Running Bear’s October 2020 Coffee Shop


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A late Good Morning Everyone. Mostly cloudy and 68° here in North Central Texas. The norther hit around 0400 this morning but hasn't had much effect yet, other than to drop the temperature from 80° at midnight. Yesterday was quite warm at 95°, today will be only 78° later. Still no rain in sight. Our winter this year should be warmer and drier than average as the La Niña system over the Pacific Ocean comes into play.
Extra chore yesterday, when wife opened the front door, which we don't often use, and the deadbolt and latch would not line up after closing. Ground is so dry that some piers underneath the house have shifted. So out comes the 20 ton bottle jack and under the house Willie goes. Entryway is recessed a bit, thus the need to go underneath. Up it eventually went and an additional 3/16" steel shim later, all is good. Lower back is talking to me this morning as it is a little awkward operating that jack while laying down and twisted into position. It's not the first time and it won't be the last time that I do this, but the most recent adjustment lasted over three years.

How about a couple of breakfast tacos this morning Francine. Sausage, egg, potato and cheese will do. Salsa and OJ to go with them

Thanks everyone for the reactions and comments regarding my next build; Joe, Sherrel, Tom O, Garry, Chad, Karl, Jerome, Guy, Curt, Tom, Ken, Patrick.

Out in the train shed, I installed most of the Insta-Fence around D's Diner.
10-12-20 004.JPG

I still have a small gap in the corner that I need to measure and fill in. The base of the diner is still slightly bowed and I will glue it down after I thread the wires from the interior light through the base and the plywood deck. I have held off in order to remove it while I work on the surrounding scenery.
Over on the workbench, I assembled the four walls on Shultz's Garage. It is a simple kit to assemble as most DPM kits are. I am currently looking through my selection of paints to see which one will work best and differentiate it from the other two.
10-12-20 008.JPG

Meanwhile I also did a small bit of painting on two of the four bicycles that go with the diner.
Then it was time to run trains before taking my wife out to Red Lobster in celebration of ten days without the cane!

If you get a chance, check out Jim 68cuda's thread on the Walther's Motor Hotel. In post #12, he uses some vinyl decals for RR crossing signs painted on the streets. I have been looking for something like that for years, just never googled the right word combination. Turns out that the maker of them is sort of in my own backyard, in a suburb of Houston. I ordered some from them yesterday and in less than 90 minutes I had a USPS tracking number, yes on Sunday. I'll report back after I get them and try them out.

Dave - I thought that you had retired? Sorry that I couldn't make it out for the ribs this weekend, they did look appetizing.
I have built one of the two Middlesex Mfg. kits that I have so far. I intend to kitbash the second and enlarge the original one, but that project is still on the horizon. As far as making the structure itself, it was time consuming but not too complicated. The large walls needed some patience to properly glue together, and I glued two and waited overnight before adding the third to it. Then waited another day for the fourth and fifth small walls on one end. There's also a lot of windows although they are on separate sprues and easier to paint. Cutting and gluing the separate pieces of acetate took some time. I'll either locate or take another picture later today.
Tom O - It sure is a drag that you cannot go on your annual vacation this year. It does sound like a whirlwind event. You most likely made the right decision though.
Guy - Why did you decide to go with the Just Plug lighting system? I know that Greg and Chet like theirs, but they haven't convinced me yet, except maybe the streetlamps.

My wife tells me that her Dallas Cowboys won a game yesterday. They now lead their division.
1602506311724.png

I don't follow sports any more, but it looks like a pretty pathetic division if you ask me! Wonder how they get .300 for the Eagles?

Everybody have a great Columbus Day. Stay safe and keep your distance.
 
Good morning from the online school of the 1st grader grandson. He is online doing a class while I sort of hang in the background out of the camera view. He is done at 9:40 and then we will go over his homework for the class. His next class is at 10. Because of the So. Central Wisconsin heavy morning rain recess at 11 is indoors. He is a much better student then his special needs 4th grader sister who loves school but really dislikes the online stuff. Terry the retired educator is working with her.

No trains till after 5 when the g/kids leave. We will order out and go pick it up. Because as crazy as it sounds we both will be exhausted from the online schooling and homework stuff. So enjoy your day, run some trains.

Willie the trip is done twice a year, usually in March and October. We are missing 2020 completely. We also are missing our maybe 2x a month overnighter trips. Driving let’s you see parts of the country many of us would ever visit. We dont mind driving, we are in no hurry. It’s been a tough year but thankfully no family member has been affected health wise. The son has flown up a few times since he purchased a plane at a Midland, Texas bankruptcy auction due to the oil turndown. I think that’s the word for collapse they are using. Paid about 10% of true value. Terry and I will not fly until there is a vaccine.
TomO
 
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santafewillie said:
My wife tells me that her Dallas Cowboys won a game yesterday. They now lead their division.
View attachment 118243
I don't follow sports any more, but it looks like a pretty pathetic division if you ask me! Wonder how they get .300 for the Eagles?

