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+--- Thread: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! (/showthread.php?tid=9237)
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RE: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! - sir james - 10-04-2022
Hello Blue
Sun and 70s for the day.
Gas this morning was $4.29, up from $3.78 last week.
S.J.
RE: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! - FiatFan - 10-05-2022
Rise and shine, gang!
Time to start a new day filled with thrills, excitement, and adventure....or not. 56 at the moment headed for 71. Had a brief shower overnight but nothing significant. Much cooler by the weekend.
Yesterday turned out to be quite busy. First up was to pay the bills for the month so I get to keep the house. Then I cleaned up the leaves from the yard. Hopped on the ol' pollution solution vehicle and payed all the drive-by bills. After that I put the fall fertilizer on the lawn. Late afternoon found my daughter on my doorstep. I had brought some stuff home from her daughter for her. After that was shower and a corona tome.
This morning a locksmith will be here around 9 to try to find a replacement key for the front door. It uses the old skeleton style key and over the years we have managed to loose the keys. Hopefully he will have a replacement..
All stay safe.
Tom
RE: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! - TMo - 10-05-2022
Damp and chilly here in MD. Rained for 4 straight days with just a little letup. Feel like my body's covered in a thin film of mildew.
Evenings on days like these are supposed to be spent in idle pursuits (my hobbies). Unfortunately, my wife has been beating the drum (now that both boys are out of the house) to renovate the upstairs bedrooms. Paint, carpet, new furniture, light fixtures, fans, blah, blah, blah... For the past three weeks I've been engaged in these pursuits and not my idle ones. Life is like that - you have a plan, but others have other plans.
The light at the end of the tunnel is within sight - I think after tonight I'll have all of the ceilings, trim and walls painted, all of the fixtures installed, and I'll just have to get ready for the carpet guy to do his thing.
My wife is also going to Hawaii with her dad and sister next month - two weeks to my own devices. No telling how much railroading I can accomplish!
RE: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! - Charlie B - 10-05-2022
Good afternoon
Todd, I am one of the lucky guys when it comes to inside decorating. I am told to just get out of the way and let her have at it. It's a good thing because I can't do a lot of stuff any more because of my titanium knees.
However, the outside is up to me for the most part as long as it doesn't involve any form of "dekeraten" .I started to install gutter guards today which I can stretch out for about 2 weeks. 10 feet is the highest I need go but working from a step ladder I will get all the step aerobics I need for the coming months. Each 5 foot section will require 4 trips up and down and I have 200 feet to do yet. ( i managed to do one side of the train building today (42 feet total)) I really am too old for this but if I can do it no matter how long it takes, I want to do it.
I worked on a decoder install last night. I did one of the neatest jobs I have done yet. The decoder even smoked when I put power on it to test, even had a tiny flame for a brief period.
I have done over a hundred installs and this is the first one I have let the fire out of. (I did 3 more tonight without a problem)Don is late checking in today. I am hoping everyone is safe and healthy.
Charlie
RE: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! - TMo - 10-05-2022
...I get the "I can always hire someone...."
My dad always said "You can save a lot of time and money if you can do something yourself", and I guess it got ingrained in me because he could do just about anything, and I got to help him do it. So, even though I'm not the best at anything, I can do a lot of stuff and I'm willing to try just about anything, which in the age of YouTube, can be a dangerous combination. Did the gutter guards this spring, Charlie - I feel your pain. Outside tasks - mine. Inside renovations - also mine.
Yeah, decoders. Been there, smoked that! Nothing worse than spending 20 to 30 dollars (or more like 75 for a sound card) on a little chip and you end up shorting two wires and the thing's toast. If it's a decoder with a spider cable attached to it, got a tip for you. Use the smoked chip to build a test connector with a wire connected to each of the pins in the mating socket. While you're installing each connection (motor, lights, etc.) plug your test connector in and check continuity (resistance) to ground and to every other wire in the test connector before plugging the decoder into the wiring. If you get anything other than an open, you have a problem to correct. However, I'm probably not telling you anything you didn't know already, but just like Christmas, you get a shiny new toy and you want to quick go out and play with it - been there, had to order a new one.
