way home from my interview I noticed that there were about 4 different Heavy Weight Passenger Cars (Southern Pacific) parked along the track in between a bunch of box cars… I wi***hat I had my brothers Camera on me to take some pictures of them… one of them didn’t have any trucks on it and was sitting on top of a flatcar.
That’s all I have to say for now… see you later everyone.
Hi all,
I finally finished the track on my new N scale layout! I used Atlas flex and I feel it was OK to work with and much better then sectional. The problem I had with it was the little pieces of plastic that are supposed to hold the rail to the ties sometimes failed. I do not know why but in the end it all worked out and i am glad i did not use sectional.
hello all,
TOMCAT, i know what you mean
The Black Pudding is a black “U” shape thing about the size of a great danes **** made of a pigs intestine stuffed with allsorts of minced pig parts and loads of blood, then it’s boiled till cooked and served with mustard[:P][:P][:P] a bit like a sausage but a lot stronger taste
TRENT, best wishes and happy birthday to you, take care everyone here’s thinking about you
G’day all,
Well some of you have asked, so here it is, POLAR EXPRESS shelf RR completed … take a look:
It’s come a long way since arrival:
Then to the basement:
To where it is now:
It’s really nothing fancy … the wallpaper background is called “Night Sky” - the shelves and brackets are from Home Depot … the “snow” is white styrofoam cut with a “hot” sculpting tool … the Fir trees are from Faller … “snow” effect on the trees is Woodland Scenics … glue is Elmers white mixed at 50/50 … oh yes, the run (20 ft x 5 ft) is ringed with blue rope lighting … with the lights out, it’s “way cool”! That’s it![tup][:D]
I know I ‘owe’ some of you a reply or two … “catcha” next time!
See ya![tup][;)]
Tom in Chesterfield, MO, USA (Siberianmo)
TOM, That’s GREAT[tup][tup][tup][tup][tup] i’ll show the boys when they are out of bed, they will love it[bow]
i like the train controls on the table you have in the middle of the room, i will have to stand up as my railroads a tight fit in the garage
Afternoon all
JP-All I can say is,that is my kind of meal[8D][^][:)][yeah][dinner]
JP,Nick,and JimCG thanks for the title of the book
Paul
GaTom
Yes it is a sight to see and I always thought of it as a solid orange wavy ribbon coming down from the sky. Never saw any 119’s and the 130 came after I left or they didn’t use it around us.
John
No I had not heard of that but if they thought the B-17 was fast they would have really thought the B-24 was something because it had a thinner airfoil and was faster than the 17.
***-I will see what we can do and I will email you as time goes on and Thanks[tup][8D]
Trolleyboy-What’s the word on the position or are they keeping you in suspence??
Tim
Good to see you back and more benchwork[yeah][tup]
philnrunt-How did the camping go??
Cat/Tom
Never easy when they are someone you really care about. My thoughts and best to you[angel][angel][angel]
Jhh
You got it and I hope everything works out[angel][angel]
Ken
[quote]
QU
Siberianmo-Only one word WOW!!!
Duke
Jim, They are really nice kits, well worth the money in my opinion. But then I only have 4 crossings and one signal bridge to cover, so it’s not that expensive. And the e-mails aren’t so great, most of them are from a yahoo group I belong too, and this string happened to be a bunch of people flaming each other, with the occasional good content. I read it all to make sure I didn’t miss anything, and most of it ended up being a waste of my time.
Tom, well, I ended up starting out with a cheap Testors “air from a can” brush. I figure I can practice with this and work up to buying a good one with a compressor. I haven’t actually tried it out yet, but hopefully I will get to this weekend.
Siberianmo, Wow that’s awesome! You really did a neat job on that.
Well folks, My home work is lighter tonight, but I still better keep going, and I do have things to do. I’ll see you tomorrow!
Noah
Good afternoon/evening, Coffee Clubbers! Zoe, I’ll have a smoothie with Ed’s OJ and about half a banana blended in. It’s been a lonnnnnnnnnnggggggg day - worked through lunch (but my supervisor/clinical director brought me something back when she went out to get lunch). I’m ready to go home now.[yeah[
Ken, thanks on tracking that down. Now if they have 'em by Friday (payday), I can get one. I think one would be usable to kitbash into a slightly shorter, but longer version. Then I can save the extra windows from it for a kitbashed electronics plant.[:)]
Thanks for the tip, Teffy! Yeah, I think I remember one of our phone calls you talked some about that.[tup]
DoctorG, good to hear that you found a way to fit the layout in. MRRers are resourceful, above all![whistle] I had this visual of an accordian-folded layout…[;)]
Capt. Turk, good idea [tup] on making your vehicles ‘mudders’ -especially for some areas of the country before the roads got blacktopped.
