Running Bear's May 2020 Coffee Shop


Status
Not open for further replies.
I have a touch of OCD that makes me keep things organized and clean. That is a folding table I brought upstairs so I had a large area to organize building parts since I'm doing 7 kits back to back. This is #5.

Curt: I have so much s**t spread out over the basement thatI spend most of my time, searching for tools or parts. There is no wonder why you can assemble quality structures on a regular basis, while I am spending most of my time, searching for where I left off.

My railroad is mostly code 70, reflecting the Reading's use of lighter rail. The PRR branch on the East side of the layout, was built just prior to WW1, and has heavier 135lb rail, which scales out to Code 83. So, I'm using Code 83 on the PRR. Today, I finished the track work, and while searching for locomotives, I found another box of Code 83 track components including switches.

There's a lot to be said for organization and order.

Now that the revised track is in order, I have to glue down road bed and Gatorfoam, paint the surface, run the feeder wire and re-assemble the track.
While I'm doing all of that, I should finish painting the back drop, and assemble a few background structures.
 
At least the caps are on!

Rainy day here in Sparta with a temperature of 66. Replaced ivory colored light switches with white ones. We went for a walk between rains this afternoon and got a chance to meet one of the local residents up close. He just appeared to be the strong quiet type. A real man of few words!:p

View attachment 113600

What they call a pine snake here in Tennessee, in Illinois we called them bull snakes. Completely harmless and eat rodents like most snakes. So, actually very beneficial. I stopped to show my wife how to tell a sassafras tree by the different lobes on the leaves on a couple of small saplings growing alongside the ditch. I saw the snake just before she did. Of course, as soon as my wife saw it, she took off like a rocket. Luckily, there weren't any cars coming! First snake I've seen this year. In Tennessee, there are several species of rattlesnakes, copperheads and water moccasins. I don't know for sure if she knows that! She does know that there are two types of scorpions, but that doesn't seem to bother her. But let her see one little snake that is just as afraid of her as she is of it, and she takes off in a dead run!🤣

BurlBob-

267B17CC-CFAC-4BEB-ADEA-D4F39BA5812D.jpeg
 
Well, in the immortal words of Sherriff Buford T. Justice: Sumbitch! This stinks.
Alan- I have been trying to come up with a really appropriate comment about your situation.
SHITZ HAPPENS!
I can relate tonight. Putting together a flatcar with a 45' trailer and assembling the dual wheel sets when gravity grabs two wheels for a 42" drop.
The cat is laying by my stool and catches one wheel on the second bounce and flips it across the floor like a hockey puck.. He scoots after it and swiped it one more time before losing interest. Forty minutes later, with all the lights on in the dining room and den, I tilt the sofa up and my wife spotted the wheel near the middle back leg, a 25' goal.. By this time I lost interest in modeling and must calm my nerves with a dish of ice cream (cookies and cream). So go get some ice cream and study your possible solutions.
 
Good Morning Everybody

I'm using my new coffee cup for the first time.
1590232247755.png



Happy Memorial Day? Don't quite sound right.

God Bless all of our fallen Heroes we honor this weekend, as they have blessed us with freedom!
1590232117809.png

"over the land of the free and the home of the brave"
 
Morning all! Cant seem to sleep much past 5 AM or so these days, so here I am. I guess I'll do the grabs on the articulated cars before going down to the club later.

Curt: A good thought but no, splicing in a new chunk of diaphragm isn't a viable solution. It was a good thought but the design of the Coach Yard parts makes it impossible. I have to test run it first and see how it behaves anyway. After that, we'll see. I'm thinking drilling and tapping new holes is the only practical solution. Plus it will allow a future owner to return the car to its original configuration. I have the luxury of a 48" minimum radius at the club. I think for anything much smaller, this gap might be necessary.

Louis: Thanks for the thought but a hefty slug of Advil PM last night quieted the raging beast, and getting up this morning I find that I have the usual amounts of aches and pains with no extras! I do wonder how many more times I'm going to be able to hump around 18 and 19" wheels. It gets a bit harder every year. Plus as an added little bit of fun stuff, there are no studs on a crossfire. You have lug bolts instead, which makes it ever so much fun to line everything up, especially on the fronts. Those Germans! They just love to complicate things!