Everybody have a great Columbus Day. Stay safe and keep your distance.
Click to expand...

I don't follow sports much and could care less about the NFL, but I am betting that the tie is worth 1/2 a point so you get 1.5/5 = .300 on the Eagles.
Cowboys have 2 wins so that is 2/5 = .400

Columbus Day -- the day the banks are closed. (Interestingly the stock exchanges for equities are open but it is a non-settling day, so previous transactions that normally would have settled today don't settle until tomorrow).
 
Sherrel, if you look closely at the keyboard of your sleekbook, you will see other letters, numbers, and symbols under the regular letters. You access them by holding down the fn key while pushing those keys. Using the fn key, there is a full number pad on the right side of the keyboard.
 
santafewillie said:
Guy - Why did you decide to go with the Just Plug lighting system? I know that Greg and Chet like theirs, but they haven't convinced me yet, except maybe the streetlamps.
Click to expand...
Willie - The short answer is that it just looks simple.
Long answer: I thought the 'Just Plug' wooden pole street lights are very similar to the poles on the street when I was a kid in the 60's. So I planned on spending $100.00, and getting 9 of them. So, the street lights made my mind up for me. A couple of buildings will be the 'Just Plugs' because I bought some lights. But, I realize it's an expensive way to go. In the future, I'll just get 18-24VAC LED's from the electrical wholesaler to light building interiors, and switch it on a doorbell transformer.

Thanks for the question, Willie!
 
santafewillie said:
A late Good Morning Everyone. Mostly cloudy and 68° here in North Central Texas. The norther hit around 0400 this morning but hasn't had much effect yet, other than to drop the temperature from 80° at midnight. Yesterday was quite warm at 95°, today will be only 78° later. Still no rain in sight. Our winter this year should be warmer and drier than average as the La Niña system over the Pacific Ocean comes into play.
Extra chore yesterday, when wife opened the front door, which we don't often use, and the deadbolt and latch would not line up after closing. Ground is so dry that some piers underneath the house have shifted. So out comes the 20 ton bottle jack and under the house Willie goes. Entryway is recessed a bit, thus the need to go underneath. Up it eventually went and an additional 3/16" steel shim later, all is good. Lower back is talking to me this morning as it is a little awkward operating that jack while laying down and twisted into position. It's not the first time and it won't be the last time that I do this, but the most recent adjustment lasted over three years.

How about a couple of breakfast tacos this morning Francine. Sausage, egg, potato and cheese will do. Salsa and OJ to go with them

Thanks everyone for the reactions and comments regarding my next build; Joe, Sherrel, Tom O, Garry, Chad, Karl, Jerome, Guy, Curt, Tom, Ken, Patrick.

Out in the train shed, I installed most of the Insta-Fence around D's Diner.
View attachment 118249
I still have a small gap in the corner that I need to measure and fill in. The base of the diner is still slightly bowed and I will glue it down after I thread the wires from the interior light through the base and the plywood deck. I have held off in order to remove it while I work on the surrounding scenery.
Over on the workbench, I assembled the four walls on Shultz's Garage. It is a simple kit to assemble as most DPM kits are. I am currently looking through my selection of paints to see which one will work best and differentiate it from the other two.
View attachment 118250
Meanwhile I also did a small bit of painting on two of the four bicycles that go with the diner.
Then it was time to run trains before taking my wife out to Red Lobster in celebration of ten days without the cane!

If you get a chance, check out Jim 68cuda's thread on the Walther's Motor Hotel. In post #12, he uses some vinyl decals for RR crossing signs painted on the streets. I have been looking for something like that for years, just never googled the right word combination. Turns out that the maker of them is sort of in my own backyard, in a suburb of Houston. I ordered some from them yesterday and in less than 90 minutes I had a USPS tracking number, yes on Sunday. I'll report back after I get them and try them out.

Dave - I thought that you had retired? Sorry that I couldn't make it out for the ribs this weekend, they did look appetizing.
I have built one of the two Middlesex Mfg. kits that I have so far. I intend to kitbash the second and enlarge the original one, but that project is still on the horizon. As far as making the structure itself, it was time consuming but not too complicated. The large walls needed some patience to properly glue together, and I glued two and waited overnight before adding the third to it. Then waited another day for the fourth and fifth small walls on one end. There's also a lot of windows although they are on separate sprues and easier to paint. Cutting and gluing the separate pieces of acetate took some time. I'll either locate or take another picture later today.
Tom O - It sure is a drag that you cannot go on your annual vacation this year. It does sound like a whirlwind event. You most likely made the right decision though.
Guy - Why did you decide to go with the Just Plug lighting system? I know that Greg and Chet like theirs, but they haven't convinced me yet, except maybe the streetlamps.

My wife tells me that her Dallas Cowboys won a game yesterday. They now lead their division.
View attachment 118243
I don't follow sports any more, but it looks like a pretty pathetic division if you ask me! Wonder how they get .300 for the Eagles?

