Running Bear's March 2021 Coffee Shop

[kbkchooch]

Good evening gang!

Today was a good day. Spent a few hours with my oldest son, teaching him the finer points of soldering and just generally hanging out. Still didn't fix his controller for lack of a solder sucker. Each pot we were trying to remove had 8 solder point to the board and we had no way to remove the solder cleanly. A desoldering braid was useless, so wanting one for awhile, I sprung for a trigger action suction apparatus (ebay) for removing solder, so we shelved his project for awhile.

After he left I went to get the 1st of my Covid vaccination shots (Moderna). Then I pulled 2 of my recent brass acquisitions, Both PFM Western Maryland 2-8-0s out of the display case. Both were listed as complete, not running. 1 needs the left valve linkage support resoldered and a new driveshaft, the other a new driveshaft. A quick solder job and 2 silicone tubing driveshafts and now there are 2 running brass locos, waiting for decoders and paint.

Alan, that coach looks awesome

Tom, that weathering is spot on!

Jaz, "tanks" for sharing!

Pots are easily replaced.

The hard part is finding the right one.

Cya all in the morning, when I have a garage to start cleaning out.

 

[IronBeltKen]

I've got a few hours of interruption=free time available this afternoon to setup the airbrush and apply the coat of "fade" weathering on my project F7 shell. Hopefully I won't screw it up...

Well, I wish I could say "mission successful", but it was not: I wound up applying too many coats of fading. It looked fine before it was fully cured, but when I went back to look at it a few hours later, it was a lot more pale - too pale!

The only way to fix this is to completely strip the shell, repaint it, and re-decal it. Guess that's what I'll be doing over the next month.☹

 

[Jaz avalley]

Well, I wish I could say "mission successful", but it was not: I wound up applying too many coats of fading. It looked fine before it was fully cured, but when I went back to look at it a few hours later, it was a lot more pale - too pale!

The only way to fix this is to completely strip the shell, repaint it, and re-decal it. Guess that's what I'll be doing over the next month.☹

Hang on hang on before you dip and strip!
You only need to find ONE prototype for it to be okay....unless you just hate the colour.....but if there is just a single prototype then you are good, I have seen posts UK and US. Previously where a train has a full load of wagons and the odd one look totally out of place, I do a lot of research for my weathered wagons, and the Uk has a brilliant site for real wagons, and you click through them, almost the same,almost the same,almost the same, WTF moment,almost the same etc etc. I and other modellers have wanted to do the odd one out because it is the odd one out,do a quick web search I do not know the wagon type so cannot do it for you, then in the search try faded or similar and see if you find a matching picture,download the picture because I have slogged to get stuff to look like the real thing then the link dissapears and the proof is gone...while the link holds I will never play with their copyright but that link goes and all proof of that picture I refer to my saved which nowadays I add the name of the person who posted it and print that. When using their photo keeps my conscience clear but I can prove why my item looks totally weird!
Also some clear Matt top coats used to protect paint work (‘graffiti for instance) have a habit of darkening you may find a quick fix if it bugs you without losing all the other work. I have seen people talk about this but never paid a lot of attention as I have so far been happy with any minor issues

these were one of my attempts I found on the wagon site, I was like hell yes and did a couple put it up on one of my UK forums and a couple of snotty oiks were like,”THAT is all wrong they do not weather anything like that.” which as it turns out is almost true BUT I could link to the photograph in what is seen as the holy grail of UK prototype photos and say,Hell yes it is and here is Bartlett’s proof, I was SO smug, and despite the fact that there are an oddity I leave them there just in case someone else gets snotty and wants a bun fight they can’t win. Bolshy? Moi? That site is a wonderful resource but so up itself it needs the stick surgically removed....grins.....
When I am wrong I’ll hold my hands up and surrender and apologise, but if someone comes gunning for me and I am right.....I can group an inch at a 100 yards LMAO. Someone pointing out an error will be gratefully received so I can correct it before I look a fool to others though. I now look at my own photos to check what I think is the worst model shout-out and try and fix it....that is why I got into modelling the scenery and weathering the rolling stock...why why I just couldn’t be happy lol.
As for the wagons the assumption is they carried something that stained them and probably after cleaning never looked like that again. all I can say to that is....

was my first ever weathering attempt, the wagon is a joke, nothing like it exists in reality, my weathering took a steep learning curve afterwards,but I tried and improved and we all start somewhere.

and yes really I used nail varnish on my model, it gave a good wet look lol

this one often sits on Goathland it reminds me to stay grounded . (I really must weather that track lol)

oh and all your talk about breakfasts yesterday day I had toast,fried egg and yummy yummy bacon plus some fried mushrooms.....my eyes almost rolled out of my head....2 slices of bacon = 155 calories I must do this more often I suspect a bacon omelette for lunch today with a mushroom or two and a side salad.....I can hear the chickens screaming already, “‘egg thief......EGG THIEF!!!!” Most of them go in the incubator!