Mikey: Yeah it does, doesn't it? However, if this is the toughest challenge I get with this train I'll be a happy camper. Your story reminds me of a painting project many years ago. I lost an eccentric rocker screw. No spare in the parts bag and the loco wasn't mine. Took two hours to find it (Cindy finally located it). Nothing is worse than losing optical screws, and though today I have an impressive collection of metric hardware, I can guarantee that you may have twenty different kinds of spares, but the one you lose...
 
Last edited:
Good morning America, how are ya? I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend! It's 63 right now with sunshine and a high of 83 and a 50% chance of rain this afternoon. We went on a ride yesterday to get out of the house for a while and I got some pictures of some of the local scenery.

IMGP6037.JPG

IMGP6044 (2).JPG

IMGP6062.JPG

IMGP6082 (2).JPG



IMGP6086.JPG

IMGP6085.JPG


Of course this year we have the new "signs of the times".

IMGP6090.JPG

IMGP6088.JPG


We saw about 5 other people at one of the parks and they were good at keeping their distance. I don't think that would be the case if it was a time when it was crowded. Nothing to to with trains today, sadly.

Have a great weekend and stay safe. Don't forget............six feet away! I'll be so darn glad when we no longer have to keep that in mind!!!!!!!!
 
Good Morning All. Cloudy and 65°, after thunderstorms all night long. 1.7" in the gauge this morning. It's headed your way Bob, approaching Memphis as of now, although it may dip south before it gets to you. Looks like another minor wave coming up in about the next thirty minutes or so here. While waiting for the thunderstorms to arrive yesterday, twelve hours later than predicted, I did some more preemptive yard mowing and cut another week's worth of firewood from trees that I cut down a couple of weeks ago. I am feeling it this morning.:( Maybe it's because I had to split some of the larger logs. Already hit the Advil this morning.
Cooked up a rack of baby back spareribs for supper last night, made a huge container of homemade coleslaw to go with it. Delicious!😍

Thanks for all of the likes and comments yesterday regarding Earl's Oil; Louis, Jerome, Bob, Guy, Chad, Sherrel, Joe, Karl, Phil, Garry, Curt, Hughie. By the way, this kit is named for and modeled after a structure on noted modeler and author Earl Smallshaw's layout.

Bacon, grits and scrambled eggs this morning Flo. Large glass of OJ to wash it all down. Hmmmh! Make that a Screwdriver instead to ease the aches.

Minimal train shed activity yesterday, I just didn't get out there early enough. Monitoring those ribs instead. Built the billboard that resides next to Earl's Oil (not for it though), made some small storage boxes that attach to the office structure and added the first two roof rafters. Stopped there after deciding to add a figure and some other details inside before closing it all up.
05-23-20 001.JPG

That's the only progress picture that I took yesterday.

Mikey - The walls seem a little dark in the pictures for some reason; they're lighter in person. You're right, weathering will come later.
Bob - You remind me that we haven't been to Babes in a while. Absolutely great fried chicken and even better chicken fried steak, problem is that they add too much salt to the green beans and cream corn though.
The problem is remembering where you put the item you know you have, but just can't find!
Mapping?
Joe - Your comments yesterday regarding the BENNY's and the local beaches reminds me of an article that I just read regarding winter renters in the Hampton's. Since the governor of NY said that you can't evict them and they don't have to pay rent, they aren't leaving. They're basically squatting. It's causing a major loss of income to the owners who would be traditionally be jacking up the rent and renting their homes to summer vacationers.
Karl - Get well soon. Somewhat amusing story though.
Curt - A workbench like that is a sign of a sick mind;)
Louis - Your layout plan reminds me of Bruce's (new guy); remember him? It should be great for what you want to do. How high is it going to be?

Everybody have a great day and an awesome Memorial Day weekend.
 
Louis: Thanks for the thought but a hefty slug of Advil PM last night quieted the raging beast, and getting up this morning I find that I have the usual amounts of aches and pains with no extras! I do wonder how many more times I'm going to be able to hump around 18 and 19" wheels. It gets a bit harder every year. Plus as an added little bit of fun stuff, there are no studs on a crossfire. You have lug bolts instead, which makes it ever so much fun to line everything up, especially on the fronts. Those Germans! They just love to complicate things!
I'm happy to hear you are feeling good, young man!
Yes, a BMW I had was the same.
German cars are complex, but I can't complain. I had a BMW 528e that had over 300,000 miles on it when I finally, reluctantly got rid of it. I never had any major problems with it.
 