RE: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! - FiatFan - 10-06-2022
Greetings, gang.
Some high, thin clouds this morning that are supposed to go away. 51 now and the NWS is expecting the low 60s for this afternoon with winds near 30 mph.
The locksmith arrived on time yesterday but with no success. Gave me three options, none f which I liked. In the afternoon I got in a nice bike ride. This morning I need to take some leaves to the disposal site. Also contemplating harvesting another batch but with the high winds I'll probably wait until tomorrow.
All stay safe.
Tom
RE: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! - Charlie B - 10-06-2022
Good morning
We have a nice morning at 46 degrees and a high expected near 70.
I am hoping to install some more leaf guards today. I will try to finish the train barn. I decided that while I am doing the house I should put ice breakers on to keep the snow from sliding off the roof and ripping the gutters off and I can do that from the ladder. I ordered them today and they will be here the first of next week. Pricing was odd. 50 were priced at 69.95 where 10 were 9.95 a pack and 9.40 if you bought more than 1 pack. I needed 88 so I ordered 9 packs and the shipping was 14.19. I can get the needed screws locally cheaper than I can have them shipped.
I am glad that the Gauge is running smoothly today after the server error yesterday.
I am hoping everyone is OK and looking forward to the coming weekend. We retired people don't have week-ends nor do we have Mondays or Fridays.
Cheers
Charlie
RE: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! - sir james - 10-07-2022
Hello Blue
Cloudy. 70s yesterday, 50s for today.
The leaves are beginning to fall with the help of a north wind.
Took the potted plants from the patio and put them on the front porch.
Hoping they will last a little longer away from getting frosted.
Club meet tomorrow, a long way from home but it's a full basement layout.
S.J.
RE: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! - tompm - 10-07-2022
Good morning, folks
It is currently 62 and finally sunny. High will be 74.
I know I have not posted in about a week, but it has been a wet and wild week. No pun intended. Starting last Friday, we had six straight days of rain. We had a little of everything; drizzle, showers, steady rain, downpours, and thunderstorms all thanks to a high pressure that blocked the remnants of Ian from moving up the coast and I even heard one weather person say it turned into a Nor’easter. The job site became a muddy mess. It felt like we were trudging through dinosaur diarrhea. It will take me a week to get the accumulated mud off my boots.
Just to make things interesting my wife has been having some complications after the surgery. Luckily it is nothing serious and does not require any further surgery. As she loses weight it will help with resolving the situation. However, weight loss is slow, and she requires some help from medication. The approved medication for her issue and for age unfortunately will put 10 to 15 pounds on and make it difficult to lose any additional weight. The other choice is approved for women pre-menopause but not in post-menopausal, thus the insurance will not cover it. She can obtain it but the cost is in the neighborhood of $700. However, in Canada it would cost about $150. I am currently evaluate the costs of making a trip to Canada most likely Niagara Falls versus buying it locally.
The rain has prevented us from putting up the outside Halloween decorations. We have completed the inside ones. I am working tomorrow, Saturday, so that will delay getting the outside done. We are also scheduled to get our COVID boosters and flu shots. Sunday I should run down to Delaware and get gas for the car and run it through a carwash. Six days of mud needs to be removed.
Despite the craziness of the week, I did get train stuff done. I replaced the couplers, added screws to the coupler clips, and metal wheels to a couple of Reading Athearn blue box coaches. I added screws to the coupler clips on a Western Maryland three box car Athearn Special Edition blue box set. The cars already had metal wheels and Kadee couplers. I figured out a way to store a couple of new locomotives that I can’t reuse the boxes they came in to store them. Lastly, I reorganized my cabooses and M.O.W. equipment and put them in bins to make it easier to find stuff.
