Running Bear's Coffee Shop May 2018


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Good morning. It's cloudy and 65.

Murphy still lives at my house. I turned on the new air conditioner in the trailer yesterday morning. It ran for several hours, then the fan motor stopped working.
 
Good Morning Gang. It's 64° and clear. More normal temperatures today. Weather Underground reports that visibility is 8 miles. How can they tell when it's dark???
The rain yesterday was short-lived, although I received .85" in barely an hour. No new critters in the trap this morning, but I didn't set it last night?!@&!? Looks like mowing is back on tap for today. North and west sides of the SFW estate coming up.
Thanks for the comments about the latest museum pictures, Joe, Chet, Curt and anyone that I may have missed.
Despite having extra time to spend in the train shed yesterday, I didn't seem to get a lot done. Damn throttle! I did paint and add some sidewalks alongside some roads and parking lots, striped a parking area and made a few more trees with my recently acquired "Super Trees" kit. I might just enjoy using this stuff. One issue that I have always had is that there are no locally growing weeds/flowers/shrubs that make good armatures. Certainly none as good as the ones that Chet uses, sagebrush I believe. The plastic and metal ones from WS are OK, but require a lot of work.

Here are the last (I think) museum pictures that came out good enough to display. I need to review the ones that I took inside the two Pullman cars before posting them.
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They also have an "O" gauge layout that has been built but only has minimal scenery so far.
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Terry - Very sad that there was a fatality this time, I do remember you describing "dead man's curve" several times in the past. Must have been quite an impact to damage 8 poles. Pretty high tensile strength in those power lines.
Joe - Thankfully the second coon wasn't as aggressive as the first since it was a lot larger. It was definitely not a happy camper though...although it did get to sit out most of the rain while going for a ride in my car's trunk!
Regarding the museum: They have access to about 40 acres of land to use, although they do not use all of it at this time. They have a spur to a real rail line that they use for train rides on the "Longhorn & Western RR". Their current issue is that their display building isn't large enough to adequately display their collection. With barely 6' wide aisles, it is rather awkward to get good pictures of many of their "horseless carriages".
Chet - 32° at your house and I am in the pool! Those lights look fantastic in those pictures. Very realistic glow and shadowing.
I did ask myself one question about the lighting. Did I really need it? I don't run my trains in a dark room.
I ask myself the same question regarding the lighting that I install in my structures!
Justin - Good luck with the replacement. Been there, done that, still have the scars.

Bob - I have always whitelisted modelrailroadsforum in Adblock, but these ads on the Coffee Shop page are the most lame advertisements that I have ever seen! I know that you have no control (or maybe you do) over the content, but I seem to get the same eight all the time. 3-4 about coffee shop books, the latest "Rolling Stone" cover, and the "JTT Super Scenic Trees" that have mostly negative reviews for not receiving what was pictured. At least the ones over on the "New Posts" page are RR related. OK. Rant over, I'll still whitelist this site.

Everybody have a great day.

Willie
 
Good morning. It's cloudy and 65.

Murphy still lives at my house. I turned on the new air conditioner in the trailer yesterday morning. It ran for several hours, then the fan motor stopped working.

No, no, be thankful, Murphy's moved out of your house into the trailer and he was getting cold, so he turned it off. Take him on a trip somewhere warm, leave the door open and he might decide it's so nice there, he'll decide to stay there instead.
 
Good morning. The rock is wet, must have had some overnight showers but the sun is out. Should get up into the mid 70's.

Sherrel, Joe - It would be interesting to have some vehicles with headlights, but I am not going to start drilling holes in the streets. Not gonna happen. Thanks all for the comments on the street lights. It was a super pain in the butt working with those super fine wires, but the end result was worth it.

Sam - I'll start posting less of them. We;ll be gone for a couple of weeks so you don't have to worry. Guess I could take the laptop and post some while we're gone.

Willie - Those are some nice photos from the museum. Looks like a good place to visit. I am suprised that you don't have any sage brush down there in Texas. May have to send some to you.

Getting some loose ends tied up before we hit the road. Not really looking forward to the hours on the road. I prefer not to have a schedule to meet and just take out time and visiting attractions in the area we travel through.

Here's a rail photo for today.

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Don't think I would want to model this.

Later
 
Good morning ..... We are back home....

I see some interesting photos have been posted.....

Sherrel .... Good to see your travel photos. It was a great trip for you .

WIllie .... Apparently, the museum is very impressive. Thanks for posting photos.

Chet ...... I like the lighting you did on your layout.

.........

