Coffee Shop Twenty is now open fer business


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Good Afternoon Guys & Gals,

Wishing Everyone a Very Merry Christrmas and Hoilday Season

One thing I've noticed is that there doesnb't seem to be many places offering little HO Loco's for christmas like in past years, I wonder why, the economy I guess but you would think the retailers would want to offer something for everybody?

It's cool here, about 52*, dry & high clouds. Well at least no chance of the roof leaking with this kind of weather. Started to cover the Evap Cooler yesterday [quite late froim when I should have done it] but the black plastic sheetiing I had left over from last year was too brittle in spots and tore. Well I managed to salvage enough to cover three windows in the garage where my layout is. I covered two early this morning and have one to go yet so a little later I'll get that done.

I see many folks are having their problems with the economy being what it is and my friends mentioned to me that Fresno has 19% unemployment, talk about drastic! Is that the Change We Can Believe In?? What a CROCK of shit!!

I meant to mention that when I picked up my air compressor my buddy also showed me unique set of tiny screw drivers with a 156.5ths shank and scocket drive, by Pitsburg, with some very fine Phillips and Phillister points as well as star points and Allen plus a flexable drive cable too.

Have a good day and week ahead!
 
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Dan, I'll try not to let those low temps kill me! Unlike my nothern brothers, I don't have a nice toasty warm basement full off trains to hide in during those artic blasts! There is only two homes with basement here in spring hill and both of them have water/damp issues due to the low water table here. Either way I'll try to keep my warmth!
 
Dan, I'll try not to let those low temps kill me! Unlike my nothern brothers, I don't have a nice toasty warm basement full off trains to hide in during those artic blasts! There is only two homes with basement here in spring hill and both of them have water/damp issues due to the low water table here. Either way I'll try to keep my warmth!

Waaah Chris!!!! After trudging through knee high snow to the garage this morning, I snapped this shot. Maybe that will make ya feel a little warmer!!!
LOLOLOL!!!
Later, a shot once the plowing was done!:D

Oh and Jim,,,,,,,I didn't even strain my widdle finger on the garage door button!! :D:rolleyes:
 
Hey, everybody. I just got back from Quartzsite, Arizona. I installed a pair of windows in a friend's travel trailer there. It's pretty sad that I can drive 250 miles one way, at 9 mpg @$3 a gallon, and pay for a campsite for 2 nights, and my friend drive 280 miles one way at 13 mpg, and pay for his campsite for 2 nights, and buy the windows, and still be cheaper than the RV dealer across the street from his house.
 
Dan, I'll try not to let those low temps kill me! Unlike my nothern brothers, I don't have a nice toasty warm basement full off trains to hide in during those artic blasts! There is only two homes with basement here in spring hill and both of them have water/damp issues due to the low water table here. Either way I'll try to keep my warmth!

What is this nice toasty warm basement you speak of?

I have a space heater, and usually while I am on the computer I have my feet under it, almost getting burns, and still feel nothing but cold, and that is with the space heater on full.
 
What is this nice toasty warm basement you speak of?

I have a space heater, and usually while I am on the computer I have my feet under it, almost getting burns, and still feel nothing but cold, and that is with the space heater on full.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh! don't get mad but some people here have a hole in the ground where they can hide!:eek: And they have a Heater that heats the hole! You and I have to shiver our butts off!:(
 
Waaah Chris!!!! After trudging through knee high snow to the garage this morning, I snapped this shot. Maybe that will make ya feel a little warmer!!!
LOLOLOL!!!
Later, a shot once the plowing was done!:D

Oh and Jim,,,,,,,I didn't even strain my widdle finger on the garage door button!! :D:rolleyes:

Thank God for the cloud cover we got a slight reprieve from the cold air! We got 37* and overcast! wow wwe dodged that bullet! The Cold it's self doesn't bother me physicaly but $$$$$:eek: Temp below 32* makes the lawns go dorment! Grass doesn't grow, I don't mow. i don't mow i don't get paid. Most of my customers don't apply winter rye grass to their yards. This year I did just that and it looks real good.

I other word I hate the cold................It can stay a nice 70-78* and I would be happy!:)
 
Chris What is this Winter Rye Grass you speak of?

Good Morning--:)

It is currently dull and snizzling out here----isn't this just great---just enough to make some of our more---aherm--coff coff--sophisticated:rolleyes: drivers go all guibbly:(:mad:

Got a couple more of those ATLAS houses for Ansun Station--one of the places on my line---different style of house but pretty cheap for what you get nowadays:cool: AND I'm doing up an old Superior Bakeries kit I fell over a few weeks ago at a local Goodwill---making it into a local machine shop kinda deal---that's going to go on to Eric's layout. Got things to do to keep me busy over these holidays---

Have a good one:):):)
 
Good morning folks

It was 26 F as I hit the frozen half-cleared roadways this morning. High will be 33 F. The weather guessers got one right. Depending on where you lived we got anywhere from 23 inches to 14 inches of snow. In my back yard I would say it was around 22 inches. It was high enough to bury a Pomeranian.