Good Saturday Morning, Everyone.
Wow! Yesterday was a real bummer in the storm that passed through. It rained or snowed consistently all day, achieving a high of 57F in the afternoon.
Our tomato plants froze to death. Lucky for us, the wife was smart enough to start a 2nd set in the house, just in case. Those will be put into the ground after the weekend, as it's supposed to warm up and stay warm. - Right now, it's only 38F, but, the sun has popped out for a view of the situation.

I was unable to get a plumber for my hot water tank repair, so I fixed it myself yesterday. Saved myself a few hundred dollars in high cost plumber fees, I suppose.
Yesterday, I was a plumber; today I'm a heavy-duty mechanic; I have to go try to start a 1995 Massey Ferguson 100hp agricultural tractor. It's my old tractor from a past business. It has been sitting idle as a field ornament for the last 18 years. Now it has to move; that's a whole lot easier to do if it's under it's own power.

I have been trying to start my 3rd Class Depot scratch build. It has proven impossible to get a good start on it with everything else that comes up in the way. The garden, plumbing, the tractor, the wife, and pure modeling laziness have all conspired against getting a good start on the project. The plans and parts I've prepared are just sitting on my table-top waiting for me. Hopefully soon; I'm feeling the modeling bug biting me.

Here is another project I want to mess with. I believe it is a GP38, made in China Life-Like. It has been all broken up from obvious child play from sometime in the past. I do not know where it came from; I can't remember. I'm thinking I might be able to make it a layout junkyard piece:
LifeLike_GP38.jpg


Anyway, I need to get mobile soon. One more coffee, and I'm outa here.
Everyone have a great day!
 
Morning fellow model railroaders: FLO - please ask MEL for a couple of sunny side up with sausage patties, hash browns, and some biscuits to sop with. Just coffee to drink - please.

Weather is supposed to be only 76 today followed by 83 tomorrow and 92 on Monday. Lately it seems that Mother Nature can't make up her mind - I think I was married to her at one time?

TERRY and LOUIS - Very nice tributes for starting off Memorial Day weekend. I have to look at the calendar - For some reason, I thought it was at the end of the month? Well, the Country need something to celebrate as this Covid BS is getting long in the tooth.

My son - from Apache Junction, AZ - stopped by for a few hours yesterday afternoon. He does set work for the movie and tv people and has a sailboat in Ventura that he stays on when he is working in the LA area. He has not worked since he returned home from a series shoot in Memphis around Thanksgiving last year. His wife has a great job with Boeing in Mesa, AZ, but she is sweating her job if things don't start clicking again. He only came this way in order to see if the boat was still floating and also to do some repairs to it.

OK, I like everyone's posts and pictures this morning. MIKEY - that's a funny story about the cat and tire.
ALAN, good luck with the cars - they look outstanding!
WILLIE - What style of roof is that - don't think I have seen that before?
GUY - better call out the MOW guys to rerail the front truck on the loco - it may "become" the wreck before you wish it too? Good luck with the tractor! I knew that you could handle the water heater - good show!

Later guys
 
...

Louis - Your layout plan reminds me of Bruce's (new guy); remember him? It should be great for what you want to do. How high is it going to be?

...
Willie, how could we forget Bruce? I actually miss him. He was a character, but he was genuine!

My plan is a work in progress, but my goal is to have as many trains on the rails and ready to go as possible. I don't like them sitting in boxes and I have bought too many. As is, with the planned spurs, I'll have up to 10 separate trains ready to run and I'll be able to run 7 trains at once without the slightest fear of a Gomez Adams incident.

I have not yet decided on the height.

It's clear from my track plan that scenery is an after thought for me. I'm guessing I'll be selling some accessories as well. The good thing about Lionel items is they hold their value. I may or may not make a profit, but I should get back what I have spent and hopefully the items go to a good home where they will be appreciated and used.

Speaking of selling, it looks like I will be very busy selling train stuff.

I started going through my HO stuff. I have 2 x-large boxes and 5 more large boxes of stuff all still in it's original packaging. In addition I have 5 small-medium boxes of stuff without it's original packaging. That does not include the Tyco, Life-Like and Lionel HO stuff I've refurbished/plan to refurbish or the train sets I bought.