The Branson Scenic Railway was a lot of fun...... Meeting Johnny and his wife Dena, was the highlight of our trip because they are a very good couple. ... Two of my friends and their wives were there too, and so we had 4 couples.

Here are a few shots. There was a locomotive at each end of the train (F7 and GP30). There were 7 or 8 stainless steel passenger cars including 3 former CB&Q Budd dome cars.

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I can post more later.
 
I was just out in the garden, when my peacefulness was shattered by the local crop duster. He was spraying about 3/4 mile south (thankfully no wind today) and he was making his return loops over the wheat field next door. Just happened to still have my camera in my pocket prior to the journey to the train shed. Really getting to like this new camera. I know that not all of you have an opportunity to see this type of action.
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This fellow, or at least this plane, has been a fixture in this neighborhood for the entire 37 years that I have lived here. He's a lot closer to the ground while doing the actual spraying. He is maybe 90' off the ground in the first and third pictures; closer to 60' in the second. Note that the wheat field next door is about two weeks away from combining. Lots of dust and chaff in the pool that day.

Willie
 
Garry - Like the photos. Have you taken the trip yet, and if do, how long was it?

Willie - Those crop duster pilots are nuts. We have a number of field around us that use them and I have watched them fly under power lines.
 
Good morning everyone. 67 and partly cloudy/foggy. Hitting 80 later and will be mostly sunny. I'll have a cup and a couple of old fashioned doughnuts to dunk, please, Flo.

Had a good time riding the Branson Dinner Train Saturday with Garry and his wife Shelly, as well as two other couples, Reggie and Mary Ann and Ed and Julie, all friends of Garry's. My wife, Dena, and I caught up with the guys at a LHS, shopped for a bit, then met up again at the station for the 5 p.m. train ride. Here are a couple of photos from the trip. I'm sure Garry will have other photos to post.

I just spent almost 45 minutes trying to post photos from the train trip that would stay right-side up. This is the problem I explained last week. I've tried everything i know how to do and nothing works. I just wond post photos any more.
 
I'm going to try this one more time. Here's a photo of the gang by the Branson dinner train this past Saturday. L to R: me (Johnny), my wife Dena, Garry, his wife Shelly, Julie, Ed, Reggie, and Mary Ann (friends of Garry and Shelly).

Chet - the ride was about 2 hrs 15 mins - much of the time the scenery was blocked by cuts through the hills. From time to time there was scenery to be had and a couple of trestles. Food was pretty good, and plenty of it. The most enjoyable thing about the ride was the company - getting acquainted with Garry and his wife as well as his friends.

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In this one you can see some of the Ozark area scenery - that's Garry and Shelly on the left, their friends Reggie and MaryAnn on the right. Ed and Julie were at our table across the aisle.

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Still am baffled by this system - why does it insist on posting full images when I tell it to post only thumbnails?
 
Thanks for the reply Johnny. Looks like quite a spread on the table. Glad you got to meet Garry and the others. Another railroad to go visit sometime in the future.

The way I post photos is to first add photos to an album. When posting, I click on the "insert image" icon and then drag the thumbnail from the albun into the box for the image. I do not click on the thumbnail or full size photo box. I had the same thing happen early with the new forum.
 
Here are other photos ...

The trip took 2 hours..... One hour southward, and one hour northward. ...

We road in Silver Island which was originally a dome coach of the CB&Q which operated on the Twin City Zephyr. ... Now the car has tables and chairs instead of catch seats.

Shelley and I (razzing each other as usual)

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We road in Silver island which was originally a CB&Q dome coach which operated on the Twin City Zephyr. ..... Now it is part of the Ozark Zephyr on the Branson Scenic Railway..... It has tables and chairs instead of its original coach seats.

The trip took two hours. One hour headed south, and one hour reversed northward... There were two tunnels as well as some trestles and bridges.

Message on the table.....

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Another group photo. ..... L to R : Johnny, Dena, Myself, Shelley, Julie, Ed, Reggie, Mary Ann.

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Good Morning Everyone....rainy in Wisconsin this morning. Just came back from the cabin yesterday and today, we get ready for the cabinet install tomorrow in your kitchen. End date is June 10th I hope since everything was moved out of the kitchen into the living room and dining room. Fast food for duration of the project.

Chet: Great photos of the streetscape LED lighting. I especially like the NP locomotive illuminated by the LEDS. You're correct about the thin LED lead wires being a real pain in butt to install, but worth the effort. The WS vehicles with the operating head and tail lights only need a tiny hole drilled under the vehicle to run the leads under the layout and the wires can't be seen.

Keep the photos coming.

Johnny: I'm sorry that Cathy and I missed the Branson train trip since it sounds like you had a great time. The food looked delicious.

