Running Bear's March 2022 Coffee Shop

[McLeod]

Good evening!

What is your kwh rate?

Chad - Those bills are always hard for me to make sense out of. It says we are averaging around .16cents/kwh. It's all those other charges that make for the big bill; distribution, transmission, local access, quarterly transmission, and etc, etc, etc.. I think they figured out I'm building a train room and are charging me for the light that's in the layout Ace hardware store I built.

Guy, if the Grow Lights are being used I can understand

TLOC - The grow lights were newly installed during the wife's last months project, and are LED, so they are not at fault this early. - I intend to phone the utility, try to get past the robot, and find some answers with a real human being. I already know I'll be on the phone listening to elevator music for most of Monday morning.

I was bad today. Spent most of the day playing in the stock market, and didn't get much work done in the basement. The wife did notice when she got home from work, but, I'm bigger than her. - No worries; she has a friend that's bigger than me.

I'm collecting photos of buildings I like, for the sake of future layout hopes. Here's a building I like and could probably manage in a scratch-build. It's Canmore, Alberta. I note the foundation is constructed with logs:

Have a good one!

 

[CambriaArea51]

Good morning....Coffee Flo, I have to go into work for a couple of hours then the train room for the rest of the day. 25 and breezy hopefully this is the last of the snow.

 

[OBTC 1909]

Good morning all! 15 degrees now and heading for sunny and 28. Nothing much to report here. Hope you all have a great day!

 

[Jaz avalley]

Good evening.
The hospital has after several attempts, succeeded in getting my wife's blood pressure down, and getting it to stay down.'They have released her to a regular room.

So glad to hear this, thoughts are with You both.

 

[logandsawman]

Good morning, I will have just coffee for now, Flo. Be back later for breakfast.

Surprised how many changed icons! Something I planned yesterday and BOOM Jaz went from gas mask to tiger, Ken O to locomotive, a couple others different (already forgot and not going back and looking).

I changed mine to a more recent photo.

Tom WI - I was off grid from 1980 to 1984, however lived entirely without electricity. Pumped water by hand, kerosene lights, all hand tools used in constructing my cabin. That was up near Warroad MN, a town called Roosevelt.

Troy - Chicken and dumplings is my favorite dish. I like the fluffy Bisquick dumplings.

McLeod - that building would look great on a layout!

Willie - we are going through lots of wood, however I will make it through with what is piled. I only run the wood during the weekends when I am home.

I generally leave for work at 5:50 AM and get home at 5 PM. Not going to mess with the fire after that.


Jaz - I may be overstating my muscle loss, it is disappointing all the same. We have added more red meat since the doctor told my wife her iron was low and we should be eating more of it. Otherwise, mostly chicken around here.



Here is the prototype for my Atlas tank:

Maybe you can pick out this spot on my Wyoming module, the Crex building had to be grossly reduced, however the tank is pretty standard. Wonder if the roof rotted off, looks like they through a piece of plywood up there.

Funny, on three occasions I have had to go back and watch my old videos to see how I did stuff.
Here is my work for the day, connect the track up in the red circle, also hydrocal the ground area. The green circle is the Atlas water tank I have had half done for 6 months. I worked on it for an hour last evening and got it pretty much done. The mechanism they have for the spout is pretty clever, can actually operate. Will be painting it black and then a brown wash, I think. The top is not going to be placed, in the prototype photo there was no roof on it!

Thats all for now, not sure If I will make it back until Monday??? I get pretty engrossed when in the middle of the project.

Have Fun, Dave LASM

 

[Boris]

So, question for the guru's. Yesterday I happened to be down at Libby Station killing some time. Loaded grainer came by. 2 head end power with about a mile train ... usually. This time however, there were 3 power in the middle and another mile-ish train coupled to it. Had 2 rear power also. All power was running and not idling. Makes that train about 2 miles in length. I think that Troy and Crossport are the only 2 sidings that are long enough to hold it for oncoming meets of another 2 miler or crew change before Long Bridge in Sandpoint. After Long Bridge we have double track until after Spokane. This another way to reduce crew size or is/was there crew on one ( or more ) of the power not up front?

That's one two man crew handling all of that. Consider one two person crew is handling the equivalent of two or two and one half trains. Nothing to it as long as nothing goes wrong...Yet that's not enough for the Investors...

 

[Boris]

Good evening!


Chad - Those bills are always hard for me to make sense out of. It says we are averaging around .16cents/kwh. It's all those other charges that make for the big bill; distribution, transmission, local access, quarterly transmission, and etc, etc, etc.. I think they figured out I'm building a train room and are charging me for the light that's in the layout Ace hardware store I built.

