Ace-Garageguy

That's it in a nutshell, and many of those are "highly educated professionals" who think what THEY do is worth the sun and the moon, but seem to believe ALL mechanics, fabricators, machinists, etc. are knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers, parts-changers or just crooks who should be paid live-under-a-bridge wages. It was a great joy to make it to the end of the business where I became appreciated and reasonably well, if not always fully, compensated...but it's still a struggle at times to educate clients as to what's worth what.

I'm in awe of anyone who can paint that the way it's made, many sub-assemblies all together, and make it look good. Thanks for the heads-up on the reference book too.

I don't have anything for you, but it's really a great subject to collect. He was certainly one of the best of the best, one of my heroes in earlier days.

About 50 random packets of HO-scale detail parts, couplers, and mechanical and electrical bits, multiples of some. Detail parts include diesel cab furnishings, air and MU hoses and stands, diesel railing upgrades, boxcar ends and doors, diesel winterization hatches, fan and radiator grilles, lights, horns, etc. Mechanical bits are mostly gearsets for more realistic speeds of diesel locomotives. Electrical stuff includes circuits for flashing strobes and EOT devices, and motor brushes. Average cost about $2 each.

Well, looks like a weak cold front went through overnight, but we didn't get much rain...and just enough in the afternoon to play jello with my roof tarping project. Today's forecast is 80% chance of thunderstorms this afternoon, but looking at the NWS live radar and temps, it looks like another weak cold front will indeed be moving through (it's over Memphis right now) but precip where it is now is just light sprinklege. So here's Bill's forecast: because I don't see a lot of potential for atmospheric heating this afternoon, I'm forecasting no thunderstorms, but maybe some localized light to moderate rain. It's only 75F now here, and afternoon t-storms are usually the result of PM heat buildup plus high humidity, assuming they're not driven by a front moving through. The humidity's there right now...90%...and there's a weak cold front on the way...so we'll just have to wait and see if I can get it as wrong as a bunch of computer models being interpreted by highly trained meteorologists did yesterday..

Videos of cats come in 3 main categories: cutesy / creepy, hysterically funny, and proof positive that cats are superior to humans in every way imaginable. 🐈

Great story, cool car. Those old Zees are wonderful cars.

I have rarely seen such a poor representation of any vehicle, but I do admire your quest to do something nice with it. It's kinda like the mutant puppy that's just so sad and pathetic, with one eye always looking over its shoulder, that it becomes your favorite. Poor little car is too unbelievably awful to throw out, so I honestly do applaud your effort to build it. Honest.

Acid reflux disease passed me by.

Electronic girlfriends I think are kinda creepy, frankly, but robot babes might be a whole 'nother story (as long as they come with service manuals).

Kinda depends on what the bear's been eatin'.

Bear chili. https://sportchief.com/en/blogs/blog/chili-black-bear-wild-game-recipe?

The rain that wasn't supposed to be here until early tomorrow stopped for a while while I went to get more tarps for the roof, but no sooner was I back up there, it started again. S'okay though, 'cause the battery in the screwgun went dead just as I got the corners staked on the last one, so while it was charging I cleaned the gutter in the imaginary rain. Soooooo...I'm pretty well soaked with liquid sunshine, fixin' to get back up there in a few as soon as the current downpour eases up and the battery is charged. Gots to nail down the edges of the tarps before the wall of rain that's coming on radar but wasn't supposed to be here until tomorrow morning gets here. Kinda miffed, 'cause everything up there was pretty dry, and I'd intended to do a very thorough job of tarping TODAY to get me through the winter. No dice. Fun day.

The rain that wasn't supposed to be here until early tomorrow stopped for a while while I went to get more tarps for the roof, but no sooner was I back up there, it started again. S'okay though, 'cause the battery in the screwgun went dead just as I got the corners staked on the last one, so while it was charging I cleaned the gutter in the imaginary rain. Soooooo...I'm pretty well soaked with liquid sunshine, fixin' to get back up there in a few as soon as the current downpour eases up and the battery is charged. Gots to nail down the edges of the tarps before the wall of rain that's coming on radar but wasn't supposed to be here until tomorrow morning gets here. Kinda miffed, 'cause everything up there was pretty dry, and I'd intended to do a very thorough job of tarping TODAY to get me through the winter. No dice. Fun day.