Good Morning All. Here it is partly cloudy and 67°, still a bit windy from yesterday. It's supposed to be more windy today, up to 30 mph, bringing in plenty of Gulf moisture for the predicted 100% chance of thunderstorms tomorrow. Up until yesterday, they were listed as thundershowers, now they are classified as thunderstorms.
Looks like I have a few branch tips to gather up in the yard that broke off the drought stressed trees around the yard during yesterday's high winds. Nothing major, all look to be 2'-3' long tips. No large branches. Hopefully the upcoming rain really comes. I tried to mow part of the back acreage Friday, but the dust was too much even with a mask, and I stopped. I had trouble with visibility.
The burial ceremony for my late brother went well yesterday, except the urn with ashes did not fit into the protective fiberglass casement. Whoops! We don't really know who mis-measured, but since the urn was a hand-carved wooden one, my brother and brother in law took it to BIL's house around the corner and sawed a sliver off the urn. Mission accomplished! Luncheon afterwards was OK, by noon all of the second and third generation had left for various ball games and left four of us first generation siblings and spouses to chit-chat uninterrupted for a few hours. Fifth sibling and wife had another engagement. It was good getting together with my #2 sister and husband from Ohio.
I didn't spend a lot of time in the train shed yesterday. And I am not too sure that I like the results that I obtained. Remember that I am going to add a winch (capstan?) at one of the grain elevators for moving cars into position. To accomplish this I started with a motor and pulley from a Rix grain elevator accessory kit. I glued it to a base that will be painted concrete.
Then I used a scrap McHenry coupler (aren't they all scrap?), trimmed it up and added a length of .020" wire.
I bent a scrap piece of Woodland Scenics fence w/gate and I will use another piece to complete the enclosure. I cut out a hole and lined it with fencepost sized styrene rod.
Next, using Gorilla brand Super Glue, I glued the other fence section in place. Here it is temporarily laid out.
OK, the enclosure is not perfectly square which is my issue right now.
It's because I used a piece of scrap for the fourth side.
I might disguise this with some bushes, or rebuild the fence. I will set it up completely, attach wire etc., and then decide.
Hughie - Thanks for the reference to the capstans, which confirms the realism of what I am going to attempt. Am I using the wrong terminology when I called it a winch?
George - Thanks for the heads-up on the concerts yesterday. Unfortunately I didn't read it until this morning. Heck! I don't even know whether or not we get ASX-TV? I would have enjoyed Winwood, Foreigner and Frampton the most.
James - As usual, the Utah Belt rolling stock is far too overrated for normal modelers to consider. A Roundhouse boxcar no less! It's at $177.50 this morning!
Everyone have a great Sunday.
I tip my hat in your general direction.
