Running Bear's January 2020 Coffee Shop


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Willie: Wow! The Majestic hardware is really looking good. Happy Birthday Old Timer...:rolleyes:

On New years Day, we drove over to Belmar. On the way home, we were driving west on 8th Ave, and had to stop for an obstruction...Seems this Blue Herron was occupying the road, and took his good old time moving. Finally, he flew over to the inlet to join his mate. Of course, my phone was in the pocket, and by the time I pulled it out, he was gone.

Boris
 
Good Morning Fellow Model Railroaders.....................overcast again today, but mild for January.

I sure like that cover for the last issue of MicroMark's winter catalog. It's a great model railroad scene with excellent detail. Almost like the Walther's Flyer catalog covers in quality, if not equal to Walthers.

During my testing yesterday I though of my model railroad layout and where I could place another Woodland Scenics lamp post and I thought of the perfect spot and I was in a stay still position while the tech did her thing. I'll install the lamp post in the new Waupaca junk yard to illuminate the remains of my modeling mistakes that are now junk.

I was going to Walthers today, but since I may go to the model railroad show in Madison, Wisconsin in February, I'll save my money for the show.

Chet: I always enjoy watching your club videos. A club that size must be extremely entertaining and fun to operate your trains on those long main lines and up the grades. I'm still looking for a club to join.

Willie: I'm amazed at the amount of detail items you add to your structures like the bags of whatever on the deck and the metal trash cans. Nice!!! I need to improve my skills at painting details and figures which could be a hobby within a hobby. Happy 68th Birthday...did those Scale Trains Santa Fe units arrive that I sent you for your Birthday?

Terry: Our thoughts are with you and your wife for a speedy recovery.

Back to track cleaning, I have a Walther's track cleaning car with the abrasive pad mounted under the car. But, I'm afraid that the pad is more aggressive than a Bright Boy and rather use the Masonite pads. Opinions from anyone who uses the Walther's track cleaning car.

That's about all for this morning....

Greg

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The road that leads basically to nowhere. The Woodland Scenics vehicle is waiting for the oncoming train. I like to spill foliage down over the layout's fascia to create depth and make the scenes appear larger than what they really are in real life. -Greg
 
Back to Chet's model railroad club video....in the video near the start there's what appears to be a crossing in the tunnel. How is rail traffic controlled to prevent train collisions? Does a dispatcher thrown the turnouts for the trains' individual routes?

Thanks.

Greg
 
Back to Chet's model railroad club video....in the video near the start there's what appears to be a crossing in the tunnel. How is rail traffic controlled to prevent train collisions? Does a dispatcher thrown the turnouts for the trains' individual routes?

Thanks.

Greg
In case Chet doesn't see this, there's a signal prior to the tunnel indicating when the cross track is occupied.
Had to stop on the bridge at the beginning of the video as another train was in the tunnel giving a red signal at the top of the bridge. You don't want to cut someones train in half because it's a major pain in the butt to crawl under the layout and clean up the derailment.
 
Willie: I wasn't sure if that was the protective device for the crossing when I read it or if a dispatcher perhaps control;led the crossing. Thanks Willie.

Greg
 
Good afternoon. Started off at 3, was partly cloudy up until a half hour ago at 48 degrees and now the snow is coming sideways at 34. My weather rock indicated that it is windy with snow.

Terry -
That does not sound good for your wife. Prayers for both of you.

Jerome - Nice collection of BN locomotives. Unfortunately for me they were not my favorite as they did signal the end of the Northern Pacific.

When it comes to track cleaning, I do run my Walthers track cleaning car around the main line, but like Justin, I have a couple of bright boys arond for spurs and sidings.

Gene - I can understand your frustration with MR. I did let my subscription expire for a few years but the wife renewed it a while back and I will agree about the articles. Me being a DC operator, all of the articles an DCC are of little or no use for me. One thing that I do enjoy are the track plans of the layouts. I liked Model Railroad Craftsman a lot better.

Alan - Nice video and an excellent photo, Really like the SP Also also.