TLOC - The grow lights were newly installed during the wife's last months project, and are LED, so they are not at fault this early. - I intend to phone the utility, try to get past the robot, and find some answers with a real human being. I already know I'll be on the phone listening to elevator music for most of Monday morning.

I was bad today. Spent most of the day playing in the stock market, and didn't get much work done in the basement. The wife did notice when she got home from work, but, I'm bigger than her. - No worries; she has a friend that's bigger than me.

I'm collecting photos of buildings I like, for the sake of future layout hopes. Here's a building I like and could probably manage in a scratch-build. It's Canmore, Alberta. I note the foundation is constructed with logs:
View attachment 142562
Have a good one!

That's a motley group

 

[moermusic]

Took the wife out to Pizza King tonight.

Now she's upstairs making Chicken and Dumplings, and Potatoe Soup.

I've been 3D Printing a Sassanid Army for the Dark Ages game.

And editing an audiobook. The narrator uploaded the "completed files" - I listen and check word by word to all of the chapters.

Decided to rewrite the big fight scene in the middle of the book. Written, it was decent, but hearing it spoken I saw a lot of missed opportunities to drive the emotion of the event. She'll re-record it this weekend.

Patato or pot-a-toe soup. think I like the first version. can't even spell potato properly

 

[moermusic]

couple of bridges I frequently go by

 

[troyphoto]

Patato or pot-a-toe soup. think I like the first version. can't even spell potato properly

We're from Indiana... remember Dan Quayle?

 

[Boris]

Good morning. It's Saturday, cloudy and raining right now the temperature is 46°, coming off a high of 47° at Midnight. Prediction calls for the temperature to drop to 19° by tonight, with the precipitation changing over from rain to sleet to snow as the day progresses.

Nothing noteworthy to report, other than I ordered a Scale Trains PRR 30 last night...due on Halloween, this year.

This is the aftermath of a solar panel fire on March 9th, in Concordville PA, along US 202, Concord Pike between US1 and the Delaware State Line.
This was a gas station / convenience store / car wash. Becoming more of a problem as we go more into Solar.

 

[TLOC]

Good morning. So Central Wisconsin is warming up.

Not much has changed since the last check in. Though it is good to read positive news on Terry’s wife.

TomO

 

[Sirfoldalot]

Good Morning from the West! Temp is 41F, sky is clear, wind is calm, and heading for 76F today. It must be Spring - Wally World had the swim suits out in full display yesterday and several nice looking younger maidens were "thumbing" through the racks - it was all I could do to refrain from helping out?

Goodness there is much to talk about here! Driverless autos, driverless trains, wow, why don't we throw in a few driverless planes as well. When the Boeing 727 came out in the 60's, they were equipped with "autoland" - a far cry from your first impression!
The company insisted that it be used on low visibility approaches - I wonder how many passengers swore off flying after riding through one of those? It was basically a controlled crash; imagine the roughest Navy carrier landing that you have seen - and then apply it to the present. I would let the autoflight system make the approach (provided it behaved) down to 100 feet at which time I shut off everything and manually landed the plane old fashion like. I saw no reason in scaring the inhabitants with the gyrations, tail striking flare, slam on braking, and whatnots!
I never did try and make the first turnout off the runway - I got 6-8 thousand feet in front of me - let the aircraft decelerate on it's own; besides we were getting paid by the hour, so a minute here and a minute there helped the bottom line, plus saved wear and tear on the plane itself.
The problem I see with all this "automation" is that most humans are lazy and they, over time, lose the edge to be able to correct a bad situation - or overlook minor, killer, discrepancies.

Well, I have yakked enough. I have a beautiful model photo of a SD38-2 of which the FRISCO had 2 pair - 296/297 and 298/299. Both sets never left their respective hump yard duties in Tulsa and Memphis. It is rumored that Scale Trains may put these 4 units in their lineup. Anyway, here is the photo courtesy of MATT FISHER with his note:
"The Kato model was custom built and painted by John Bezuyen"

 

[D&J RailRoad]

So, I would suppose that civilian airliners don't have a tailhook, right Sherrel?

 

[Sirfoldalot]

So, I would suppose that civilian airliners don't have a tailhook, right Sherrel?

Not hardly (thanks for small favors), however most have a built in tail skid

 

[Sirfoldalot]

So, I would suppose that civilian airliners don't have a tailhook, right Sherrel?

Some pilots seem to think that they do and land accordingly!

 

[santafewillie]

A late Good Morning to All. Clear, sunny and 26°. Yesterday's high was just 37° but today we're expecting 57°. The low tonight is expected to be 33° and then it looks like the real spring will be here for good.