Willie: Crop dusters are interesting individuals. We had one duster lose his life crop dusting near our cabin. Apparently, one of the aircraft's wings became unattached and the plane crashed. The plane was transported via a truck and trailer. He also flew a small passenger plane and flew into the Wild Rose Airport, a grass one runway airport, to see his relatives who live in the area.

Justin: Replacing a turnout can be a problem, but if you just cut out the turnout and leave the surrounding track intact, it can be a rather easy procedure.

Tried to order the Rapido Canadian National SW1200 in the green theme and they are sold out.

Have to run and take care of my "To Do List" first is and is to disconnected the gas line to the stove and move the stove out of the way for the cabinet install.

That's all for now.

Greg
 
Good Morning Everyone....rainy in Wisconsin this morning. Just came back from the cabin yesterday and today, we get ready for the cabinet install tomorrow in your kitchen. End date is June 10th I hope since everything was moved out of the kitchen into the living room and dining room. Fast food for duration of the project.

Chet: Great photos of the streetscape LED lighting. I especially like the NP locomotive illuminated by the LEDS. You're correct about the thin LED lead wires being a real pain in butt to install, but worth the effort. The WS vehicles with the operating head and tail lights only need a tiny hole drilled under the vehicle to run the leads under the layout and the wires can't be seen.

Keep the photos coming.

Johnny: I'm sorry that Cathy and I missed the Branson train trip since it sounds like you had a great time. The food looked delicious.

Willie: Crop dusters are interesting individuals. We had one duster lose his life crop dusting near our cabin. Apparently, one of the aircraft's wings became unattached and the plane crashed. The plane was transported via a truck and trailer. He also flew a small passenger plane and flew into the Wild Rose Airport, a grass one runway airport, to see his relatives who live in the area.

Justin: Replacing a turnout can be a problem, but if you just cut out the turnout and leave the surrounding track intact, it can be a rather easy procedure.

Tried to order the Rapido Canadian National SW1200 in the green theme and they are sold out.

Have to run and take care of my "To Do List" first is and is to disconnected the gas line to the stove and move the stove out of the way for the cabinet install.

That's all for now.

Greg
https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/rap...n-national-green-1362-dcc-and-sound-equipped/
 
Other pictures ...

Frisco caboose in Branson ...

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On the way home yesterday.... We saw a BNSF intermodal twin with four orange BNSF units leading. Could not get a photo.

Then we saw an empty coal train in a siding eating for the oncoming intermodal train to pass. The coal train had two lead units and one pusher locomotive still in BN colors. ... Photos are second unit with part of first unit, and the pusher unit. ... I believe this is the former Frisco line from Kansas City to Memphis.

]
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Garry - Excellent photos. Willie might wet his drawers over that Frisco caboose. I get to see a lot of BNSF power at the old depot in Livingston. Sometimes they can actually sneak up on you.

 
Bob - I have always whitelisted modelrailroadsforum in Adblock, but these ads on the Coffee Shop page are the most lame advertisements that I have ever seen! I know that you have no control (or maybe you do) over the content, but I seem to get the same eight all the time. 3-4 about coffee shop books, the latest "Rolling Stone" cover, and the "JTT Super Scenic Trees" that have mostly negative reviews for not receiving what was pictured. At least the ones over on the "New Posts" page are RR related. OK. Rant over, I'll still whitelist this site.

Everybody have a great day.

Willie

Yes, you'll often see the same ones, sorry. I've intentionally kept them to a minimum, only at the top an bottom of the page, so they shouldn't be too obnoxious. You're right, some of them are pretty lame. I've seen good ones, from reputable suppliers, and I've seen ones that I'm pretty sure aren't so good. As you say, I have pretty limited control over what does and doesn't show up. I've blocked a few of the most annoying categories like online dating ads. It's a balancing act, and the revenue is pretty minimal as it is.

Also, they're served from, and determined by, Google. (Except for the one at the bottom of the page, that's Amazon). It's funny to see what some of them are, they seem to key on the discussion.

BTW, speaking of Amazon. The ones at the very bottom of the page are from them. So, if the ad for "Super Trees" is showing up there, keep in mind that they typically offer a money back satisfaction guarantee on their products. Just be sure to read the details before ordering, especially if it's a "third party seller". Usually you can check the reviews and that tells you what you need to know.
 
Still am baffled by this system - why does it iinsist on posting full images when I tell it to post only thumbnails?

It seems to depend on how you attach the files. Don't worry about though, the full size ones look better and are easier to view, so just go ahead and use those. The new server doesn't have the bandwidth issues the old one did.
 
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