Willie
- Nice to see something using your mosquito farm. Like the detail work at the feed store also.

Greg - As for the club layout and the crossing in the tunnel, there are signal lights to indicate that another train is on the hidden tracks. At the beginning of the video as the train pulls onto the bridge as the ore train passes, if you look to the top of the bridge, there are signal lights. That's why I had to stop as there was a red signal for my track. Again at about 3:30 into the video you'll see green signals as the train approaches the tunnel. Track is clear. We have had a few instances when an operator is too busy running him mouth and neglects to look at the signal and ends up cutting somebody's train in half. He is the responsible to crawl under the layout to retrieve any cars and/or locomotives that were derailed.
Bob - The kids enjoy the dinosaurs under the layout. You can't see it in the video, but there is a circus scene inside the loop that can be seen through the plexiglass window.

I did manage to hobble down to the train room but didn't last long as standing for any length of time is not fun. Back to the photo archives.

Here is how the cab ride video was taken using the mini camera in a gondola.

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This is the last of the plywood prairie left on the layout. I was planning on completing this area during the winter but due to circumstances beyond my control, it has been added to the procrastination list.

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Later
 
Slow going today - even though it's a very nice 71 degrees with mostly clear skies.
Willie - Nice details you have going there. Happy Birthday wishes from Kate and I.

Alan: Wow - What a nice passenger train! The RPO really is a jewel and shows nicely.
OK .. The new loco is an Alco - which one? If it's not an FA, PA, or an RS - I do not know them.
Whatever model it is - It is pretty!

TERRY - I pray that things are progressing in a positive direction for Marie.
You have had more than your share lately.

On the homestead here, I have been web-shopping on a used-smaller P/U.
I am told that Toyota is the best (also seems most pricey)
Do I hear any suggestions as to which you prefer for maintenance free. (if such an animal)
Ford
Chevy
Nissan
 
's an RS-11. Thedy bdid a great job on it!

Alan: I see you used your phone to reply to Sherrel. I have one of those beautys painted and lettered for the great, grande and glorious Penn Central :eek:, (Don't choke Curt). Absolutely fine detail and appearance. I need to adjust the #3 wheel which is somewhat out of gauge. The sound is about what I remember for a RR-11 (ARS18). Enjoy your SP units. BTW, I love the passenger cars also. Nice work!

Newport News October 1967.jpg

Thought y'all would enjoy a glimpse of railroading in Tidewater, VA back in October, 1967. (From FB) The C&O station in Newport News and the "George Washington" Tidewater section.

Boris
 
Good evening .

Terry ... Continued prayers for your wife . I hope you avoid the infection yourself .

Espeefan ... I am enjoying your posts with photos and a video of Southern Pacific . Actually, there was a time when I did have SP models in HO. It was mostly first generation diesels in Daylight or Black Widow paint schemes. Much of it was Athearn including PA and PB, F7’s, and Trainmasters. As a kid , our family road on the Coast Daylight and the Shasta Daylight. I recall riding in a 3/4 length dome on the Shasta Daylight. It was 1957 with Daylight colors. The first part of that trip was from Chicago to Los Angeles on the Santa Fe Super Chief, and I am now working on my HO Super Chief.

Willie ... Happy birthday. Your Majestic Hardware is beautiful.

Everybody .... Have a nice night.
 
Do I hear any suggestions as to which you prefer for maintenance free. (if such an animal)

Sherrel: From personal experience, I have had very good luck with my Ford F-150 and Mixed results with Chevy Silverado 1992 was great 2004 not so great. These are, of course, full sized, but Chevy and Ford build good trucks. My son had good luck with a Ranger, he bought used. FWIW.
Key to any vehicle of any manufacturer, is to have scheduled maintenance performed. It helps when the repair facility employs technicians that know their trade..

Boris
 
Evening All,

It's been a busy day. Started out removing the solar stuff from the roof. We had about 45 minutes left to do when the rain came rolling in, so we will finish tomorrow. After that I finished removing stuff under the layout (now complete) and bubble wrapped about half of it before my wife decided we needed to go out to buy a new mattress. Afterwards we met back up with SIL and daughter at Panera for coffee and pastry. After we finish on the roof tomorrow my SIL asked me to go with him to New Smyrna (about 75 min. away) to look at a car.