Late start today because my wife and I both went out with the granddogs for a walk this morning and they stretched things a bit. We both had to rest up afterward.
Time for me to start planting the garden TODAY. I am off to a late (for me) start this year, due to being sick and an ill-timed major thunderstorm about 12 days ago. The moon is right for planting above-ground crops today and a couple to follow. I have cabbage and lettuce plants as well as lettuce and spinach seed. I was unable to locate any broccoli plants at Walmart Thursday, but we are going to our normal local seed & feed store Monday. They both get their plants from the same nursery, as do Lowe's and Home Depot. While there I will pick up bulk green bean seed and packets of other smaller run items. Those won't actually be planted for another 2 1/2 weeks along with tomatoes and peppers. I will also plant onions today as I bought 75-85 plants. For those paying attention, please note that onions are NOT a root crop, but a swollen stem with the root attached to the bottom.

Thanks for the many likes and comments on the "Super Fleet" train yesterday; Steve J, Patrick, George, Smudge, Karl, Joe, Sherrel, Troy, Dave B, Moermusic, Hughie, Chad, Louis, Curt, Tom, Tom O, Justin, OB Ken, IB Ken, Rick, Guy, Gary.

Too cold in the train shed yesterday for anything besides running trains. Switched power on the intermodal train and ran the other two engines for a while. No pictures of it. As a matter of fact, no pictures today as I need to head for the garden since I am behind already. Stay tuned tomorrow. By the way, the new garden is just 35' from the train shed; the old one was 125'. Convenient huh?

Sherrel - How's Kate and her mother doing?
Dave B - One of my neighbors drove a tanker truck for frackers for a while. Made great money.He worked 14 days straight and then had 14 days off.
Regarding the fire in the wood-burning heater - After I initially taught her 41 years ago, my wife got adept at starting a fire if I wasn't home from work when she was ready. She still does a good job, having started a couple last month after she regained her mobility.
Greg - Honestly I have only weathered two of my more than 80 locomotives. I wasn't happy with them and that whole project is on hiatus until I get more scenery done...and infrastructure, painting, structure building, figure painting, tree making, etc.
Louis - An idle mind is the devil's workshop.
Supper last night here was crab cakes, Brussels Sprouts and blackberries.

Everyone have a great day. Don't forget to set the clocks to a different time tonight. Or do like me and just wait and look in the lower right of your computer screen tomorrow to see which way to set them.

 

[kbkchooch]

Good day gang!
24 hrs ago, it was 68° and sunny, now its 30 and has been snowing since 7 a.m.
The dogs love it!

This was Bailey at 10 a.m. At 11:45 its probably doubled the amount of snow since then. About 5 inches right now.
Desi the cat is happy, his Vet appointment was cancelled.

Terry, good to hear they have gotten Marie's blood pressure under control. We'll keep the prayers coming.

I don't understand all the hub bub about driverless cars. We've had brainless drivers the whole time, what's the difference?

Sherril. I don't know about tail hooks, but my last flight out of Orlando must have been piloted by Buck Rogers. Gloomy skies, Hurricane approaching, in fact we were the last flight out before the airport closed. The pilot seemed to take the entire length of the runway to build max speed, then he put the plane on its tail, we were only a few degrees shy of vertical as we disappeared in the mist and clouds. A short time later we punched out of the clouds into bright sunshine and leveled off . Beneath us was a huge swirl of storm clouds, shaped like the worlds largest cinnamon bun!! What a ride!

Boris, that Solar panel fire looks awful, Did they ever say the cause?

Willie, those Dash 9s look great, but too new for my blood!

This is more my style!

Or this

Or even this.

Lunch bell just rang!

BBL

 

[Sirfoldalot]

This is more my style!

KARL - You and I are cut from the same bolt of cloth!

Beneath us was a huge swirl of storm clouds, shaped like the worlds largest cinnamon bun!!

You just rattled my recall function! Coming back from Europe one afternoon, there was a hurricane just off the coast of Long Island. We were descending into JFK and went right over the top of it at 20,000 feet. We could see right down into the "eye" and the walls were very sharp and clear - a most beautiful sight! Oh, what I wish for having my camera along that trip. What I noticed above all was how the sky was so sharp, clear, and blue except where the large swirl of hurricane was - amazing!

 

[Sirfoldalot]

WILLIE - Thanks for asking ... Kate is doing fine (just as beautiful as ever), but her Mom is just getting more weak and frail with each passing day. She has wandered into the stage where she only will eat a couple bites of food and nearly has to be forced to drink any liquid. She seems to have mostly recovered from the fall and really has not complained of anything hurting.
Kate and her sister, Irene, are supposed to leave on their Tahiti - Bora-Bora cruise (flying one way) in 3 weeks - two years behind schedule. I could be wrong, but I just don't see how her Mom will last until they return. However, I have been proven wrong before!