I was in the neighborhood and saw we were on page 100 in volume 3, saw I figured what the heck, I'll open the new lounge.
Dave, can you please lock the old one and pin this one.
Thanks.
Good morning folks,
Curt, thanks for opening, coffee, and breakfast. Good luck with the new fridge purchase.
Larry, happy birthday to Ellie. Wishing you better sleep tonight.
Dve, good luck with the truck and wheelset choice.
Jim, thanks for sponsoring the forum and encouraging us to build something.
Ron, I'm looking forward to your continued build of the boxcars.
TomACL, glad you have a good time with family.
Karl, sounds mighty cold up there. Do you visit the northern compound in the winter?
Rick, safe travels today. That's some boring driving through the Texas panhandle and western Oklahoma.
Philip, what's on your bench?
What's on your agenda for the day?
It's a bright morning, warming to 61°F this afternoon. I'll be watching the Cowboys play their last game this afternoon. Tonight we are eating at our daughter's place and watching the Steelers (SIL's team).
Have fun,
mike
Several items as usual Mike.. ;D
Eyeballing the Big River Maru, which has been on the shelf 13 years. It needs all the steam stuff added to make motion! Such a thing of beauty!
Wow!! New diggs....thanks Rick.
New quarters, cool.
Dead a$$ Sunday here this, afternoon now. COld and clouds. 1/2" maybe of new snow.
The last football game today, for old times sake. LIONS at 4 on Fox.
Mike, we haven't been to UP the last two winters but could, if we can get in the road. We've not heard the conditions nor planned on going so far. My last trail cam from up there seemed like a bit of snow, more than usual for our area. 12-30-25
868032068525934-100-2-12312025234226-HD-SYFW4837.jpeg
Been making little detail parts today pallets, 2 sizes of crates, barrels and the facia of a storefront. Using up the last of a jug of printer goop to be technical... ;D
IMG_2989.jpeg
Dat be it fo' me...
Larry Happy Birthday to Ellie.
Good afternoon Crew from Wisconsin. Have not been outside yet but the ladies of the house have decided dinner is at Culver's!
The granddaughter is here till late afternoon tomorrow. The rest of her family are still doing hockey in Karl's UP. Finally after 3 ties they won another game 6-2 with the other team scoring 2x's in the last minute. The snow in Marquette per the daughter this morning is much greater on the ground than Calumet. She can't wait to get home. The team is 2-0-3 with the final game starting in a few minutes
Rick continue safe travels!
Mike, the Wisconsin Interstate is doing well and decided to spend some money. 3 ladders in the bottom of the gallon bags of Isopropyl Alcohol to strip the cars was an easy fix. I did a primer this morning as painting is not something I'm used to. Weathering and painting are so different and though my painter offered me a good price, I can do this.
TomO
Great stuff Karl! Looks like a perfect inside day! :o
A bit late but Happy Birthday, Ellie!
Good Morning All,
Today for breakfast is anything that doesn't need to be chilled. :-\
I didn't look but I think it's in the 50's with heavy fog heading to 80F today...so shorts weather again. Yesterday we delivered Lucas to his forever home, bought a new fridge and unloaded the freezer section of the fridge. What a mess. Since we got rid of all the 2 liter bottles we keep for ice during hurricanes I put frozen turkeys and ham to keep things slightly cool. No modeling
yesterday.
Today the delivery is scheduled for 9-1. Just before 9am we will unload the chilled section and not so patiently wait. I also have the normal Monday chores this morning. Oh, and son's car wouldn't start after work last night and needed a jump so that needs dealt with also-probably another jump. Wonder what the 3rd thing will be?
Rick safe travels. Driving cross country..Ugh!
I hope everyone has a good day.
Good Morning,
Curt I'll just grab a coffee this morning. Hope you get the new fridge on time and hopefully this one will last awhile. Sounds like you have your hands full atm.
Karl great looking 3D prints; you can save a tone of $$ making your own.
Thanks everyone for the B'day wished for Ellie.
What's on your plate today.
It's 18 with a high of 31; looks like rain tomorrow so I'll have to deal with the driveway later. Hope to do a thread update today as well after grocery shopping shortly. So that's my day ahead.
Have a great day!! Be well, stay warm, and travel safe.
Good morning everyone.
49 now, cloudy, windy and 72 later in IKC today.
I'm on the phone again and keeping it very brief because I want to get an early start today.
The goal is to get past Little Rock, AR.
Have a great day everyone.
Morning all,
Thanks for breakfast Curt and I see you have a very busy day. Of course, you know the fridge won't arrive until after 1PM.
I'm not doing anything today bench or layout related. I'm going to get caught up on my reading and chill.
Have a safe and happy day everyone.
Tom
Good morning folks,
Curt, thanks for opening, coffee, and the bagel. Hope the day has better luck in store.
Larry, I'm looking forward to your update.
Rick, safe travels.
TomACL, wishing you a relaxing day.
How goes the rest of the gang?
It's a hazy morning, warming to 63°F this afternoon. Last night was a fun evening watching football with our daughter and SIL. Work continues on the ladder. It's 48' long, and that's a lot of rungs. The outhouse is finished except for weathering. I have a haircut on tap this morning, which shouldn't take long.
Have fun,
mike
Quote from: friscomike on January 05, 2026, 08:45:59 AMI have a haircut on tap this morning, which shouldn't take long.
Yeah, barbers charge the same independent of how many actual hairs they have to cut!
dave
Blue sky and sun 8) brightening up the outlook here in Michigan this morning. LIONS won after a let down in the 4th quarter. Golf date for all thoses guys as they won't be moving along.
Projects for the day yet to be determined. It appears most of you are finding things to do today. Bench or layout? We'll see.
Enuf for me this morning.
Be Well!
KS
Morning Gang,Thanks for the coffee Curt.
It's been almost warm here. Spring like weather but I'm sure it is January?
Nothing but casting on my agenda for the day.
Later!
Good morning Curt, Larry, Rick, ACLTom, Mike, Dave, Karl, Philip and the rest of the crew that drops in later.
Thanks for the coffee and breakfast Curt, hope the new fridge comes sooner rather than later.
Like Rick, I'm going to keep this short as it's the first day back to work. Current temperature is -15c (5f) and overcast. I didn't make it to the bench yesterday as the Mrs wanted a couple of other projects done. Not sure what tonight will bring, will have to see how I feel when I get home.
Have a great day everyone.
Morning everyone
Curt thanks for the coffee & breakfast.
I mised yesterday we had company come early in the morning.
And then I just relaxed the whole day.
Still fighting this cold but getting better.
Haven't been to the bench in ove r a week so nothing to report.
Everyone have a great day!! :)
Jerry
Good afternoon from a mild Wisconsin day.
Back from 2.25 hours of cutting framing boards. Cut enough for the 7 frames being assembled today for the Wednesday session. Cut enough to do 2 more frames for Fridays work session. Many miscellaneous pieces cut for supports. Maybe 6 hours more cutting and the frames for the rest of the layout will all be cut.
My friend is meticulously accurate in his measurements and rounds off nothing and close enough doesn't exist in his frame building assembly world. A few months ago after a session at the saw that saw me realize he really wanted precision I made the effort to hit every line he had for cutting. Now he just hands me the cutting sheet. It's slower and you need to measure each and use a square for the line. But he'd do it and it's his layout so I follow his requests
Enjoy the day
Good morning everyone.
53 now and some clouds and some sun with a high of 69 in West Memphis today.
Coffee, sodas, OJ and hot chocolate are ready.
Basic two eggs any way you like, crispy bacon and/or sausage and home fries for breakfast today.
TomO, that's a lot of cutting and measuring.
Jerry, that's enough relaxing.
Back to the bench. ;) ;D
Ron, how'd you feel last night?
Philip, check with Jim about posting your URL here.
Karl, was it bench or layout?
Mike, that's a tall ladder I wouldn't want to be on.
ACLTom, hope you enjoyed your reading and chill.
Larry, rain today?
Curt, did they bring the fridge on time?
How's the rest of the crew?
Nothing exciting here except lots of driving that I'm not enjoying.
Trying to get as many miles in before getting tired so I can stop and rest.
Driving through Tennessee today.
Haven't done any hikes or taken any pictures in a while now, so no pictures again till that starts to happen.
Have a great day everyone.
Good Morning All,
Rick thanks for opening and breakfast. Safe travels for you and Star. I bet neither of you like being cooped up all day.
Started out the day with a walk at 55F. Cold enough to bundle up but overly warm being bundled up by the end.
Yesterday the delivery folks showed up at 9:30 am ;D and we're gone by 10 so we now have an operating fridge.
Today I have some routine pool maintenance and I need to get chlorine. After that I should be able to finish up the kit. The display case for it arrived last night.
Not much else going on today.
I hope everyone has a good day.
Morning all,
Thanks for breakfast Rick, continued safe travels. Good to see you back on the east coast.
Curt, I'm surprised the delivery was early, at least you got the fridge installed.
I had a nice day of relaxation yesterday. I read. napped, read an napped some more. Slept great last night.
Unfortunately, Pam has the chest cough again and sound nasty. I have an 8:20 Dr. app. for her this morning.
That's all from here.
Have a safe and healthy day everyone.
