We seem to have an unknown issue with our server or software. We will occasionally go down with a "44" error for no reason. Sometimes it's just for a few minutes, today it went on for a few hours. Pat checks for issues and cannot find anything wrong and by golly, Big Blue springs to life once again. If we ignore the error, it doesn't seem to matter, Big Blue still comes back up on it's own. We suspect it could be that since we are on a shared server, someone else is hogging all the bandwidth. If we do that, GoDaddy will slap our wrists and tell us what bad people we are, so it's a mystery why we go down in the first place, and why we come back up without doing anything.

The point is, if you encounter a 44 error and can't access Big Blue, don't panic, just wait a few minutes and try again. It will eventually come back on it's own.

I picked this up at a hoby shop a few months back:

   

I'ts missing a number of parts. Grabs, couplers and covers, bottom doors, brake gear. I'd like to know it's origins so I can track down the missing pieces. It looks sort of Tichy but they didn't make a composite  hopper.

It's 4AM down at the James St. roundhouse as the hostler has moved U2G Northern #6213 onto the turntable preparing for the first morning commuter train.The yard spotlight illuminates the scene. 

   

Continuing to finish up some projects. I found a Branchline Blueprint 40' AAr boxcar awhile ago and painted it for Denver and Rio Grande Western:

   

Why this roadname after painting so many CN and CP cars? Well I've alway liked the D&RGW and if I wasn't modeling Canadian, I'd probably be modeling this.
I had the decals in my collection for a number of years and this was the perfect candidate for them. However I had two sets of decals so I wanted a second car. Finding another indentical boxcar kit was easy but expensive (especially shipping) So I waited until I found another build boxcar at a swap meet.

   

It needed to be stripped of paint and ecals and a few repairs but at 3$ I couldn't go wrong.

   

This afternoon I sprayed it in primer along with an Athearn hopper that I also had in the projects pile. 

     

Up until now I've been using light gray paint from a rattle can to primer my painting projects. A couple months ago another modeller gave me a lot of Vallejo products including paints, thinners, airbrush cleaning fluid and two bottles of Acrylic-Polyurethane primer. I had never used it before but it airbrushes well right out of the bottle and cleans up with water. The finish was quite acceptable with any flaws being my fault. I think I'll be using this from now on as long as the paint goes on well overtop of it.

Working my ay through a number of projects that I've left unfinished for the past year or so. I bought a Walthers Work flat kit at a swap meet last year. I already had one that was built stock:
   

But I wanted to up the new ones game a bit.

   

I replaced the cat-in corner grabs with wire, then I weathered the deck with a series of grays, tans and washes. 

   

I painted the rest on the car in boxcar red and gave it a single number since it's for my logging line. I still used the original gondola sides but I weathered and painted them.
I found the car was a bit on the light side so I used some stick-on weights and hid them under a stack on ties.

   

After that I replaced the cast coal/ gravel pile with woodland scenics ballast, The plastic barrels with some wood kegs of spikes, and some hand tools.

   

It needs it's final weathering yet.

Things are busy in Tafftown.     
Charlie

The Lansing Model RR CLub has their train show this Sunday at the MSU Pavilion from 10 to 4!  Over 540 vendor tables makes us Michigan's Largest train show and swap meet!  There are also 8 or 9. operating layouts including a lego layout this year.  Scouts in uniform and kids 12 and under get in free!

WPMA-17 has swapped empties for loads at Agway, and is now ready for the trip back to the yard.

Bruce

   

I thought you might be interested in the happenings about the East Palestine train wreck  This is copied from today's paper. 


Taggart Street resident charged with defrauding NS  10/27/2023

Shelby Walker, 48, Taggart Street, was arraigned in Columbiana County Municipal Court on Wednesday on charges of theft by deception and falsification, both fourth-degree felonies.

According to the affidavit filed by East Palestine Detective Dan Haueter, Walker provided the Norfolk Southern Family Assistance Center with fraudulent falsified hotel receipts and receipts for other expenses related to relocation on four separate dates (April 14, April 27, May 16 and June 13) totaling $18,189.

The affidavit further alleges that Walker, as an employee of Microtel in Beaver Falls, created phony documents on her own indicating she had stayed at the facility. The police investigation concluded that Walker, who does reside feet away from the derailment site, did not receive lodging at the hotel on the dates she claimed and canceled her reservations.

Walker is the latest on a growing list of individuals facing charges for reportedly defrauding the railroad out of money by making false claims of displacement. Lauren Fegert of East Palestine was also arraigned on charges of felony theft and falsification this week for allegedly providing fictitious and altered hotel receipts to Norfolk Southern four times between April 25 and June 8, totaling $15,889. Lauren Dilworth, 28, Park Avenue, East Palestine, was charged with fourth-degree felonies of falsification and theft for allegedly submitting fictitious receipts totaling $18,840. Melissa Blake, 41, Quay Road, Negley, was charged with fourth-degree felonies of falsification and theft by deception and fifth-degree felony forgery for allegedly collecting $19,690. James Bollinger, 33, West Martin Street, East Palestine, was charged with fourth-degree felonies of theft by deception and falsification for allegedly providing fraudulent invoices in the amount of $12,451. A warrant has also been issued for a Girard man who allegedly submitted phony hotel documentation and receipts. White allegedly received $16,092 for lodging and food expenses.

Norfolk Southern declined to comment on the recent theft cases or ongoing investigations.


NS has gone out of their way to make things right and gone above and beyond what they were legaly required to do and these folks have to cheat. 

Charlie

I’ve received good car advice here, so here I am with another car question...

Our 2012 Mazda3 needed new shocks and sway bars last June. This was diagnosed by our Mazda dealer but their prices are too high.

So I took it to a local garage (which I’ve trusted & used for decades) and had shocks/swaybars replaced for a reasonable price. For years, this car has also had an annoying rattling noise coming from the back left (driver’s side). To my frustration, this noise remained even after the shocks/swaybar repair. 

About 7-10 days ago, we noticed some minor swaying when the car hit bumps. The rattling noise was still there but worse. 

So I took it to a mechanic friend who had a look at it. Immediately, he said the driver’s side shock had blown and the swaybars were shot. We both concluded I should take it back to the garage so they could repair it under warranty, which they did. The amazing thing is that the annoying rattling noise is now completely gone! (It was obviously caused by the loose swaybar.)

So, if they had properly fixed the shocks/swaybars in the first place in June, logically the rattling noise should have disappeared then as well. So my question is: How likely is it that this garage did nothing to fix the shock/swaybars at all back in June? 


Thanks in advance,
Rob