I ordered a MRR book on modeling coal operations and facilities that Tony Koester (sp?) wrote last night. I'm contemplating a layout dedicated to coal operations. Of course I would need some larger steam for realism specifically 2-10-4 and 2-8-8-2 types;).

Terry- Continued prayers for Marie. All those symptoms can occur with a systemic infection.

Greg- Nice layout shot.

Alan- Great looking loco. Nice layout shot and video.

Chet- Really nice layout shots.

Joe- That's alright. To each their own, even PC:D. Great photo.

Willie- Happy Birthday. Nice looking hardware store.

I hope everyone has a good night.
 
Joe- That's alright. To each their own, even PC:D. Great photo.

Curt: Might have mentioned this before, but I did work for the Pennsylvania Railroad for 1 year and three days. I recall the day of the merger, and the confusion of using the proper radio call (Penn Central engine # 7075 vs. Pennsylvania engine # 7075), and other subtle changes. I worked for the PC from Day 1 'till the end on 3/31/1976, when we went through the change to Conrail. For years, I tried to model the PRR, until I realized that mostly everything I was familiar with was the Penn Central, Conrail and Amtrak. That's when I changed direction.

Your idea for your next railroad sounds great. I'm sure you cannot wait until you can start construction. Your previous build gave you a great opportunity to take your modeling to another level, and I'm sure the coal road will be great. From what I understand, primary coal power on the PRR was the I1 2-10-0, right up to the end of steam. Of course, it depends which coal branch you choose to follow. The BLI 2-10-0 is a great engine.

Careful when up on the roof. I presume y'all will have to reinstall the solar stuff when the roof is done?

Joe
 
Good afternoon, folks.

Chet- Forgot to ask if the faces on Mt. Rushmore were like the real one or if they were caricatures of someone else? A video gives a nice perspective of our model worlds.

Alan- That's a really nice looking Alco! Who makes that?

Sherrel- I've had great luck with a Ford Ranger and F-150 4x4. I've got a Nissan Frontier now that has been real good as well. It has a 4 L V-6 with an automatic and gets between 22 to 25 MPG.

Boris- Nice pic of the C&O E unit. Wish I had that Mustang in the photo, The old Chevy pickup, too.

Garry- Wish I had been able to ride more of the old passenger trains!

Beady- That's uber gross!

Curt- Good to see you made it past this part of the roof adventure. Be careful on the rest of it! The coal industry is an important and very interesting part of our history. It will make an interesting modeling focal point.
 
Howdy everyone!

Thanks to all who liked my stuff!

Willie - Happy Birthday! The Hdwe. & Feed is lookin' good with all of the accessories!

Alan - Great looking RS-11

Sherrel - too bad about the Dakota. Good that you didn't get hurt.

Chet - nice layout photos!
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This morning I went to get water softener salt and to pick up a couple extra 1/16"
twist drills. Hanging near them was a neat micro bit set. I already have these bits, but being a
tool nut, I put it in the shopping cart. ;):)

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While looking at the set at home, there was a tool in there, I didn't recognize. It looked like
a small pry bar or scraper.

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Thinking more about it, I figured it to be a screw holder. Just have to make a V-cut in it.
I'm not totally sure that's what it is . . . . so I welcome comments!

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While looking in the bottom of my storage cabinet for an airbrush extension hose, I found an
old car washing sponge, that I had forgotten about and was in there for 5 or 6 years. I reached
in to grab it and just crumbled in my hand. While placing it in a bag to throw away, the light
bulb came on. This stuff would make excellent ground foam! So I saved it in my scenery
storage box. I got 6 hopper loads of this stuff :cool:

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I've been working on a building kit for the layout. But I'm going to double the size by adding a scratch-built
addition to it. This will change the kit into what I want for it.

Everyone have a good night!
Jim
 
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