Tom
Good Morning,
Rick thanks for breakfast and coffee. Travel safely; pounding off the miles is never fun and tiring. The weather guessers said rain but the sun's coming up with clear skies.
Curt great news on the new fridge and hope it lasts a looooong time. Have fun at the bench.
Tom sounds like you had a great day yesterday. Hope Pam feels better soon.
What are the rest of you up to.
It's a clear 25 with a high of 37; calling for afternoon rain; hopefully that will help melt and settle some of the sn*w....I running out of places to put it. Making a trip to Wegmans this am for Ellie's Rx and some groceries. Maybe some bench time after that. Also need to start taking down the holiday decorations.
Have a great day!! Be well, stay warm, and travel safe.
Tom pls tell Pam I hope she feels better very soon.
Larry if you didn't put them up you wouldn't have to take them down. All we do is put up a table top tree.
Good morning Crew. Best wishes on everyone's health. I understand when the spouse or S/O is sick. Terry went through hell most of 2025 but has been doing tremendously better the last 3-4 months.
The cleansing rain over night has stopped. High today is mid 40's.
Some bench time today is expected around noon. Inspect, clean and fade some commission weathering. Hopefully done by dinner.
Safe travels Rick
Enjoy your day
TomO
Good morning Rick, Curt, ACLTom, Larry, TomO and the rest of the crew that drops in later.
Thanks for the coffee and breakfast Rick, safe travels.
Curt, glad the fridge came early.
ACLTom, hope Pam feels better soon.
Larry, hope you make it to the bench.
TomO, have fun at the bench.
Current temperature is -9c (16f) and overcast, almost spring weather. ;D The drive home last night was fun, only took 2-3/4 hrs. :o Needless to say there was no modeling last light as after the stressful drive home I had no energy left. We shall see what tonight will bring.
Have a great day everyone.
Good morning folks,
Rick, thanks for opening, coffee, and breakfast. You must have had your hands full driving and making us breakfast... Safe travels.
Curt, congrats on the new fridge. Good luck mounting the kit.
TomACL, sending get-well-soon wishes to Pam.
Larry, good luck with the holiday take-down.
TomO, hope the bench time is for you.
Ron, the drive home doesn't sound like fun. Better luck out there today.
How is the rest of the crew?
It's a foggy morning, 65°F this afternoon. I finished the oil derrick yesterday. I don't think I'll mount it permanently on the layout until I finish the road and river next to it. The Mount Blue combine received some attention yesterday. I'm still perplexed about how to add weight to it.
Have fun,
mike
Right now it's cool (22) and sunny, but there's winter weather advisory for tonight & tomorrow for snow, sleet, wintry mix, etc.
I'm still pondering my next project. None of the current candidates would meet the requirements for the winter contest.
dave
Morning all,
Very dreary out this am.
Not sure what the day brings.
How many are participating in the 2026 Challenge?
Have a good en.
Philip
Hazy, drizzle with temp right @ freezing makes for poor outside conditions. Damp like this feels worse than single digits and sun.
Bench time yesterday, prepping diesel for paint and a couple more 3d runs.
Today, TRY to get to the paint shop, corner of the layout. I'm thinking of an America 250 paint scheme. Will need to make some decals for that and use the stars and stripes segments of a Montana Rail Link Veteran's diesel decal sheet I have. ::)
Best to all on sick call, word is a nasty flu is in our area so outside exposure is being limited. Not sure how the Doll is this morning, she's not up yet and it's going on 10:30, (she was breathing the last time I looked) ;) This damp stuff really fires up her achy joints.
Still thinking about the challenge, like to but not to the cost of progress, already slow, on the layout.
Have a good day all, with the West to East progression of the weather, LarryC, I'd imagine you might lose some of the snow in a few days.
Happy grey Tuesday all! ::)
KarlS
Morning everyone
Rick thanks for the coffee & breakfast.
Be safe traveling.
Curt glad you go the fridge in.
Tom hope Pam fels better today.
Larry & TomO have fun at the bench.
Ron hope the rive home tonight is a better one.
Mike looking forward to the final pitures.
Morning Dave.
Philip enjoy the day.
Weather in South Jersey cloudy/35.
My cold is getting better but still not not back to normal.
I'll take the outside decorations down today.
I have dust on my workbench!!!
Everyone have a great day!! :)
Jerry
Good Morning All,
Today for breakfast is coffee, cereal, bagels, yogurt, OJ, and soda.
Starting out here at 60F and heavy fog. Yesterday was not a good day at the workbench. I dropped several small parts on the floor into the black hole. Even on my hands and knees with a flashlight was a waste of time. :-X After that I proceeded to bust the "beam" of the crane. At that point I had to leave the train room.
I was surprised yesterday when the mail came. There was a envelope from Brett with 5 or 6 3-D printed smoke stacks. I called him probably 7-8 weeks ago about a missing stack and he said he would mail it out in a couple of days. :o
Today is floors then hopefully the workbench time will go more smoothly than yesterday.
I hope everyone has a good day.
Good Morning,
Curt as always thanks for the coffee and breakfast. Sorry to hear about your modeling woes; been there, done that. A couple of years ago while cleaning my bench, I placed a newly finished building on my chair. Not thinking I sat down and guess what....CRUNCH.
What's going on in your world.
It's 37 and that's it for the day with rain. Been hearing all kinds of rumbles with the sn*w and ice sliding off the metal roofs; sounds like a freight train coming through the house. Bench time today is a definite since yesterday it didn't happen.
Have a great day!!! Be well, travel safe, and keep warm.
Morning all,
Keeping it short today.
Pam tested negative for Covid and three strands of flu. She just has a bad head and chest cold with cough according to the doc. She gifted me the cough for good measure.
I'm going back to bed.
Have a healthy day everyone.
Tom
Good morning everyone.
Should be sunny and 61 in Bristol, TN.
Curt, thanks for the coffee and breakfast and hope the bench time is much better today.
Only about 600 miles from the target now.
Traveling through VA. Today.
ACLTom, hope Pam and you feel better soon.
Have a great day everyone.
Rick...if you're traveling on I-81 you'll be passing by Wytheville, VA...that's where we spend much of the summer. In Bristol there is supposed to be a spectacular former train station
terry
Tom Ouch! I hope you and Pam feel better very soon.
Terry when are you coming back to town?
Rick safe travels. You seem to be making good progress driving cross country.
Good morning Curt, Larry, ACLTom, Rick, Terry and the rest of the crew that drops in later.
Thanks for the coffee and breakfast Curt, sounds like a really bad day at the workbench, hope it goes better today.
Larry, have fun at the bench.
ACLTom, A triple whammy is not good, hope you both feel better soon.
Rick, you are almost there, safe travels.
Terry, have a great day.
Weather here is -3c (27f) and the white stuff is falling, it's supposed to fall all day. Because of the falling white stuff I'm working from home today. While I didn't accomplish any modeling last night I did spend some time on figuring out what I was going to do for the winter challenge.
Have a great day everyone.
Good morning folks,
Curt, thanks for opening, coffee, and breakfast. Getting down to look for dropped parts is how I get my exercise...
Larry, wishing you a great day at the bench.
TomACL, hope Pam and you get well soon. Pam's plague sounds rough.
Rick, safe travels.
Terry, howdy!
Ron, sounds like you have modeling weather.
Karl, the 3D printing looks great. Looks like you've mastered the process.
How is the rest of the crew?
It's a dense foggy morning forecast for 71°F later today. Yesterday I worked on the combine body and frame. The glue should be dry, so I hope to finish the roof today. Think I'll start work on the main street road on the layout.
Have fun,
mike
Bright sun and clear sky...maybe a 1/4 to 1/2 mile above this dense FOG, 100 yd vis if that. 45 shades less than a best seller... :o
The paint shop and loco prep crew remain in action today, unless, of course, something else raises up. Most of our snow has vaporized.
IMG_3074.jpeg
Bristol, TN/VA is one beautiful area. I used to go there a bit later in the year for NASCAR races. The scenery is spectacular in full SPRING regalia...Wytheville, VA is an area my cousin from Jacksonville, FL used to go on and on about where they RV'd in the summer. Travel safe
Tom. keep the cough under control, I've another Diet Pepsi for you if it'll help.
That's all I've got. Be well. Stay safe.
KSinMI
Good morning from foggy and gloomy So. Central Wisconsin. We will see low 40's today.
Went to the movies yesterday late afternoon. Marty Supreme, here's the theater's Synopsis: Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness. It starred Timothy Chalamet and because dad always said if you can't say nice things about something don't say anything at all. The Milk Duds were fresh and excellent, the free popcorn was good
Afterwards we hit up Jason's Deli a national but not too big a chain. We have not been there since the start of Covid. It's different as it's not fast service, it has a decent variety of really good sandwiches to choose from and the ice cream machine is free.
Yesterday prior to the movie I did inspect, clean and fade some commissioned rail cars. Today I will do the same for the 6 diesels that showed up yesterday. There's not a lot of commission work on the shelves but that was the idea when I started cutting back last year anyway.
I belong to 2 operations groups and have met guys at these sessions from across Wisconsin but also many other states. A guy I barely know from out of state texted last week me after I mentioned on my FB page I was having issues finding styrene structural pieces and some flat sheet. Asked me what I needed as he'd ask his group. Last night he texted he added 10% to what I needed and he'll bring it to an OPS Session he is coming to tomorrow night a few miles from me. Fearing the price I had to ask. Damn almost free! What a great group model railroaders can be
Be well
Badger TomO said:'What a great group model railroaders can be'
How true, we are in spite of ourselves. ;)
Good morning crew!