 

[CambriaArea51]

Good morning....Coffee Flo, please.
Thanks for the likes on the hopper car, it was a bargain I couldn't pass and was begging to be weathered.

 

[CambriaArea51]

Well, I wish I could say "mission successful", but it was not: I wound up applying too many coats of fading. It looked fine before it was fully cured, but when I went back to look at it a few hours later, it was a lot more pale - too pale!

The only way to fix this is to completely strip the shell, repaint it, and re-decal it. Guess that's what I'll be doing over the next month.☹

Ken- Maybe try dull coat with a drop or less of white, or if you can find dust which would be about the same. That's how I faded this AGP green covered hopper.This is before. http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH89472

 

[santafewillie]

Good Morning All. Cloudy and a bit cooler this morning at 56°. It's also a lot darker this morning. Back porch is wet so there must have been some rain overnight. Can't see anything in the rain gauge though. Happy Pi Day, everyone (3.14). And it's an hour later this morning thanks to that annual ritual called Daylight Savings. And just to top it all off, last night was the New Moon.
I'll be taking my wife to the airport later this morning for her flight to Harlingen TX to meet up with my daughter for the trip/vacation in South Padre Island. Harlingen is the closest airport that Southwest can fly into, about 45 miles away. I think that I pick her back up on Friday.

I'll take Eggs Benedict this morning Flo. Have Mel use Taylor Ham instead of Canadian Bacon.

Lots of thanks to those who liked my photos yesterday; Hughie, Ken, Justin, Tom O, Tom, Karl, Alan, Rick, Sherrel, Chad, Gary.

Out in the train shed yesterday, I actually spent more time running trains that modeling. I am much further along on the ballasting project. I did four more switches and completed the main and passing siding except a few switches. I have about 18" of industrial trackage left and I might start adding the road leading to the grade crossing. I am crossing my fingers regarding the industrial track since I am nearly out of that shade of ballast. I won't be going to the LHS until next Friday when I return to the airport...they are not open on Sunday. I already have an extensive shopping list before adding the ballast
Fumbling about, I picked my next workbench project to do after a bit more weathering before I put that stuff away.

Tommy's Tree House is an older Woodland Scenics soft white metal kit. Lots of filing and fitting. Here's what the main parts look like.

This will keep me busy for a while.

Tom - Great work as usual on weathering the covered hopper.
Jaz -

The UK lot are far less entertaining

I don't know. I have seen some rather vigorous floor debates in the House of Commons that were quite amusing to me. And the various accents just make it seem even more fun!
Ken - Bummer about the F7.

Everyone have a great day

 

[Espeefan]

Then I pulled 2 of my recent brass acquisitions, Both PFM Western Maryland 2-8-0s out of the display case. Both were listed as complete, not running. 1 needs the left valve linkage support resoldered and a new driveshaft, the other a new driveshaft. A quick solder job and 2 silicone tubing driveshafts and now there are 2 running brass locos, waiting for decoders and paint.

This is why I love fooling around with vintage brass. I've bought several pieces for next to nothing because of minor issues like these. Rotted tubing, congealed grease in the gearboxes, very simple things that cost nothing but a little screwdriver time to fix. Once the cause of the "no running" issue was a tender truck that had gotten turned around causing a dead short. Flip it back around, instant runner! PFM did such nice models too. Their detail level is excellent and they can be handled without breaking things. Beware of late PFM manufactured in Korea before the Koreans learned how to solder. Those models have a tendency to try and re-kit themselves.

 

[santafewillie]

Ken : its not any better here. As of Monday I become eligible , but It doesn't really matter because nobody has any vaccine appointments available.

There's more going on than beats the eye , the little grocer downtown got over a 1000 doses , The big chain grocer across the street only got 600 for 2 stores (200 here and 400 in the next town which is larger ). Go figure.

As far as I know , none of the primary care locations are going get any, Its all going to Pharmacies/ Grocery stores. They want to keep the Covid stuff away from the primary care.

So if you want a shot you have to go either to one of the mass indoctrination centers , swear an oath, take down your pants ,touch your ankles, spread your cheeks and sing the Star Spangled Banner , or..... the local pharmacy. I am going for the pharmacy cuz I can't touch my ankles anymore.