I spent $5182.82 just in HO stuff, $1286.83 on Tyco stuff alone. How does anybody, in their right mind spend that much on Tyco stuff? I suspect I'll lose my ass on this HO stuff, but at least, I hope, they find a good home. I'd really hate, you know I don't like to use the word hate, but I'd hate to see them neglected in boxes for eternity. They were meant to be played with.

Not to mention the x-large box and train sets in N scale stuff I have!

I don't know what I was thinking/smoking... "you shouldn't have smoked that last..." Worst part is, I gave up all that years ago, except for once a year, maybe. I don't even drink much more than a dozen drinks a year or use any kind of pain medication!!!

Bottom line; I don't have any excuses!!! I was an out of control toy train junkie!
 
[QUOTE="Bruette, post: 482245, member: 4773"
Happy Memorial Day? Don't quite sound right.
[/QUOTE]

It doesn't. but that never stopped anyone from saying that either. It's not a day to honor veterans, or first responders, or whom ever the current heros are. It is not "the unofficial First Day of Summer", as we so often hear on local media.

Memorial Day is to honor our War Dead. Origionally it was called Decoration Day, to decorate the graves of Northern Soldiers killed during the War between the states. (Which is why there is a separate Confederate Memorial Day). Over time, the honor was expanded to include honoring those who gave their lives in all the wars that followed. Veterans are honored on November 11.

Memorial Day is a Day of Remembrance, and a Day of Gratitude for the Sacrifice made by our War Dead. It's a day to fly the flag, pause and remember.
 
Joe - Your comments yesterday regarding the BENNY's and the local beaches reminds me of an article that I just read regarding winter renters in the Hampton's. Since the governor of NY said that you can't evict them and they don't have to pay rent, they aren't leaving. They're basically squatting. It's causing a major loss of income to the owners who would be traditionally be jacking up the rent and renting their homes to summer vacationers.
Willie: 1. Nice progress on the Oil Depot. Earl was quite a modeler.Wish I had his skill and eye for detail.
2. When this situation first started, the local politicians in the Hamptons attempted to prevent the owners of some of these large estates from coming out and sequestering themselves at their summer property, using the logic that they were not full time residents. That did not go over well, and the Judge that over ruled the town governing bodies, reminded the town, that although the owners only occupied the homes during certain times of the year, they paid taxes to the towns full time, like everyone else in town did.....

They weren't kidding when they said that this would permanently change our lives. This epidemic is bringing out the ugly in some people, that their normal facade used to hide. :rolleyes:

Meanwhile, the BENNYs and others who put down their deposits for their summer rentals, are requesting refunds, because much of what they come for will either be restricted to first come - first served up to a limit, or may not be available at all. This will end up in litigation as the owners and their agents want to enforce the rental agreements, while the renters cite breach of contract...stay tuned! o_O

Guy: Good luck with the tractor...may surprise you. ;) Your wife was wise to hedge her bet with the tomatoes. It appears, ours made it through last weekends cold snap, and are now enjoying the gentle spring rain. Small tomatoes are appearing. :)

Louis: So what's wrong with being a out of control train junkie? Speaking of selling, it's becoming more apparent that some of my stuff has no place on the railroad I'm building, and since I still buy stuff that fits, I'm running out of storage space. i many go from eing a perpetual uyer, to a buyer and a seller, once I finish discovering lost treasures.

Had to laugh at a fellow who posted on the passenger car list overnight. he was in his LHS, and saw some of Rapido's beautiful new CN Dining Cars on display. Rapido always offers the Canadian cars in other (US) roads to broaden the market appeal. He likes the one done in NP. It was sad that this man was asking if it woule be appropriate, and prototypical to buy the NP car...Time to get real, if you like it, buy it, if you don't like it, don't get it. Of course it's not a NP car, it's a freakin Canadian national Diner, eh? Buy it. Who cares what anyone else thinks.

FWIW, I believe they did these in PRR and B&O too. I am tempted, but there is also a New Haven Diner that would be more appropriate...talk about out of control passenger car junkies? :rolleyes:

Have a great weekend, and stay well and safe!
 
My father would take me down to the refinery in Waterloo to ride in the cab while the crews switched the cars around. Sure wish he owned a camera back then. Spent the first ten years of my life listening to the whistle of this locomotive...lived about 600 feet from the refinery.
1590247427421.png
 
Status
Not open for further replies.



Back
Top