Looks like a grocery run today once the coffee kicks in!
Hoping you all under the weather get better!
I need a NWSL chopper....
Philip
Phillip...also consider an Ultimation Slicer..more $$$ than the chopper but more versatile (IMO)
terry
Morning everyone
Curt thanks for the coffee & breakfast.
Better luck at the bench today.
Larry have a nice day at the bench.
Rick drive with care!
Morning Terry.
Ron smart move to stay home if it's going to snow all day.
Mike be looking for an update.
Karl nice looking loco.
TomO sounds like you have some painting to do.
Philip don't spend all your money on groceries.
Weather in South Jersey is sunny/49.
My cold is just about gone thank God.
All the decorations are put away for the year.
We have a trip planned for the Mall Diane needs new slippers.
Maybe just maybe some time time at the bench later today.
Everyone have a great day!! :)
Jerry
Good Morning All,
Today for breakfast is coffee, cereal, bagels, yogurt, Publix cake donuts, OJ, and soda.
Started out the day with a walk at 59F. About halfway through the fog started rolling in. Yesterday was a mixed bag at the workbench. After about an hour I gave up on the supplied I-beam for the "beam". It was just too flimsy for my ham handed attempts. Instead I made it out of styrene I had, and left it to dry overnight. Fingers crossed.
Today with luck I will finish up the build. If I do, I'll do a last update in the build thread.
Tom and Pam I hope you are feeling better.
Jim good luck to your wife today.
Rick safe travels. You got to be getting close to NJ.
I hope everyone has a good day.
Good morning everyone.
Hamilton, NJ weather: 36 now, partly cloudy and 50 later.
Curt, thanks for the coffee and breakfast.
Hope the new beam works.
ACLTOM and Pam, hope you're feeling better.
I made it.
I'm in NJ.
Stopping at Walmart to get boxes to use for shipping my stuff back to AZ.
Then going to my friends house.
Have a great day everyone.
Morning Gents,
Curt thanks for the coffee and breakfast. Hope the time @ the bench goes smoothly.
Rick glad to hear you made it to Jersey safely and hope the packing/shipping goes smoothly.
Tom hope you and Pam are feeling better.
Jerry get the cobwebs off the bench?
What are the rest of you up to.
It's 35 with a high of 40 here. The roofs are bare once again and the white crap is settling; calling for 50 this weekend....yippee. Took down the decorations yesterday so today the rest of the lights come down along with the tree then it's a done deal; I have RR projects to do.
Have a great day!! Be well, stay warm, and travel safely.
Rick, glad you arrived OK.
Hope Tom and Pam are feeling better.
I worked on a practice roof for my wood passenger car kit. That's going well, my plan is to finish that, and then use the custom-cut piece for the 'real roof'.
dave
Good morning folks,
Curt, thanks for opening, coffee, and breakfast. Good luck with the beam.
Rick, congrats on making it safely to NJ.
Larry, that's a chore taking down decorations. The bench time will be well deserved.
Dave, good luck with the roof.
TomACL, get wishes to Pam and you.
TomO, indeed!
How goes the rest of the crew?
It's another foggy morning forecast of 70°F this afternoon. Yesterday I was dead tired for some unknown reason, and I read instead of going upstairs. Maybe today.
Have fun,
mike
Good morning and wishes of better health to everyone in need.
Wisconsin weather is interesting. We are roughly 30 degrees warmer this week than what the pseasonal average says we should be. Right now it's 38f degrees heading to 48 and yes it is shorts weather for some.
I did my check list for the train room activities yesterday. I have 2 projects going on for a friend and when they get done, they get done. Some commission weathering has been worked on this week. Since I reduced the amount of weathering and just let my regulars know I'm still doing it the weathering has been pretty much stress free. I had some a couple clients that used to send 25 cars in for weathering. Those are what I cut down on, maximum is 10 at a time. It will be out within the 6 week lead time. My own stuff, yeah, it is there. I'm following a list but have been known to take a left when the notes say go right!
The wife mentioned something about getting away from this miserable damp weather. That means we might be going somewhere warm. I didn't pursue that discussion. If serious it will return without my prompting. I am very content staying home.
My 1st mandatory withdrawal from my 401k is tomorrow! Ridiculous they are making me take money out now! The feds will get the tax money eventually, what a F...ing joke
Rick, enjoy the packaging of whatever you are sending back to the daughter in Arizona. Be prepared for sticker shock at the post office or UPS.
Be well
TomO
Good morning Curt, Rick, Larry, Dave, Mike, TomO and the rest of the crew that drops in later.
Thanks for the coffee and breakfast Curt, hope the new beam works and you get the build finished. Looking forward to the final update.
Rick, glad you made it back to NJ okay. So are you planing to retire in AZ, or will that be your new base of operation?
Larry, hope you get the rest of the decorations down so that you can get back to the railroad projects.
Dave, Good luck with the passenger car roof.
Mike, reading is good, maybe you will make it to the bench today.
TomO, sounds like you are getting your modeling goals in order.
Karl, that is a mighty fine looking locomotive you have there.
Current weather here is 1c (34f) and overcast. They are calling for a high of 6c (42f) and rain. Dur to the white stuff falling yesterday morning I ended up working from home. This gave me more time at the bench which I put to good use by constructing the ladders for the boxcars. If all goes well tonight, I'll cut them from there carriers and attach them to the boxcars. The end is in site. ;D
Have a great day everyone.
Morning Gang,
Yeah, I'm broke after the Kroger trip. Was $332.00 yesterday but we haven't been to the store for a month Jerry.
Thanks for the heads up Terry, forgot about that one.
Pondering the day ahead, glad to be in it!
Watched a bit of new tracks modeling and also see Rslaser sold and reopened with a new owner.
Old Shop (https://www.rslaserkits.com/)
New Shop (https://www.phoenixmodelbuildings.com/)
Philip
Morning everyone
Curt thanks for the coffee & breakfast.
Good luck with the beam.
Rick glad to hear you made it safely back here.
Looking forward to seeing you.
Larry good luck with talking the rest of the Xmas down.
Morning Dave.
Mike hope you make it upstairs today.
TomO most things the government does is a joke!!
Ron looking for the next update.
Philip I see you left some for the hobby!!! :)
Weather in South Jersey i sunny/49. Later on 54.
A few chores to do around the house than I think the day is mine.
Well maybe mine!!
Everyone have a great day!! :)
Jerry
Early afternoon was sunny now still bright 8) in Michigan. Been at it early. Barbershop, ears lowered slightly and the PT were discussed discharge after next week. Much better, 60% better. I'll take it. See how the next 3 months go.
Took all day to decal one side of the C-415. The Circus City decals I used are for a Montana Rail Link Veterans SD70ace. The base material,is a bit tough and the red stripes seem to be on the verge of easy to crack. LOTS of decal solution, over and over... :o I had to cut each stripe out individually so there wasn't excess clear to try to fit over panel lines and door handles.
IMG_3077.jpeg
Back at it shortly. ::)
KS
Karl what a great job you did on that loco!!
Jerry
Great job Karl.
Wow Karl she looks great!
Thanks...started the other side this afternoon... :o It's going slowly with various interruptions due to incoming rain and schmutzy stuff.(re) Design as you go is slowly getting done too.
Karl, That is one heck of a decaling job, well done doesn't quite cut it as it is much better than that.
Good Morning,
The morning beverages are ready. Breakfast is western omelet w/ cheese on your choice of bagel. Sides of crispy bacon and/or pan sausages; bottle of hot sauce if you want a little zip.
Karl nice decaling job.
What's your plans for the day.
I'd a mild 44 with a high of fifty. Errands to run this am then maybe some bench time after. Need to order a couple of items from SW for the challenge. That's about it here.
Have a great day. Be well, stay warm, and travel safely.
Good morning everyone.
29 now, 54 later with clouds and a chance of rain late in the afternoon.
Larry, thanks for the coffee and breakfast.
I hope everyone is feeling well and isn't ailing.
Spent to do yesterday relaxing.
I bought a pizza for dinner for my friends and I.
Played cards afterwards and I lost bad.
Going to do some packing and then have dinner with high school friends at a restaurant tonight.
Have a great day everyone.
Good Morning All,
Thanks for opening and breakfast Larry. I hope you make it to the workbench today.
Started out here in the low 60's and headed to 80 today. Yesterday I finished the build and posted what I thought was the end of the thread but realized that I forgot 2 photos. I added them this morning. I'm having issues putting together the display case but I'll get it together. I already have the brackets mounted on the wall.
Today I have a haircut mid morning and need to dig out and prep 4 pet carriers for MOH and daughter tomorrow. There's a rescue event in the Tampa area. Jan and Feb the calendar for the rescue is very full. I guess they think nobody has a life. One of us has to attend every event because we have a vehicle big enough to haul the needed equipment like tents etc.
Tom I hope you and Pam are feeling better.
Rick are you leaving NJ soon? I had to Google your location in NJ since I have only been in the state once in the late 70's, and that's a story for another time.
I hope everyone has a good day.