GT - What the heck is going on in your part of Texas. Vaccine rollout has gone really well here in Denton and Cooke Counties. The mass drive-through immunization sites like the Texas Motor Speedway are really working. My daughters in Dallas have reported that the site at the State Fairgrounds is also going well. One of them is a volunteer there and got a leftover vaccine, the other is a health care individual. The county health departments here are handling all appointments and very little vaccine is going to clinics or doctors. We registered a bit over three weeks before we got an appointment slot. We were actually expecting a longer wait than that! Almost every church (and the health department as well) has a program for disadvantaged citizens without Internet to register there and they also are coordinating rides back and forth.
As far as the mass vaccination clinics, the paperwork is no different than that required at pharmacies etc. When we were given the appointments, we were send a QR code to show at the vaccination site, you could either print it out or show it on your phone. You had to present a picture ID and answer some Covid related questions and that was it. There's a mandatory 15 minute wait afterwards to ensure that there are no side effects. At TMS, we actually spent just 26 minutes from in the gate to out the gate. There were absolutely no hassles for either the first or second shots. TMS has been vaccinating 1000 people an hour, at 7000-10,000 doses a day, depending on vaccine availability. This is not every day however.

Its easy to make people eligible for doses you don't have.

Eligibility means nothing unless the person registers. The County Health Department knows how many doses they will get each week and that's how many people that they schedule at the mass vaccine sites. The key is to register and wait. At least that's how things are working in North Central Texas. However they only gave two days notice for your appointment time. Pharmacies and clinics are hit or miss. I do not know what is going on in the Austin area since I don't live near there. I know that my brother in law in San Antonio had a difficult time there, but he also was very late in registering after his bracket (over 65) became eligible. I think that he finally got the J&J vaccine in a back alley somewhere. Actually at his own doctor's office.
This is one of the very few times that I have seen bureaucracy working well around here. Be patient.

 

[2Tracks]

Good Morning All! Welcome to 5:43, err 6:43,...7:43? Whatever!! Leave it alone!
Raisin Muffins & some oj please Flo...Thanks
HAVE A GREAT DAY!

 

[GarryCBQ]

Good morning ........

Thanks to each of you for your very kind comments following my post about my congestive heart failure bothering me. The cardiologist is working with me to normalize the situation. Several days ago, he took me off of Lasix and put me on Bumex. Both are to control excess fluids. In addition to CHF, test results show kidneys are deteriorating, and so I am dealing with that too. Over the past week, i Have been sleeping most of the time, and I have no energy. In February, I gained 12.5 pounds (mostly water). In March so far, I have lost 15 pounds. The Bumex evidently is working.

Chet .... Congrats on the grand child.

Willie ....... I have the WS treehouse in my farm scene. It was fun to put together, and it is fun showing it to visitors.

Everybody .... I've seen most of your posts. Keep up the good work.

I hope to get back here again in a few days. Now, I'm going back to sleep.

 

[CambriaArea51]

Garry- Hope you improve and get better.

 

[Boris]

Good morning, Happy Sunday!

Concerning Covid immunizations, I really feel blessed in that I happened to read my e-mail when I did, and followed the link that we used to register for Moderna shots last month. Otherwise, we would still be waiting. We get weekly notices, both from the state, and county Health Departments telling us we will be notified when my our turn comes up...meanwhile more groups are added to the pool, and more locations are offering versions of the vaccine, with NO Appointments available, no matter what time you try and register. Personally, I feel that government has totally mishandled the vaccine distribution here in Jersey.

Concerning the Stimulus payment(s), I have no problem with accepting them. (I haven't received the latest yet). As someone, who has and continues to pay, a disproportionate amount of my income to government, in taxes and fees, I consider these tax free payments a return of my investment in the greater good. . I will just set this money aside, to cover the anticipated property tax increases needed to make up for the redirection of state assistance to communities that need it more than we do. That's not a political statement,either. It's just the way it is here in Jersey.

I received my own "Lokprogramer", and downloaded the software to my other laptop. Now, I have to come up with a place for the computer, adjacent to the layout. Speaking of layout, i have not spent much time there recently. Other priorities.

Garry: Just caught your post...Good to hear from you. I am praying for you, get well. Best wishes.

Overview of 91 Bay, (Enginehouse), and the Westbound Transfer, Oak Island Yard, Newark, NJ. Beyond the engine service area, is the D&H (CP Rail), intermodal facility, the RS41 (set aside for disposition) tracks and the Receiving Yard. In the distance to the left one can see the cranes at Port Newark, and the bridges carring HWY US 1 & 9, and to the right, the Control Tower at Newark Airport.

Close-up of the turntable at 91 Bay, Oak island Yard, Newark, NJ.