We spent Saturday making cookies and clearing snow. I ran the snow blower down the driveway a couple of times. I figured it was easier to do 8 inches three times than 20 plus inches once. A sit turned out on Sunday morning we did not need the blower, just a little shoveling and the driveway was cleared.

Sunday we had some troubles with the heater and had to have the repairman come in. The low water cutoff is acting up. Right now we have so it can run but it will have to be replaced shortly. My daughter baked some more cookies. Afterwards we went to see Avatar. All I can say is wow! Good story and great computer graphics. I don’t think the story could be told with the graphics. This wasn’t a case that the graphics are eye candy only; they are an integral part of the story. I highly recommend the movie. You did not realize that you were there for over 2 and a half hours.

My son helped clear the workbench. I now need to figure out what supplies I need. I know I need decal solution and some paints. Once I have a list it will be off to the hobby store and craft store.

I hope everybody has a good day.
 
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Good morning everyone.

We had three inches of the white stuff yesterday to drive through. Not enough to worry too much about. What worries me is the 2-5 inches every day between now and Friday! That could screw things up a bit. I don't have far to drive for Christmas, but it still adds stress.

One of my models passed the test yesterday. I took a few pictures of my layout to show to my Father. He looked and said " hey, that's Hubbard Milling!" Bingo! I was hoping someone would react like that. Then he commented on the trestle being an exact(his words) replica of the Red Jacket Trestle. I received atta boys from all around. Of course, like I've said before, according to the family, I'm a modeling God! They just don't know any better.:D

I have a few busy days ahead of me at work so I had better get going.

Have a great day everyone.
 
Chris What is this Winter Rye Grass you speak of?

:):):)

Ahhhhhh yes winter Rye Grass! Yes yes, we(Most people who care for their yards) here in the south over seed our lawns with more cold tolerent grass to help with the brown grass syndrom we get when the temp dip below 40"s.;):rolleyes:
 
Hey, all!!! Don't pay the ransom, I've escaped!!!!

Just dropped by to say hi and, probably bye. I am giving a large bit of thought to leaving the hobby. With the damage to and loss of my layout, I just don't have it in me to start over.

It's been a fun 50 years, but I also do not care for the direction the hobby is going. With the loss of quality budget items, like the Athearn Blue Box and others, I find myself upset with the hobbyist, and suppliers/manufacturers, and their lack of understanding for the youngsters in the hobby. It's still about the youngsters coming up behind us to keep the hobby going after our days are done. I feel that I hear the death knell that will make this hobby, like so many others, only for the rich. The days of the $10 kit are fading fast.

I've heard the arguments from those that speak of model railroaders spending more time and effort on their layouts now that they don't have to build models. But $25-$75 for a car is BS, you still have to change out couplers, weather, and fine tune the cars anyway. But, we have become a society of instant gratification. I never would have thought that the hobby would follow the status quo. I always thought we, as modelers, marched to a different drummer. I guess not.

My layout was large, if not huge, and full of detail. Yes , it was 12 years in construction, though I call it evolving. But, quite frankly, and probably sounding a bit vain, it was second to none, and I hope I don't sound like I'm bragging. But, there were but a handful that could compete with its detail and operation. It was constantly evolving, a benefit of modular design. But, since it's demise at the hands of a bunch of punks, I have lost my spirit and my drive to rebuild it. The insurance company was more than generous. I have found myself just wanting to take the money and run.

I'll try to stop in from time to time to throw in a few barbs and keep all of you on your toes.

Have a Merry Christmas and remember the true meaning of the Season.

Bob
 
Last night all was quiet in the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse (if I had one) until the blasted trouble alarm on my wound vac started going off every 20 minutes indicating the darn thing had sprung a leak somewhere. Up from my bed I did arise and almost required a spatula to get off the ceiling due to my surprise. I examined the adhesive plastic overwrap on my foot and found a small leak near the two outermost toes. I cut a small piece (3" x 5") of the stuff and applied it so it overlapped the area of the leak. The pump in the unit slowed down but did not stop. This indicated still another leak. I pressed down on first one part of the overwrap and then another until the pump stopped. I had found the other leak. I quickly cut another piece of the adhesive plastic and applied it in the same way as the first. The pump at last stopped except for it's routine cycle. In all, an hour had passed from the time the alarm went off. Oh for 5 minutes in a locked room with the guy who invented that thing.
 