Morning all,
Thanks for breakfast Larry. I'll add fresh squeezed OJ to the table.
Pam and I are doing much better now. As they say, "Better living through pharmaceuticals." I can honestly say I'm now on drugs. 8)
Bill is home now and recovering very well. Still a long road of rehab. He sounded great yesterday and was at his desk.
That's it for me. Not sure when I'll get back to the Doc Koontz build.
Have a safe and healthy day everyone.
Tom
Good news from Tom all around!
It's cloudy and pretty much seasonal temps. It should get above freezing again today before some rain starts, maybe I can scrape ice off the driveway. After the cleaners are gone, I should get downstairs to do some work on the passenger car practice roof, and also the 'farm bridge over the tracks' Those are a couple small projects after the marathon of the machine shop.
dave
Morning all, Great news about the Judge recovery. Good luck on the church Tom!
Empty house as Gena slipped out early to the dentist with our Son. Root Canal..
So I'm the King for a moment ;D The cat just walked in crying, so much for that King stuff.
Have a great day!
Philip
p.s. Someone need to unpin the old lounge?
Good morning,
Larry, thanks for the coffee and breakfast.
Rick, the reunion with friends sounds nice.
Curt, good luck with the display case.
TomACL, glad you are feeling better.
Dave, the small project list grows when we work on the marathon projects.
How is the rest of the crew?
It's another hazy morning, rain later, and a forecast of 71°F this afternoon.
I plan to continue working on the combine today.
Have fun,
mike
Good morning from a really weather confused Wisconsin. High today might be 40. Yesterday it was 56f degrees. Rain started around 2pm and continued into the overnight.
I have not ordered my paints yet and need to! I have 1 go to place that is great pricing except for shipping. I need to get to around $150 and then shipping when amortized over the order is reasonable. But here and the other 2 places I buy from just do not my full order so I have been holding off. Our trip east to Racine Wi on the western shores of the Great Lake called Michigan next week will have a Hiawatha Hobby stop on the way down. Because Terry has stuff to do in the Chicago area we will also stop at DesPlaines Hobby and Lombard Hobbies on the way out of the city. My LHS refuses to carry Vallejo but doesn't carry enough of Mission Models for me to start switching over. The other (70 miles) LHS is Hiawatha and the Vallejo and Tamiya racks are short colors I need. The grandson has hockey in Green Bay next week and the Son-in-law said they can stop at Enginehouse Services there if needed. So I will figure my order and place them at the stores for pickup. I generally buy 3-4 times a year but based on my self imposed slow down maybe twice this year for the big orders.
Enjoy your day
TomO
Good morning Larry, Rick, Curt, ACLTom, Dave, Philip, Mike, TomO and the rest of the crew that drops in later.
Thanks for the coffee and breakfast Larry, have fun at the bench.
Rick, enjoy dinner tonight with your friends.
Curt, sounds like you have a busy day planned.
ACLTom, glad you and Pam are feeling better, great news about the judge.
Dave, enjoy your time at the bench.
Philip, enjoy the quiet time while it last.
Mike, have fun working on the combine.
TomO, Good luck with the paint orders and you get everything you need.
Current weather is 3c (38f) and rain. Made it to the bench last night and installed the ladders on to the boxcars, I'll post an update later this morning. I'm getting near the end of the build as there are only small details to be added.
Have a great day everyone.
Philip said: "Gena slipped out early to the dentist with our Son. Root Canal..
Kid must get kidded a lot... :o
I spent much of the day doing the other side of the C-415. It turned out ok, modified my decal process, added a generous soak of Red to the Blue decal solutions, the decals softened a bit easier over the door handles and such. Still was tedious and time consuming. Will do follow up coats of clear gloss/flat as well as probably re-do the cab. The one side cab number got wrecked, Microscale soooo...much thinner and I really have a Just one little touch thing where 99% correct, no one would ever notice, still makes me poke and ruin the :-X thing...for some reason the paint was soft under it and now I have to sand and repaint half the cab... :'(
Wet, wind, temp at midnight was 510 and now, 1000hrs it's 440 and falling, the icon in the hour by hour is schizoid...shows clouds, rain, snow and high wind, then a tiny peeeeking sun late in the day just as the sun sets and we won't see it.. Another joyous day. ;D
Back to the battle, be well all.
TomO have you looked at Hobby Lobby for Vallejo? Our local store used to have lots but is cutting back on paint and REAL hobby supplies like we'd want, just more chinese pseudo farmhouse stuff any real farm family wouldn't put in the pig pen. They also appear to have dropped out of quality airbrush sales, I bought my Iwata there, when they had sales. LHS in GRapids said they quit selling airbrushes because cheap skates like me were waiting for the HL sales and getting them for 50-60% off. Guilty...of course Hobby Lobby doesn't do blanket %off sales like they once did. The store in GR has lots of different paints in the Vallejo style dropper bottle, but it's a 125 round trip. Maybe end of year tactic but I looked for strip wood at HL last week and they're supply isway down :-\ :'(
Enuf dribble from me, be well all, enjoy the day.
BTW good to hear the Judge is home. Our friend in FL that was hit by the car is reaaally slow in recovery, dizziness.
The Doll is fixin' oatmeal for me...better go, my ribs need something sticky...LOL
KSinGREY
Morning everyone
Larry thanks for the coffee & breakfast.
Have fun at the bench.
Rick have a nice day and tonight with friends for dinner.
Curt good luck with the case.
Tom glad you and Pma are feeling better.
Dave have fun at the bench.
Philip keep the crown as long as possible.
Tom I hope you get all the paint orders today.
Ron I'll look for the update.
Weather in South Jersey P. sunny/48. Later on 53.
The cold is just about gone. Thank God.
After I see what is going on with the little lady...
Maybe some dusting of the bench!!
Everyone have a great day!! :)
Jerry
For all you machine shop affectionados; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BckZ4i1BzF0
Quote from: KentuckySouthern on January 09, 2026, 10:25:56 AMPhilip said: "Gena slipped out early to the dentist with our Son. Root Canal..
Kid must get kidded a lot... :o
I spent much of the day doing the other side of the C-415. It turned out ok, modified my decal process, added a generous soak of Red to the Blue decal solutions, the decals softened a bit easier over the door handles and such. Still was tedious and time consuming. Will do follow up coats of clear gloss/flat as well as probably re-do the cab. The one side cab number got wrecked, Microscale soooo...much thinner and I really have a Just one little touch thing where 99% correct, no one would ever notice, still makes me poke and ruin the :-X thing...for some reason the paint was soft under it and now I have to sand and repaint half the cab... :'(
Wet, wind, temp at midnight was 510 and now, 1000hrs it's 440 and falling, the icon in the hour by hour is schizoid...shows clouds, rain, snow and high wind, then a tiny peeeeking sun late in the day just as the sun sets and we won't see it.. Another joyous day. ;D
Back to the battle, be well all.
TomO have you looked at Hobby Lobby for Vallejo? Our local store used to have lots but is cutting back on paint and REAL hobby supplies like we'd want, just more chinese pseudo farmhouse stuff any real farm family wouldn't put in the pig pen. They also appear to have dropped out of quality airbrush sales, I bought my Iwata there, when they had sales. LHS in GRapids said they quit selling airbrushes because cheap skates like me were waiting for the HL sales and getting them for 50-60% off. Guilty...of course Hobby Lobby doesn't do blanket %off sales like they once did. The store in GR has lots of different paints in the Vallejo style dropper bottle, but it's a 125 round trip. Maybe end of year tactic but I looked for strip wood at HL last week and they're supply isway down :-\ :'(
Enuf dribble from me, be well all, enjoy the day.
BTW good to hear the Judge is home. Our friend in FL that was hit by the car is reaaally slow in recovery, dizziness.
The Doll is fixin' oatmeal for me...better go, my ribs need something sticky...LOL
KSinGREY
I haven't been to Hobby Lobby since we purchased and returned a big 3' diameter clock there 3 times in 1 day a few years ago or right before they discontinued the coupons. I now forget about them. They are close to Barnes and Noble and while Terry is there this afternoon I can check HL out. Thanks
TomO
Quote from: KentuckySouthern on January 09, 2026, 11:23:44 AMFor all you machine shop affectionados; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BckZ4i1BzF0
Very interesting to me, because it's a machine shop focused on the oil industry, at least in the beginning.
But watching the young'un running a lathe without any safety glasses bothered me!
dave
Very interesting Dave. Thanks for posting.
Jerry
Quote from: Jerry on January 09, 2026, 12:24:10 PMVery interesting Dave. Thanks for posting.
Jerry
Karl's link, not mine.
dave
Good Morning All,
Today for breakfast is coffee, cereal, bagels, yogurt, OJ, and soda.
Started out the day with a walk at 63F. MOH leaves in a bit for the skunk rescue event. Daughter isn't going because she was exposed to Covid yesterday from one of her students. The only thing I accomplished at the workbench yesterday was starting to put things away.
Today I hope to finish assembling the display case and get it on the wall and finish cleaning up the workbench.
I hope everyone has a good day.
Morning all,
Thanks for breakfast Curt. I'll just have some OJ for now.
I did get a little done on the Koontz build and will post an update later. Trying to decide if I want to enter the build challenge.
Pam and I are feeling much better this morning. Hopefully I'll get more bench time in today.
Have a safe and healthy day everyone.