Everybody have a great Columbus Day. Stay safe and keep your distance.
Click to expand...
Willy, this spring should be the fourth and final time for retirement. Thanks for the info on the building.
 
I'm here. What's the lunch special? FLO? Midwest Tenderloin? one big enough I'd need half a loaf of bread to make a bun for it? Great, hold the mummified cucumbers, and add mustard.

Got foam glued down yesterday! But I drank most of the weight devices I was using to hold the risers down while the glue dried. Had to make a grocery run and restock. More foam gluing today. Should probably do that post to my still untitled thread

Standing in solidarity with Sherrel, its 65* and cloudy today in the fort. Supposed to get rain at some point. Right now it just has that midwestern "Maybe rain today... just waiting on enough people to leave without their umbrellas..." odor.
 
Afternoon All,

Started out with some chores today then worked on the ME bridge. I think it's ready other than adding the legs to it (which I found today) :) . I also figured out the 2 ends on the layout for mounting it. Of course before it's installed I need to do the back drop scenery around it (I learned that lesson on the last layout). I will continue working the area tomorrow. I figure once the bridge is in place the next step will be putting in the coaling trestle since it comes off the back side high track. After that is completing the right side incline down to the other layout loop around.

Joe- Good to see you making progress on your layout. Nice FA picture.

Guy- Interesting photo. Too bad they didn't have digital cameras back then!:D

I hope everyone has a good night.
 
Boris said:
Good morning y'all. Happy October. 58° and sunny going to 74° more or less.

View attachment 117900
Lansdale (PA) engine working on 9-30-1976...Note crossing protection watchman's tower still in use to the right. This photo was taken after Conrail took over the Reading.

View attachment 117901
Take another ride on the Reading...Philadelphia Bound MU coming in to Jenkintown. 9-30-1976. Off peak fare of $0.30, comes out of the $200 you get when you pass Go! At the time this photo was taken, this was actually a Conrail passenger train.

Curt: FWIW, The switch surfacing, (ballast), in the foreground is what I was trying to explain the other day, in a previous post.
Click to expand...

Boris:. I hope your knee is feeling a lot better these days ? I'm still hobbling around with mine. I just ordered a doc sleeve knee brace to see if it will give me more support and stability to be able to walk with maybe just a cane ?
 
bnsf971 said:
Get out your electron microscope, you just need to look closer...
In my defense, it HAS been nearly four years since I last saw it... :(
Click to expand...
Seriously == believe me I have looked it over pretty close in 4 years. Outside of a working number pad - the only shortcoming is not having a backlit keyboard; I have to turn on a lamp to see the keys or tilt the screen forward- then I cannot see the screen?

Are there any online operating manuals for it - I wonder?

I have just become used to opening an "online calculator" I have on the desktop when I need math.
 
Good evening...still raining...and still in the 50s. Spent some time working on the background version of Walthers hardwood Furniture Co. Interesting kit. Typical of Walthers background kits I have additional parts, not required for assembly...and in this case I'm missing a few minor parts that are required per instructions. I took advantage of yesterday's relatively mild temperatures and threatening skies, to paint the exterior. Today, I installed the windows on the two side panels, then applied the plastic glazing to the inside of the windows with canopy glue. I'll finish tomorrow, after I run a few errands and have blood taken, first thing in the morning. it is absolutely crucial to finish and place this structure, then set the track for the industrial siding. This will determine how the rest of my end point staging falls into place. More to follow.

Curt: Thank you. Happy Navy Birthday. (You too Chet).

David: My knee is doing well, thank you. I have full range of motion, and can bend it more than I ever could with the original. I'm up to walking a mile or more as often as I can, (weather permitting). I'm also active with the Model Railroad and Yard work again. Biggest problem I have is avoiding Covid.
Hope your knee gets better. There are some good stretching and bending exercises on line and on U-tube, that are very similar to what I use, and what I did in physical therapy. The more you move the knee, the better it gets. Lack of motion is the problem.

Sherrel: Open Start menu ¡ Scroll down to Windows Accessories ¡ Open...choose Character Map ¡ Open...you will see all kinds of letters, symbols and signs. Choose the one you want, highlight it, click on select, click on copy, then go to where you are writing and paste ¡ This feature has been in Windows since Win 3.1. Sure Beats the old Dos key combinations. That's my £10. BTW, while in the forum, for instance, the Windows key, (bottom row, third key from left) will open the start menu. That's worth more than my 2¢.

truckdad said:
this spring should be the fourth and final time for retirement.
Click to expand...
Dave: You sure? ;)

Ferrara 5500 GPM Super Pumper for FDNY Trial Complete 10-08-2020.jpg

This is one awesome machine. FDNY's new 5500 GPM "Super Pumper" undergoing final pre delivery tests at the factory. Built by Ferrara, and using a Hale pump, the Engine is shown delivering water through three deck mounted Master Stream Devices. The problem with this is water supply, which will require drawing water from a marine unit, or numerous hydrants. That's a lot of water!
 
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