I am hoping to change the couplers over on three Bachmann poultry transport cars. I would like to build a three-car set of New York Ontario & Western coal hoppers that were made by Train Miniatures of Illinois. Anyone hear of them? I have an Athearn Special Edition set of two 50-foot plug door Baltimore & Ohio boxcars to build. And finally, I would like to run some trains.
Does anyone know if on the new Bowser HO rolling stock if their knuckle couplers are plastic or metal? I can't tell for sure but I think they are plastic in which I have a bunch to replace.
I hope everybody has a good day.
RE: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! - ezdays - 10-07-2022
Good afternoon all, I know, I'm a few days late for checking in, but just got back a few hours ago from up in Durango, CO and riding the D&SRR. I'll post more tomorrow, just wanted to let you know I'm OK and just want to rest a bit now that I'm home.
RE: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! - BR60103 - 10-07-2022
Tompm:
I have a small collection of TMI cars. I think they were active late 60s, early 70s.
Had the car serviced today and put winter tires on. They told me that the other tires would need replacing next year.
RE: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! - TMo - 10-08-2022
Balmy and beautiful this morning in northeastern MD. I've heard the weather's supposed to change and get cold, but yesterday was one of those fabulous fall days that almost force you outside. Harvested more of my pumpkins and took the dog for a hike at Rocks State Park (where you can see some remnants of the right of way for the Ma and Pa RR). Cut my 4 acres of grass. To make matters worse for model railroading, the Phillies have made it into the playoffs for the first time in 11 years - took in yesterday's game while painting interior doors. Good thing the painting was done by the 9th inning - had a chance to watch the Phightin's put up a 6 spot in the top of the ninth to steal one from the Cards. Looks like I'll probably be staying up late tonight - first pitch is at 8:30.
RE: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! - FiatFan - 10-08-2022
Greetings, gang.
Thus endeth the 2022 growing season in the remote reaches of northern Iowa. It is currently 25 degrees outside my window with a predicted high in the mid 60s with lot of sunshine.
Pretty quiet day yesterday. Routine trip to the gym. Then working on the master time piece for the Backyard & Southern Railway. The garden clock has been running intermittently so I replaced the mechanism. When I snap the assembly into the holder the clock stops. Apparently it's binding somewhere. Not much else going on today.
Don - hope you had a good time on your trip.
All stay safe.
Tom
RE: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! - ezdays - 10-08-2022
Good morning, good morning, it's Saturday and it's my normal sleep-in day, but after spending four days sitting in a car or train, I was tired. We did do a last-minute trip to Durango this week instead of next. My friend and his wife are now heading up to Oregon as we speak, so we had to change plans. We also took one day to drive through old Indian ruins at Mesa Verde, not far from Durango. The train ride was exquisite, nice scenery and a vintage train pulled by two narrow gauge steam engines. I have a bunch of photos, I'll see if I can find a few that are worth posting. The weather was very nice there, lots of rain, except for the day we went on the train, no rain all that day.
One thing that had us wondering is that Flagstaff usually has the highest gas prices in the state, but nope, just a bit over $4.00 while we here in the Phoenix area are paying $5.00 and more. As we got onto the Apache Reservation, it was even less, as low as $3.87, now this is well out in the middle of nowhere so why are they sticking it to us here in the Phoenix area?
Anyway, we had a nice trip, now I need to take a day or two and rest. Fortunately, there's some football today and tomorrow.
I understand we were down for a while, I hope not too long. And I hope we stay up, I saw Pat as I got back and he was just leaving town for a few days, so he's not going to be any help if we go down again.
Take care and have a great weekend...
RE: The Hobo Camp Fire Is going well #IX.. Stop In!!! - sir james - 10-09-2022
Hello Blue
Sun and 60 for the day.
Our club meet was near the Ohio border, so we slid on down to Toledo to buy some Pa. beer they don't sell in Mich.
Had lunch there, many places are closing early because they can't get help. The waitress told me some were only open 5 days a week so those they do have can get time off. All the money our government gives away, nobody wants to work. A sad situation.
S.J.