Tom
Tom I'm glad you and Pam are feeling better.
Quote from: PRR Modeler on January 10, 2026, 07:01:47 AMTom I'm glad you and Pam are feeling better.
Thanks Butty!
Good Morning,
Curt thanks for the coffee and breakfast. Hope all goes well at the event and at the bench.
Tom glad you and Pam are feeling better. As of yesterday there's only 3 of us doing the challenge so ya hop right in with something.
What's on your agenda today?
It's 36 with a high of 39 here. An early morning errand then I have one more rafter to build for the Challenge. If the lumber shows today then I'll keep going but if not I'll jump back on the Shop until it does.
Have a great day!! Be well, safe travels, and keep warm.
Larry I expect to join in also.
Good morning! Just coffee today.Thanks Curt!
Alright Tom and Pam, glad your both better.
I'm pondering the challenge, not sure yet. I need more scale real estate first.
Philip
Good Morning;
Curt thanks for breakfast, I'll put another pot of coffee on the stove, it was a long night yesterday. The Boss had her knee revision two days ago. She had it replaced the first time a year ago but the doctor had goofed the job. So after a year of pain and denial of anything wrong from the original doctor, a ortho specialist who is an expert at these revisions redid the knee in Gainesville. Doctors never throw stones at each other but this one did say he was disappointed at the quality of work displayed, nothing had attached and she was essentially walking on a broken leg. But it is fixed now so once she rests for a couple of days, rehab and recovery, as I am a lousy cook I can't wait! I got her home yesterday, she had issues with anesthesia so was a little sick to stomach yesterday but good this morning.
Today I will be cleaning house, taking care of my better half and perhaps doing some work on the bridge project. A nap is also in my future!
Jimdownload-1.jpg
Good morning folks,
Curt, thanks for the coffee and breakfast. Good luck with the display case.
TomACL, good to hear you guys feel better.
Larry, good luck with the challenge build.
Philip, good luck with the scale real estate.
Jim, glad your wife's knee is on the road to recovery.
How is the rest of the gang?
It's a rainy morning, warming to 70°F this afternoon. The combine is coming along.
Have fun,
mike
Good morning.
It will be 51 and rainy here in Hamilton.
Going out for breakfast in a few.
Dinner last night was good.
Have a great day everyone.
Lots of youse guys got up early today! Nice to see all'a y'all!
Some record warm and wet here the last 24-36 hours will be replaced by 100% of accumulating snow and probably sloppy weather...just in time to go out this afternoon for grand daughter's birthday, delayed from the 7th due to folks that still have day jobs. ::)
Bench time, 3d time and paint booth time yesterday kept me at it. The diesel project is moving along at a snail's pace. UNDECORATED does not, for Bowser/English, mean all the itty bitties are lose, in a bag or easy if possible to get out of the way so one can then UN-Undecorate their model add in some paint and decal performance issues... >:( tends toward :'( Thought about a strip and restart but all the lights and such are in the shell and too complicated to remove without damage so I'm making a compromise or two but will be the only one that sees them, I hope. Not going to be ready for Monday's OPS.
Speaking of OPS, at the last session one of our guys is the shop manager, motive power, for the Ann Arbor, Michigan Interstate, now Great Lake Central out of Owosso. He says he is down to one active GP35 and new owner, one of the short line groups, is bringing in some SD-60s and starting to run more "modern" power and hiring folks if anyone wants to railroad in Michigan.
All I got today, best to all. Best, Jim, to your lady, hoping recovery goes well.
KSinMI
Jim so glad to hear your better half redo went well; couldn't even imagine trying to get through life with an essentially broken leg. That's one tough Lady.
Morning everyone
Curt thanks for the coffee & breakfast.Tom glad you and Pam are feeling better.
Larry its good to have choices.
Go for it Philip.
Jim glad the wife is feeling better. Good luck with her new knee.
Mike have a nice day.
Rick glad your enjoying the time here.
Karl thanks for that link yesterday.
Weather in South Jersey cloudy/45. Rain is on the way.
Today is Diane's birthday!!
One of the grandkids is coming down for the weekend.
Everyone have a wonderful day!! :)
Jerry
Good morning Curt, ACLTom, Larry, Philip, Jim, Mike, Rick, Karl, Jerry and the rest of the crew that drops in later.
Thanks for the coffee and breakfast Curt, hope you join the challenge, I love seeing your work.
ACLTom, glad you and Pam are feeling better. Looking forward to your update.
Larry, hope your wood arrives today.
Philip, have a great day.
Jim, glad to hear your wife's knee is finally fixed, going through a year a pain like that is criminal.
Mike, your combine is looking great.
Rick, enjoy breakfast and your day.
Karl, sounds like you have a good handle in the locomotive.
Jerry, Wish Diane a happy Birthday for me.
After yesterday's thaw, everything is is now. :o Current temperature is -1c (30f) and overcast. Little late checking in today as I had to drop Gracie off at the groomer. She will look like a different dog when I pick her up. Did some more work on the boxcars yesterday, but it is getting harder to finish them as I'm currently excited about the winter challenge. I think I suffer from "squirrel" syndrome. The problem is that when I jump from one project to the next the forgotten projects sit on the shelf for years. I'm determined not to do that this time.
Have a great day everyone.
When my dogs get back from the groomers, they look different. Livia changes color from 'dishwater' to 'white'. But more importantly, with fluffy clean hair, they look like stuffed toys (with attitude!)
I'm back from the store, down to the train room in a bit. I'm working on 'farm bridge over the tracks', a quick project.
dave
Ron said: "suffer from "squirrel" syndrome. The problem is that when I jump from one project to the next the forgotten projects sit on the shelf for years"
I confess to that, but I call it being a 90%er, get 90% done and life intrudes and removes all the spark for -insert project- and replaces it with complacency. My house and layout are both full of 90% stuff. :-\
Jim great news about your wife.
Jerry Happy Birthday To Diane.
Good Morning All,
Breakfast today is coffee, cereal, bagels, freshly made banana nut muffins, yogurt, OJ, and milk.
Starting out here at 62F. By Friday the lows will be in the low 30's. Yuck. Yesterday I finally got the display case together and mounted after much colorful language.:( MOH made it home around 5 pm.
Today besides chores and the honey-do's, I think we are taking down the subdivision Christmas crap at the front entrance. That only takes about an hour.
I hope everyone has a good day.
Good morning everyone.
42 now, some clouds and 45 later here in NJ.
Curt, thanks for the coffee and breakfast.
Meeting a RR friend for lunch and then getting two boxes of my stuff out of his garage.
Have a great day everyone.
Good Morning,
Curt thanks for the coffee and breakfast. Hope the un-decorating goes quick.Glad you were able to get the case together despite the colorful adjectives.
Rick enjoy your lunch with your friend.
Jerry Happy belated Birthday to Diane.
What's the rest of you doing.
It's 32 with a high of 36 here. Daughter and a friend went to Buffalo, NY to watch a NHL Sabers game yesterday; hope they won. Some bench time in the forecast working on Hank's while I wait for my lumber delivery; hopefully tomorrow. That's about it from here.
Hope everyone has a great day ahead!!! Be well and keep warm.
Good morning Curt, Rick, Larry and the rest of the crew that drops in later.
Thanks for the coffee and breakfast Curt, now that you got the case built and the model put away, any idea what the next project will be?
Rick, enjoy lunch with your RR friend.
Larry, have fun at the bench.
Current weather here is -2c (29f) with white stuff in the forecast. Worked some more on the boxcars, they are getting closer to the end. The goal is to get the assembly completed today.
Have a great day everyone.
Good morning folks,
Curt, thanks for opening, the coffee and breakfast. Congratulations on the display case assembly.
Rick, enjoy lunch.
Larry, hope you enjoy the bench. Where do you purchase your lumber?
How is the rest of the crew?
It's a bright but cooler morning. High today forecast for 58°F. Still working on the combine.
Have fun,
mike
Morning all,
Thanks for breakfast Curt.
We are feeling much better although we both still have the cough. IO made a short grocery run this morning and now feel exhausted. I'm headed back to the bed.
Hopefully some bench time later.
Have a safe and healthy day everyone.
Tom
Ron keep the white stuff up North. Hope you finish up the boxcars so you can get going on the Challenge.
Mike I get my wood from Northeastern Lumber. They're in Mass. so I usually get it in about 3 days from when it's ordered.
Tom glad you guys are feeling better but don't overdue; enjoy your nap.
Feel better Tom and Pam.
Morning everyone
Curt thanks for the coffee & breakfast.
Leave the decorations up then you won't be bothered next year!! ;D
Rick have a nice lunch with your friend.
Larry great job on that last engine!!
Looking for the update Ron.
Mike how's the combine doing?
Tom glad you and Pam are feeling better.
Weather in South Jersey cloudy/43. RF 36.
Diane thanks you all for the B-Wishes.
I started to frame a building yesterday so at least I got a couple of hours in at the bench.
Everyone have a wonderful day!! :)
Jerry
1-2" of new snow and 290of new cold in Michigan.
Dinner out was decent, we went to the much maligned Cracker Barrel and found their food to be decent, middle of the road and revised and rearranged menu a bit consternating ??? But, the food we ordered was good, warm and the waiter kept all 6 of us with the correct items.