 

[Greg@mnrr]

Very nice. if you want to take them a step further try a little chalk over them after painting. Also, check out this short video on painting castings.

Great video and very helpful method to age drums and other debris found on the right-of-way of a railroad or a highway.

Thanks for sharing.

Greg

 

[Greg@mnrr]

Concerning the Stimulus payment(s), I have no problem with accepting them.

Considering how much foreign aid is given to other countries, keep the checks coming my way.

 

[Jaz avalley]

Considering how much foreign aid is given to other countries, keep the checks coming my way.

Foreign aid....have you noticed how many countries who get foreign aid from US and UK have nuclear power, space flight WTF, if they spend their money helping their people and cannot cope okay throw me a justification,but if our cash gives them space flight and nuclear power then I think it madness. plus we know loads of money has to be spent as bribes or buys guns for a tiny tiny fraction of people to supposedly get aid...makes me spit blood...especially as there are people out there who could be given genuinely and not just feed them but help them rebuild, bleeding hearts need to consider money is tight spend it in countries where the money is used appropriately or do not give it...I bet they would clean up their act. We are just too soft. No wonder we have illegal immigrants they know the situations in their home countries won’t improve and whilst we carry on it leaves it open to corruption, it is much cheaper to help them in their own country BuT only if that money goes for its intended use and does noes not prop up criminality,

 

[TLOC]

Good afternoon from So Central Wiscon sin where it is a cloudy 50f degrees and the breeze is gusting from 16 to 35mph.

I don’t think talking ok writing about the vaccine and the good or bad administration of the shots is political. I know my shot got moved 3 times from 2/16 to 4/1. Then Monday the UW Health emailed saying they now had a significant new amounts, so I was able to get my 1st shot. The 2nd shot now is 4/1. Manufacturing and distribution of the vaccines is finally getting rolling and distribution is being handled differently then before.

We haven’t qualified for any of the stimulus money. I am fortunate but what slays me is reading on other forums and FB sales group the need money to pay the bills sales of model railroading stuff. Then a week later the same guys telling the world they pre-ordered stuff or got a stimulus and purchased a locomotive. I have a property management company with many apartments and duplex’s. We finished 2020 for the first time with a loss since 1992. 43% of our renters were behind at least 3 months and now lots for 12 months. None of the behind people have used their stimulus to make any kind of payment on past due rent. We did give those with us a year or month and on time payments free rent for November and December of 2020. We did get sued by 12 tenants because they just abandoned the apartments in 4/2020 and we did not give back the security deposits. The courts in. Wisconsin tossed those cases. We had to appear in Iowa and Minnesota and won those. We lost a case in Illinois because even though we have the email receipt the defendant said they never got a notice. All college towns. We have no past due rents in Texas.

This is a picture of open wire coils on a flat. I am thinking maybe someday. Uncredited and that is my fault, I believe this is from a FaceBook group of freigh loads.

TomO

 

[Texas Hobo]

Good Afternoon all! Overcast with threatening rain. Just ran some trains for a couple of hours. I did get a bag of Sculptamold the other day, so I hope to try it out in a few places. I've never used it.

STAY SAFE

LATER

 

[troyphoto]

Good Afternoon all! Overcast with threatening rain. Just ran some trains for a couple of hours. I did get a bag of Sculptamold the other day, so I hope to try it out in a few places. I've never used it.

STAY SAFE

LATER

Mix small batches. It dries quickly. But, you can add more water if your batch is too big. takes a bit to dial in the amount and consistency.

 

[GeeTee]

Well, I wish I could say "mission successful", but it was not: I wound up applying too many coats of fading. It looked fine before it was fully cured, but when I went back to look at it a few hours later, it was a lot more pale - too pale!

The only way to fix this is to completely strip the shell, repaint it, and re-decal it. Guess that's what I'll be doing over the next month.☹

The best way I have seen it done, is to spray the base coat on , then mix up a lighter shade of the base by adding the flat white to the base and shoot it from a high angle to give the appearance of sun fading( the top and nose hood would be more faded than the sides ) , and then adding the decal . You might want to try painting the flat white fade on the decal and cut it as close as possible and apply . Then just a light fading on the model to tie it all together.

Something to consider it you have oodles of time .

 

[CambriaArea51]

New project and it's not an easy one. The difficult part is how many different variations these car had with their decals. The "Family Lines System" first or last, some of the patch outs cut off the "F" in family. Then there's the different size of the numbers and letters in CSXT. Some are tan patch out some are black with white lettering. After a hour or two at looking at cars I went with what seemed to be the most common. An Accurail CP car got tan paint and some decals today.