Well today was actually pretty warm compared to temps we've been having. 28 degress right now but the wind chill is 19 degrees. It was a B day today so there wasnt much to speak of, pathetic when the most exciting thing that happens in school is that i won knockout :cool:
 
Bob YIKES!!! You leaving the hobby?!?!?! Why?!?!?!:eek::eek::eek::confused::confused:

GRRR!! I've seen people who have never known how to do a simple slapping of two walls together become modelers of first rank. Probs because there were people around who knew what they were doing---I certainly don't know enough to teach as well as someone who has been around WAAAYYY longer:eek::eek: Just keep poking at the cage every so often---don't let them tread on you!!
 
Good Afternoon to all,

It's a cool comfortable day here in Coarsegold under Cloudy skys and about 45* [No outside thermometer]

Did a bit more on the layout last night and got the last window covered with black plastic
to seal the place off. After working with an 0-6-0T I found I needed to do a bit more track work which I did and lubed that engine and another to keep them up and ran thm both for a bit on my short run up the hill and back down again.


Say Bob, That was a pretty tragic thing to happen, having those guys break in and vandalize your layout. Unnerving to say the least, sorry to hear about that happening.
If I understood you correctly you said it was built modularly, didn't you? If they didn't damage all the modules, hopefully just a few, you could slowly rebuild what was damaged and still hopefully have somethin to run.

Just consider it a Tornado that devistated whatever you had done, or maybe a bad earthquake, it can be redone.

Admitedly it's not what you wanted to happen but unfortunately life if filled with many uncomfortable times.

It would be a real shame to loose someone with your experience and knowledge from this great hobby and source of so much enjoyment! You know what they say, once Railroading is in your blood it's always there so pick yourself up by the bootstraps a start in again!

Hope this give you a bit of inspiration.

Take care
 
DON'T DO IT BOB! DANGED NIBBIT! We need people like you in this hobby. Start thinking about a manageable sized layout and play around with some new designs/ideas...see what happens. ;):)

I think that I failed to mention that I got tired of fooling around looking for plaster, so I went and ordered online two six gallon buckets of Hydrocal that is 80 lbs (should do for a little while:rolleyes::eek:). The price was cheap at $23 each....however....the shipping was $50 total:eek:. Probably should have tried finding the place in B'ham that Glenn suggested. Still, the price was less than half the cost of buying hobby Hydrocal. It may make it Thursday and I can get going again on that project. Another delay was thinking I had plenty of green ground foam to put on my puff ball trees...NOPE! I had to also order more of that. Nothing like good planning after you start:rolleyes::D.

Chris: I don't know what the actual temps are that winter rye can withstand, but I have used it several different times and we do get temps in the teens. It always stays green and pretty, it is tough, and last on into late spring. Fact, I have it in the back yard now to keep the boys from getting it muddy;). Down side (for us): you have to mow grass in the winter:eek:.
 
A unique idea, I think??

A thought came to me of a way to make operating our layouts more realistic and challenging at the same time!

We all are or will be looking for a way to create realistic operation on our layouts and even invest in software to generate Waybills for goods to be transported to give us some variety in our opoeration. My layout hasn't really started to reach that point yet but it's not too far off at least from the beginning stage type of delivery but still could be improvised to a minor extent. The only thing we'd have to be somewhat era cognasent as to the goods requested to be shipped and it all could be done on the forum or via direct email and later posted on the forum.


Ok, here's the idea, any one, layout operators such as Rex, Ken, Eric, Slector and others for example, that wants to receive Waybill orders from other forum members as to goods the members are wanting to ship to some destination on their layout or maybe from their layout to another layout or location, would either receive the goods from an interchange track to be delivered to 'Y' destination or pick-up the items from some souce already on their layout that might preceivably have or manufacture the product and deliver it accordingly.
This would be done on an, As you can/desire Basis with no delivery dates or schedules unless the operator desires these. To be determined.

I figured this might add a touch of realism to the operation and give some diversity to the shipping and receiving for added interest.

A list of items available from each participating operators layout might be helpful for individuals desiring to have 'X' operator ship various products to 'Y' location.

So, what do you guys think about this? Does it sound interesting? :)
 
Some old facts and where the saying come from.

Thought many might find this interesting like I did.

>>
They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken & sold to the tannery.......if you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor"
But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot......they "didn’t have a pot to piss in" & were the lowest of the low


The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:


Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June.. However, since they were starting to smell . .. . brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the
babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!"

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip an d fall off the roof. Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) o n floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence: a thresh hold.

(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme: Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat.

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a dead ringer...

And that's the e truth...Now, whoever said History was boring ! ! !

So . . . get out there and educate someone! ~~~ Share these facts with a friend like I just did! ! !
 
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