I worked on a couple tinkery projects yesterday and will be close by the bench much of today. No plans to leave, not enough snow to roll the rigs... :o
10 am seemed to get here awfully early today. :-*
Be well all, stay well.
KSinMittens :D
Good morning everyone.
It's 30 now, sunny and 41 later in Kendall Park.
Coffee, sodas, OJ and hot chocolate are available.
It's cold so a steaming hot bowl of oatmeal sounds good this morning.
There are walnuts, chopped almonds and some fresh fruits out to mix in if you like.
Karl, tinkery projects still on going?
Jerry, I'll see you later and a very belated Happy Birthday to Diane.
ACLTom, I had that cough linger for a couple of weeks.
Hope you can shake it soon.
Mike, combine is looking very good.
Ron, keep having fun with the boxcars.
Larry, hope your lumber shows up today.
Curt, have you ordered a new kit from Brett?
Dave, bridge done?
TomO, what are you up to?
Jim, James and everyone else looking in, hope you are all well.
I finally plugged the Starling and have the laptop on so I can make a longer post.
Lunch yesterday was very good.
Today I'm meeting with Diane and Jerry for lunch.
The van is full of train stuff and don't have much room for anything else.
I'll head back to Hamilton tomorrow to my friends house and start packing this stuff up and shipping it out.
Have a great day everyone.
Good Morning All,
Thanks for opening and breakfast Rick. Enjoy your lunch with Jerry and Diane. I hope you don't need a bank loan to pay for the shipping.
Started out the day with a walk at a feel like temp of 46F. The wind was brutal. Yesterday was spent on honey-do's, taking down the HOA things, and errands to Harbor Freight and Aldi.
One of our water pipes has started making noises when water is used so the contractor is coming today to try to figure it out. The noise started about 2 weeks ago.
I've decided that my next build will be the SW Blue Sky Freight House. I believe it was Brett's first kit.
Tomorrow Dad has a VA appointment so I'll get a flu shot. I tried getting one before the holidays but the rash prevented it (immune system issues).
That's all I have today.
I hope everyone has a good day.
Good Morning,
Rick thanks for the coffee and breakfast. Hope the shipping from Jersey to AZ. doesn't put too much of a dent in your wallet; it ain't cheap anymore. Say hi to Jerry and Diane for me.
Curt sounds like you had a busy day yesterday. Hope the water pipes aren't a big issue. I've seen photos of the Blue Sky Freight House and it looks like a nice kit.
What's your plans for the day.
It's a cloudy 30 with a high of 35; had a little white crap hit th ground yesterday pm. An errand to run shortly then some bench time starting on the boiler build. Hopefully my lumber shows up today at some point so I can continue with the Challenge.
Have a great day!! Be well, keep warm, and safe travels.
My bridge is moving along well, probably 2 more days. Yesterday I did one bent, today I'll do the other. I also realized I needed to do the scenery underneath the bridge, so over the weekend I did the rock face. That didn't come out quite as well as others, so it'll be more overgrown with plants and vines :-)
dave
8) Upper 20s going to mid 30s with some sun this morning, warmish tomorrow then a week of mid 20s coming up. :P
Tinkery stuff at the bench, worked on making a jig for piling style Campbell bridge bents and woke up in the night with aching shoulders from the working with small parts. Did a wrap up on some of the C-415 decals and will get back to paint booth for an attempt to even out the paint. The gloss I used seems to vary depending on what the surface is. Decals much more than the painted surface. ::) I hope semi gloss can even out things. The Circus City decals were thick and resistant to decal solution.
Taking a break today, OPS at Keeneys will take my mind elsewhere. Nice to change the pace.
Weather appears to be mild most everywhere, maybe quiet is a better term. Enjoy what Mother Nature hands you I guess...
Be well, stay safe.
KarlS
Morning everyone
Rick thanks for the coffee & breakfast.
See you later.
Curt looking forward to the next build.
Larry looking forward to the next update.
Morning Dave.
Karl have fun at the OPS.
Weather in South Jersey is sunny/32. Later on 43.
Like Rick said we are meeting up and going out to lunch today.
I did manage to get and hour or two at the bench yesterday framing a new building.
Maybe some more time on that later tonight.
Everyone have a great day!! :)
Jerry
Good morning,
Rick, thanks for opening, coffee, and breakfast. Good luck with the packing.
Curt, the Blue Sky looks like a fun build.
Larry, good luck with the wood and boiler build. Thanks for the reference.
Dave, building bridges and scenery sounds like fun.
Karl, wishing you a fun day at Andy's.
Jerry, good luck with the new building. Have fun with Rick.
How is the rest of the crew?
It's a bright and brisk morning at 28F, rising to 55F this afternoon. Winter is finally here.
Hope to finish work on the combine today and start working on the layout.
Have fun,
mike
Good morning Rick, Curt, Larry, Dave, Karl, Jerry, Mike and the rest of the crew that drops in later.
Rick, thanks for coffee and breakfast, seeing as the van is full of train stuff, are you planing to build a layout in the van? ;D Enjoy lunch with Jerry and Diane.
Curt, hope the plumbing issue isn't a big one. Looking forward to your next build.
Larry, have fun at the bench working on the boiler build.
Dave, there is no bad scenery, have fun working on the bridge.
Karl, enjoy the ops session.
Jerry, enjoy your lunch with Rick.
Mike, hope you get the combine finished today.
Current temperature is -8c (18f) and white stuff is slowly coming down. Another successful day at the bench as I finished adding the details to the boxcars. I posted an update on my thread showing the progress. I will probably take a week off from the boxcars until I paint and add decals to them.
Have a great day everyone.
Late morning all,
Thanks for the breakfast Rick.
I'm still coughing my head off. Pam seems to be doing better but I have that nagging chest cough. Wears me out. I get up, do a few things and the back to bed. I'll be happy when this crap passes.
Not much else going on. Hope all are staying safe and healthy.
Tom
Good morning, all. Dave didn't mention the weather he, Dan and I share, but we've seen thin clouds and mid-30s. Rick, for me this is a week of meetings. Town Budget, Planning Board, Trolley Museum and Flying Yankee. Remains to be seen what of my own I can get done, but I'm working on plans for the next round of Downtown Newburyport structures. Karl, I remember Andy Keeney from RR-Line. Is his layout still the same basic project he was working on 15 years ago?
James, yes the layout is the same, but continuously updating and improving with a small group of 5-6 guys that meet Tuesdays to keep the behind the scene stuff going. Quite organic.
We had a dozen fellows there today and kept quite busy.
Good morning everyone.
31 now, 49 and sunny later in front of Jerry's house.
Coffee, sodas, OJ and hot chocolate are available.
Diane made an excellent coffee cake and that will be today's breakfast.
Karl, sounds like a good time was had at the ops.
James, hope there's some modeling time left in-between all those meetings.
ACLTom, feel better soon.
Ron, boxcars look great.
Mike, do any layout work?
Jerry, it was great sitting and chatting with Diane and you.
Lunch was excellent.
Dave, keep having fun with the bridge.
Larry, lumber show up?
Curt, hope Dad's VA visit goes well.
TomO, how are ya?
Had an excellent time visiting with Diane and Jerry.
I'll go back into the house after they are up and say my good byes.
Then heading back to Hamilton to start the packing process.
Have a great day everyone.
Good Morning All,
Thanks for opening and breakfast Rick. Safe travels today.
Getting ready to head out to the VA with Dad and MOH. I'll post later.
I hope everyone has a good day.
Morning all,
Thank Diane for the coffee cake Rick. And, thank you for the OJ. Happy you had a great visit with Diane and Jerry.
My cough is subsiding but still lingers. Slept like crap last night.
I'll try to post an update later this afternoon on the build.
Have a safe and healthy day everyone.
Tom
Good Morning,
Rick thinks for the coffee and breakfast. The temps must be quite the change for you. Safe travels and hope the packing goes well. NO the lumber ever showed yesterday; hopefully today.
Curt hope your Dad's VA apt. goes well with good reports.
Tom hope you sleep better tonight; nap time?? Looking forward to the update if you feel up to it.
How's everyone else.
It's a cloudy 35 with a high of 45 here. Getting Ellie out of the house this afternoon making a trio to the $1.25 store then stopping at Arby's for a few roast beast & cheddar sandwiches...yum. Maybe some bench time this am working on the boiler build.
Have a great day!! Be well, safe travels, and keep warm.
A mock-up of the bridge (same photo I showed elsewhere yesterday).
IMG_1346.jpeg
Today I'll install the NBWs on the other bent, and start figuring out how I'll assemble the bridge itself. I want the entire unit to be removable, the challenge will be getting the two ramps solidly attached to the rest of the bridge.
I'm also not happy with the rock strata, I'll work on that, too. (I want the strata to be more defined, so I need cleaner edges between the colors of paint.)
dave
Good morning folks,
Rick, thanks for opening, coffee, and breakfast. Safe travels to Hamilton.
Curt, good luck at the VA.
TomACL, hope you and Pam get over your coughs soon.
Larry, good luck with the boiler build.
Dave, hope you survive NBW Hades.
How is the rest of the crew?
It's a bright morning headed to 60F this afternoon. Worked on decals yesterday afternoon. I'll try them out today. Lodge tonight.
Have fun,
mike
Good morning Rick, Curt, ACLTom, Dave, Larry and the rest of the crew that drops in later.