UKMatt - tell the truth, were you bored and pulled the fire alarm?[}:)] Your Univ. sounds like ours here has been. Due to budget cutbacks, etc., even when I was going through my Master’s program they only offered certain classes on certain semesters (and alternating years, at that!). And yes, that teensy engine could get lost in a garden railway (especially one with cats)!Best wishes on your dissertation - how long does it need to be??
Brian, having a second interview sounds promising. Will continue to keep you and that job in my prayers. Sounds even better after hearing how many they go through just to get to the first interview.[tup][:)]
Adam, good to hear about your progress on the tracklaying. You’re right about sectional - it is much easier to work with than all those pieces - and all those rail joiners.
Siberianmo Tom, way to go - looks great [:D](as does the rest of your layout)!
Duke, you’re welcome. And I think you held down the re
after the Orientation/2nd interview I will hear back that night about the job… I was told that they don’t like to keep people waiting for very long… they contact all 30 or so people they invited to the second interview/orientation by 9pm… so I will know if I have a job by friday or not… lets all hope that I get it… not to mention that once I have been there for a year (if I get the job) I was told that I get a $10k bonus or something like that… I guess that probably depends on how things work out.
Thanks for all the support guys.
Evening clubbers,hope youve all had a good one,ah,Chloe set these fine gents up with a refill if you would be so kind,thank you. Excuse me if I hover at the counter for a few minutes,just got back from a particulaly exhilarating [read LOUD] band practice [ so much so that the pool team in the bar two floors up came down to complain that the balls were moving around on the table-whoops[:-,][}:)] ] and im still bouncing from the adrenaline rush. Well looks like its been brisk trade at this end of the mall, you poor girls must be out on your feet. so ,on to business, Trolleyboy{and others} I grew up near R.A.F. Kenley,a WW2 fighter station that was used as a staging post for flybys at the annual Biggin Hill air day,a big part of the show was the R.A.F.memorial flight,a Lanc,a Spitfire & a Hurricane and the sound of those Rolls-Royce Merlins coming over the garden at about 100 feet cannot be easily described–terrible to think that such graceful,elegant machines were primarily designed to kill people… Matt- saw a feature on Wel***.V. News the other week {ooh that Sara Edwards!!!} about a new freight working carrying timber into[or out of?] Aber. the film clip showed the back of the train which looked like a standard flat with a cab from a Plasser track machine grafted onto it .Im guessing that thi was some sort of control-cab for push-pull working due to lack of run-rounds beyond Dovey Jn.-any info? Jim-there seem to be all manner of cardinals in the news just lately!! Tom- condolences of your double loss-talk about kick a man when hes down. Steve seems to have covered black pudding-I would send you one to try but customs seem to get a bit weird about that sort of thing Ken & Tom-The Rick is performing magnificently [see above]many thanks!! Ken-Ive always lived in the U.K-only visit to your side was Toronto for a month back in 77 --I always thought the neutral ingredients of a tequila sunrise were O.J and G
Evening all - I’m sitting here surfing Yahoo! trying to decide if I want to have a beer or wait on some fresh warm out of the oven choco chip cookies mom is baking. They sure do smell good. But the beer is also sounding good. Decisions, decisions, decisions…life is just fulll of them.
Anyways…I guess that’s it till I can think of something else to write about. Chat w/ ya’ll later…
JP
good evening all, y’all have been so busy I may have to get a laptop and wireless to keep up when i’m on the road. My prayers for the wounded and wondering. Hope it all works out ok.
Trent B,hang in there and belated Happy Birthday
Siberianmo, awesome layout. Do the terraced hills represent an old mining operation, or is my eyesight just gone?
Cheese 3 , the rail bridge across the Dan river still stands though it is now a pedestrian walkway, with a plaque commerating the “wreck of the Old 97” right on rt 58 in Danville, Va. oh and welcome.
Welcome also , WailingMatt and welcome back Docorg and Tim.
Pocono went well, good weather and for the first time in recent memory no dramas involving peeling cars off the walls after. Looked for signs of the old Maybrook line on the trip out and back, saw some rail, but no sign of the yard and not a train all day Fri or Sun.
Had time to lurk only for the last few days as a customer came down from Maine and a few hours job turned into a two day thrash. He hit the Jersey barrier at Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix last year and although we bodged the car to run a couple of weeks later, fixing it required stripping it and fitting it to the chassis table. Not too many parts around for a 1960 Lotus 18 so we spent the last two days making bits and straightening the frame. Back to normal now and I don’t go out for a couple of weeks so I should get some hours in on the layout this weekend. That will do me good.
Cheers, J.R.
[b]after all is said and done, less is done than said{/b}
Sorry about that everybody,
I missed that I started the new page this morning! Zoe, drinks for everybody, put it on my tab, please.
I’ll try to watch it more closely next time.
Ga. Tom
[zzz]sorry, sorry, I see I started a new page - Belly up to the counter folks - I’m buying