Thanks for the coffee and breakfast Rick, glad you enjoyed your visit with Diane and Jerry.
Curt, hope the visit to the VA goes well.
ACLTom, sounds like you are on the mend, hopefully the cough goes away real soon, looking forward to the update.
Larry, did your wood arrive? Have fun with the boiler build.
Dave, the bridge looks good.
Current weather is 0c (32f) and overcast with a 40% chance of snow/rain, could be an interesting drive home. I spent some time last night working on the challenge build. I needed to figure out the building locations and how long the loading dock needs to be. I posted an update on the challenge build.
Have a great day everyone.
"G'moanin' from the moderate midwest, upper 30s going to the mid 40s before a slow couple of days cooling then a plunge into double digit highs next week. :o The weather geek this morning had a snowfall chart labeled Sunday in his presentation this morning. :P
OPS went well, as I said. A slight ruffle of political bs as all were headed out the door took the edge off the day, for me tho. :-\ Some folks just can disagree a bit but need to poke fingers and raise their voices. :-X
Today I'm going to finish, hopefully, the bridge bent jig I'm making for Campbell piling trestles, I have a couple to try and build. Not sure how to glue parts without them sticking to the jig. Dave?Fortunately I have extra materials that will match. Close. ???
Hope all are well and improving, ACLTom maybe you could freeze that bug out if you trekked up here next week. I know a guy from Pepsi, get a case of diet for you to sooth that cough. No deals probably, tho, he might have a broken finger by then anyhow. :-X
I missed a B'day, many happy returns to Diane
Safe travels, Rick. Nod and grin to everyone else! ;D
Karl in the mitten.
Morning everyone
Rick thanks for the coffee.
We have some errands to do this morning.
Rick left a little while ago. It was just so much fun having one of our favorite friends staying here with us.
Time was to short though.
Rick just be safe driving back.
Everyone have a wonderful day!! :)
Jerry
Good Morning All Again,
Back from the VA. Dad's podiatry appointment went well. Myself and MOH got flu and covid boosters.
SIL is coming over to help replace the drivers low beam headlight. It's on a 2006 and requires 3 hands to change. Great design.
Tom I'm glad you're feeling better. I also slept poorly last night. :'( I'm drinking some OJ to get some energy.
Karl unfortunately there's a lot of that going around these days.
Ron be safe on the roads.
I hope everyone has a good day.
Karl, my preferred technique is to lay the jig on a piece of balsa, put a piece of wax paper on top of that, and then use pins and strips of balsa to align parts in the jig.
frame-and-jig.jpg
Sometimes I do a permanent jig (rather than the adjustable jig with those pieces of balsa pinned in place.) My rule-of-thumb there is to do a jig for wood parts in styrene, and a jig for styrene parts in wood. Here's a jig for doing car undercarriages from styrene:
wood jig.jpg
That way the parts are less likely to stick to the jig in a different material.
dave
IMG_3093.jpeg
My jig, need to learn gluing without sticking to it :(
Good afternoon from Wisconsin. It's 51f degrees now and heading to a high of 21f at noon tomorrow! Between here and Dubuque Iowa this morning other then a few piles on the north slope of hills there's no snow around. Even our parking lot piles seem to be gone.
Karl, too bad on the politics coming after the session. I ride with 2 other guys and we seem to agree politically all of us just a bit farther right than our wife's. At Ops and work sessions for maybe 18 months now there has been no politics or religious discussions. There was one right before that and the OPS session owner stopped the trains asking 3 guys to leave. No issues since and believe me there are some real left and right wings nuts in the 2 Ops groups I belong too. It has become harder though to stay in the middle
The son and g/f are on day 2 of 5 in Tokyo, Japan. She was able to turn Tokyo into a business trip as she will see 2 clients while there. She was originally going for the 3rd of 5 sessions on some ink being tatooed. She asked if he wanted come along. It's now Business, ink, 2 concerts, lots of sight seeing and some skiing. He says they are having a great time and so far he loves Tokyo. They are in Japan for 15 days
I'm in the midst of finishing a few projects as I need to clear the bench and paint booth.
I had picked up a new weathering client in October, did 1 diesel for him and 3 autoracks. 1 rack with custom graffiti plus the weathering and sent the week after T-Giving. He's having a bunch of autoracks sent to me direct from Scaletrains per a phone call yesterday. I'm surprised as he didn't seem that enthusiastic about what I did for him. I'll get his stuff out in my 6-8 week lead time but anything coming in now will probably be 12 week lead time. I'm trying real hard to stick to my limiting schedule. I put an email out to my regulars of the 12 weeks lead time so they are aware. I have a client's daughter who occasionally does custom graffiti for me. I now only do graffiti decals but still offer her custom services. She was happy this morning when I informed her she has at least 25 autoracks to do. That's an easy grand for her and she is very good and quick.
Staying off line is getting easier especially if I am in the train room
Be well
TomO
Good Morning All,
Today for breakfast is coffee, cereal, bagels, yogurt, OJ, and soda.
Started out the day with a walk at 60F and clear. I think tomorrow morning and Friday will be in the 30's.
Once I got home yesterday there were some honey-do's and SIL and I replaced the headlight. I found out our trip to pick up the 2 skunks is delayed until next week. They are in Ft. Lauderdale at a nature center that's closing. One of the animals is getting dental work done and getting meds from their vet.
Today is floor day. Not sure what else is going on. Tonight son is grilling steaks (previously cooked for a steakhouse) for supper. ;D
I hope everyone has a good day.
Good Morning,
Curt as always thanks for coffee and breakfast. Grilled steaks?....yum,yum; I remember what those used to taste like. I'm sure you'll find something to occupy your time today.
What's the rest of you doing.
It's a cloudy 44 with a high of 45; tomorrow winter returns with 3-5 inches of white crap. It was nice to have a break for awhile. Finally received my lumber order late yesterday afternoon. Have a few pieces of siding set to go so today I hope to continue on with the Challenge.
Have a great day!! Be well, safe travels, and keep warm.
Good morning.
Good morning everyone.
It's 43 now, cloudy and 56 later.
Curt, thanks for the coffee and breakfast.
I left Jerry's home after having a second cup of coffee.
It was a great visit and had some very good conversation.
Then went back to my friends house in Hamilton.
I packed up my stuff and it all fit into two boxes.
I took the other two I bought back to Lowe's.
Drove to UPS and there was a sign on the door that the place closed permanently in October.
I decided since there were only two boxes I'd keep them in the van with me.
Since it was still early I left town and started heading south.
I have an appointment with Storyteller to fix a couple of minor things on Jan. 28.
I currently in Northern VA. Just south of DC.
Since I have time I'm going to Shenandoah NP now and do a hike.
Have a great day everyone.
Good morning folks,
Curt, thanks for the coffee and breakfast. Steaks, yum!
Larry, congrats on the lumber receipt. I ordered from there (thank you), and the order should arrive tomorrow. NE shipping was much cheaper than the other source.
Philip, good morning.
Rick, safe travels, and enjoy the hike.
How is the rest of the crew?
It's a rainy morning, with temperatures headed to a chilly 50°F. Today will be filled with 1:1 tasks, but I hope to try out my latest decal print on the combine.
Have fun,
mike
Rick..an interesting abandoned mill along I-66 near Haymarket VA
https://www.google.com/search?q=abandoned+mill+near+haymarket+virginia&client=safari&hs=QBAp&sca_esv=b9266a0addfdcf78&channel=iphone_bm&sxsrf=ANbL-n5-e5tM3jGekOMcKr15kFAbedx5pA%3A1768397772341&source=hp&ei=zJtnacTNEfXekPIP0dC4mA4&oq=abandoned+mill+near+haymar&gs_lp=EhFtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1ocCIaYWJhbmRvbmVkIG1pbGwgbmVhciBoYXltYXIqAggBMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSKS8AVDlOVinsAFwA3gAkAEAmAGxAaABhB2qAQQwLjI2uAEByAEA-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&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-hp#ebo=0&sv=CAMSVhozKhFpYy1nY213aUpRTG1DWThiTTIOZ2Ntd2lKUUxtQ1k4Yk06DlhJZEJoUnQwU3FsTjNNIAQqGwoEc3ZpbRIRaWMtZ2Ntd2lKUUxtQ1k4Yk0YATABGAcgrOGsuQIwAQ
Good morning Curt, Larry, Philip, Rick, Mike, Terry and the rest of the crew that drops in later.
Thanks for the coffee and breakfast Curt, steaks for dinner sound great.
Larry, glad your wood finally arrived.
Philip, have a great day.
Rick, enjoy your hike.
Mike, hope the 1:1 chores get done soon enough so that you get to try out your decal print.
Terry, have a great day
Tom, sounds like you are going to be busy with the latest weathering commissions.
Current weather is 2c (35f) and overcast with rain in the forecast. Last night I made drawings for the loading dock and stained some scale 8" x 8" basswood for the loading dock stringers and posts. I used Hunterline's brown weathering stain but after looking at it this morning it is too dark for my liking. I think I can fix it by using pan pastels. At least I stained an extra piece of wood to experiment with.
Have a great day everyone.
:-\ Winter is back.
Snowing temp in mid 20s expected to drop and be cold for a week or 10 days.
PT this morning at 11. Coming home to hibernate afterward.
KS
There have been some proposals to restore Chapman's Mill. I don't think they went anywhere. But I remember being a bit startled by seeing it for the first time (back when we lived in Northern VA.)
dave
Morning everyone
Curt thanks for the coffee & breakfast.
Larry please keep the white stuff up there!!
Morning Philip.
Rick it was just great having you here for a couple of days.
Your missed already.
Just be safe driving my friend.
Mike looking forward to the update.
Ron looking forward to the loading dock.
Karl go easy on that PT.
Morning Dave.
Weather in South Jersey P. sunny/50. Later 56.
Tomorrow who the hell knows.
We have a trip to North Jersey today.
Maybe some more framing later today one wall is almost framed.
Everyone have a wonderful day!! :)
Jerry
Good morning everyone.
Harrisonburg, VA weather: 24 now, 36 and a mix of sun and clouds later.
Coffee, sodas, OJ and hot chocolate are ready.
I've got the Belgium waffle machine plugged in and warmed up.
There's a big bowl of batter next to it.
Help yourself and make as many as you like.
Real Michigan maple syrup and fresh churned Wisconsin butter along with crispy bacon and sausage are out too.
Jerry, safe travels and did you see the drones?
Karl, is the PT helping?
Any luck with the glue and jig?
Ron, I'll have to go look in on your challenge thread.
Terry, that would of been neat to see, but I was already past that area by the time I saw your post.
Mike, are the decals OK?
Larry, I need to look in your challenge thread too.
Curt, how were the steaks?
TomO, staying off line and working on your weathering sounds good.
ACLTom, hope Pam and yourself have stopped coughing.
Philip, Dave, James and everyone else looking in, hope you are all well.
I did stop at Shenandoah NP and did a hike.
I was very surprised that this park allows dogs on most of the trails.
Star and I hiked up to Mary's Rock.
7.6 miles and 1,467' of EG.
Not the prettiest time of year to visit this park.
Fall is the peak time to be there but it gets extremely crowded.
Today I'll travel just a little further south and hit the gym along the way.
Yesterday's view from Mary's Rock.
011426MarysRockTrailShanendoaNP01Small.jpg
Have a great day everyone.
Good Morning All,
Thanks for opening and breakfast Rick. I do like waffles. The steak was great but I only eat half of one these days. When did I get old? Safe travels today.
Woke at 0530 this morning so I read a bit before heading downstairs because I knew the critters would mob me until I fed them.
Today after chores I have more reading on weathering to do. On the next build I want to up my game especially with wood planking. We'll see how it turns out. ;)
Tomorrow MOH and hopefully daughter are doing 2 rescue events (sat and sun) in the Tampa area so they are getting a hotel. They will be back Sunday evening.
Not much else happening this way.
I hope everyone has a good day.
Good Morning,
Rick thanks for the coffee and waffles. Beautiful photo and travel safely.
Curt animals have a way of knowing when you're up and about. Good luck with the weathering research; usually Brett has a section on that in the instruction booklets.
What's your plans for the day.
It's a cloudy 28 with a high of 35. Received a trace of white stuff overnight and more coming at some point. May need to make a trip to Wegmans since that's about the only place left around that will accept empty soda bottles. Hopefully some bench time as well.
Have a great day!! Be well, safe travels, and keep warm.
Good morning Crew from the cheese state! It is +1f degree feels like -9 and only heading to +10 this afternoon. The howling winds have slowed down from yesterday's regular breeze at 25mph but occasional 40mph gusts. Winds now are running 10 to 15mph. So, it's still not nice outside.
More time at the bench yesterday and some time will be spent there today.
Rick, safe travels. As you move west again I hope the weather is great. We are heading into a cooling wet snowy spell in my part of a Wisconsin.
The box cars and autoracks are faded. I need to drive these 30 down to my custom graffiti painter. That's 40 cars for her now to do. The rest I will do decals for graffiti supplied by the owner of the cars. My hands are too shaky to do custom paint graffiti and I let the guys know and no one has complained it's not my work. The weathering and clear coats are still my work just not the graffiti any more. Mora is now 23 and used to come to the studio with her dad's autoracks and 86' long hi Cubes, so 6 years at least. She'd pick them up too. She wanted to be a commercial graphics artist and her dad threatened to pull the college funds as he wants her to take over his hard landscapes (stonework mainly) and excavating business.She asked me to quietly show her how to paint the graffiti. Within 10 cars she was better than me, so with my hands getting worst I hired her. It's worked out for both of us and her dad finally seems ok with her career choice. Her graphics arts offices are in one of his buildings and she is also learning daddy's business. She's no fool as she know where the real money will be coming from.
At 6 we are heading to the Kohl Center on campus as the #2 University of Wisconsin's Men's Hockey plays #4 Michigan State at 8pm. We go see a Men's game every couple of years, this is one of those times. The #1 Women's team is in St. Paul Friday and Saturday and we were going. However with the ICE disruptions we cancelled the trip.
Enjoy the day
TomO
Good morning,
Rick, thanks for opening, coffee, and breakfast. Congrats to Star for tagging along the hike.
Curt, good luck with your new project.
Larry, hope you make it to the store.
TomO, good luck to your team.
How is the rest of the crew?
It's a bright morning with the wind howling and 27F. Hopefully it will warm to the forecast of 42F. The decals should be dry this morning, so I'll try them on a test piece of wood. They are hard to see on the decal paper, so I may need to intensify the color.
Have fun,
mike
Good morning Rick, Curt, Larry, TomO, Mike and the rest of the crew that drops in later.
Thanks for the coffee and breakfast Rick, The pictures are back, YEA!!!!! Safe driving.
Curt, enjoy your research on weathering.
Larry, hope you make it to the bench.
TomO, enjoy the hockey game tonight.
Mike, hopefully the decals work out.
Current weather is -11c (12f) and the white crap is falling. I made a jig last night to install the posts for the loading dock to the stringers. I think this is the longest jig I have made at 24" long. Tonight's plan is to start fabricating the loading dock.
Have a great day everyone.
Morning, A beautiful 13 degrees today! :o
Cats are playing the in and out game.
Great pic Rick.
Cruising along with the kits. Sent one to a friend for a test building. He is suppose to write instructions.
Ironing out shortcomings..
Have a great day..15th already...
Morning everyone
Rick thanks for the coffee & breakfast.
Your moving right along.
It's been cloudy the last two nights here. But I will look again tonight.
Curt here's a link on how to do great weathering.
https://sierrawestforum.discourse.group/t/the-dr-grunge-advanced-wood-clinic-kkarns/205
Larry I hope you get to the bench.
TomO enjoy the hockey game.
Mike looking forward on how they turned out.
Ron that is a heel of a dock your building!!!
Philip sounds like your getting close to being done with the kit.
Weather in South Jersey is sunny/39. Later 42.
The trip to North Jersey going and coming back was very good this time around.
It's the best time we have ever made.
WE have a few things to pick up at the store today.
Then maybe I can sit back down at the bench for and hour or two.
Everyone have a wonderful day!! :)
Jerry
Jerry thanks for the link. I joined the site 2-3 days ago and that thread is what I was closely reading.
Thanks for thinking of me.
Close to done Jerry...but the detail labor on some parts is killing the bottom line.
Mo money needs to be invested ;D
TomO; it's a good thing your "arteest" has a fall back to the Graphics design plans. AI is killing the jobs. My 43yr old daughter Michigan State Arts Grad, left a high power GArts gig with an ad agency and is working for a commercial construction contractor doing pre build projects. She has started a part time consulting company working for a couple of her previous clients (state lotteries). It's a scary time for creative endeavors right now.
Best to her. Sounds ambitious.
Good morning everyone.
Waynesboro, VA weather: 18 now, 36 and cloudy later.
It is cold, but I'm nice and warm in the van.
I also have cold weather clothes so I'm ok outside too.
Coffee, sodas, OJ and hot chocolate are ready.
Huevos Rancheros for breakfast today.
Didn't bother setting up the Starlink yesterday so I'll be brief today.
I did go to the gym yesterday and also did laundry.
Today I'll drive a bit further south and do a short hike on a former B&O right of way.
Hope everyone is feeling great and have a wonderful day.
Good Morning,
Rick thanks for the coffee and breakfast. You left the Northeast just in time; it's really brrrr here. Safe travels and hope you get South soon. How's Star like the colder weather?
What's on your agenda.
It's 16 with a high of 25 and sn*owing thru about 1pm. Errands to run this am then maybe a little bench time. Have to get things together this afternoon to take to Daughters tomorrow. Meeting her @ noon at a garage since she needs an oil change and new brakes. While that's being done going back to her place to start on the couch repair; should be interesting.
Have a great day!! Be well, safe travels and keep warm.
Good Morning All,
Thanks for opening and breakfast Rick. Enjoy the hike and safe travels.
I got a solid 7 hours last night never getting up once. ;D I'm supposed to walk today but will wait until the temps are above 40F. Yesterday I spent several hours reading up on weathering and spent time practicing. I expecy more practice today. Around noon today MOH is taking off to Tampa. Daughter isn't going since she has had covid/flu type symptoms all week.
Not much else going on this way.
Tom I hope you and Pam are still ok.
MOH just told me Pensacola got 9 inches of s**w overnight.
I hope everyone has a good day.