Running Bear's April 2020 Coffee Shop

[santafewillie]

Willie-Does it aggravate you when you spend a lot of time and effort on a detail that can barely be seen when a project is completed?

To some extent yes. But I do it anyway because I never know when or if I might change the building location or orientation around. Because my layout is mostly between 24" and 32" wide, even the backside of many structures could be visible from the right viewing angle. I have also seen many cab ride videos where the back of a structure is not finished and it is really a negative to me. While I may never get to the point of making a video of my own, you never know!

 

[Alcomotive]

Yes sir James makes me feel like doing some ice fishing.

So this morning with not much going on I decided to try and link my phone with my computer. I have an android phone so it was fairly easy. I also got DriveOne going. It took about an hour to download and set up the Microsoft's YourPhone app but I must admit it works real well. Now I can see all my phone messages, photos etc. on my computer. I also set up DriveOne to access any file I want to store there from my phone. How this will enhance my model RR? I'm not sure yet?

George

George

Believe it or not...I use my phone (Android) for everything. Meaning my phone is a "hot spot" for my laptop and my TV.
I have unlimited everything through Verizon. It works well. I don't have cable or satellite tv or a service provider for the house. I just use the phone. I do have Norton program on the phone to protect me as well as my laptop. For the tv I have a 75 inch Vizio in the man cave and I use the phone for that and I have installed a HD antenna system that works fantastic. I get about 50 to 60 channels. I do a 5 minute scan every other week as the stations does make monthly changes for whatever reason. Not a big deal. I don't watch a lot of programs. I do watch a lot of YouTube stuff though and occasional movies.

 

[GarryCBQ]

About those locomotives of mine, what is today's date?

Greg

You fooled me. LOL

 

[kjd]

Good morning, Everyone, I like the new place. The 6' tape squares on the floor are a nice touch.

Greg, didn't you hear, April Fools was cancelled this year.

Not joking, I have heard of zinc pest and locomotive frames falling apart. Impurities in the alloy cause it to crystallize and become very brittle. Another issue can be with lead glued into place with PVA, aka white glue. The lead can react with the PVA in a moist/humid environment and swell with some force. Enough to disassemble finished models.

 

[Patrick]

Willie: Thanks for the reply.

 

[bob]

Wondering why I had to log in this morning and was blaming a windows update , then I read last month's coffee shop...Didn't even occur to me it was Bob's fault. lol

Yeah, I guess it was my crappy idea of an April Fool's joke. But the enhanced security is real, and you'll only have to do it once.

When we switched the site to secure, the old cookies no longer worked. That means everyone, even me, has to log in again. Once you log in, it will make a new cookie and you'll stay logged in unless you delete cookies.

Can't recall your password? Click here and we'll send you a new one.

https://modelrailroadforums.com/forum/index.php?lost-password/

We'll e-mail you a link to create a new one. Be sure and check your spam folder if you don't see the e-mail.

You can also find that link on the login page, where it says "Forgot your password?"

 

[bob]

Good morning, Everyone, I like the new place. The 6' tape squares on the floor are a nice touch.

Check out the fancy new lock on the door! That was a LOT of work to install.

 

[bob]

Greg, I had an upainted version of this loco, or one quite similar.

Certainly not super detailed brass, but I liked it since it ran well and was powerful. It did well on the steep grades and sharp curves of the "spaghetti bowl" layouts I loved to build as a kid.

So while not worth much, it was a sentimental favorite. Pulled it out of the drawer a few years back only to find that it was totally crumbling due to "Zinc Rot". Not sure if I kept it or not, but it's ruined, swollen and crumbly. I don't know if that's ever actually happened with plastic, but Zinc Rot is a real thing.

Zinc rot image from the web:

 

[Sirfoldalot]

I have a couple of Mantua's from the early 60's. They are still good, but knowing that has always "bugged" me!

GREG, I think you got to quite a few of us with that?

BOB - You should have changed that right at the stroke of Midnight! Interesting that out of maybe 15 RR forums that I signed up with 10-12 years ago that this one is the only one I can remember ... Hmmm!

 

[kbkchooch]

Good morning ooops, afternoon gang~!
Seems this quarantine thing has my internal clocked all fouled up. Too make things worse, I forgot the date. So after my morning coffee (@11.am) I was engaged with my daily , um, er, constitutional when I heard SWMBO's aggravated voice to inform me that she just had to chase down the street after the dog, but finally caught him. She then scolded me for leaving the 2 gates open to the back yard when I put the trailer away. I reminded her that I put the trailer in the back yard 2 days ago and closed the gates.
At which point she replied" Its not in the back yard!"
"Bull!" I replied, "You watched saw me do it!" then I grumbled something about somebody must have stolen it, as I attempted to stand up and leave the shattered comfort of my throne, I heard it.
A laughing noise from outside the door giggling "April Fools!"
I'm gonna get her! ☺

Willie, I know what you mean about sweating the details. I'm working on an old H-D scale models kit. Basically it's a box-o-stix with preprinted scribed siding that you turn into a piece of rolling stock. I'm working on the underbody details now, which may never be seen by most visitors, But I will know they are there.
Thats on my workbench , on the puter table is an E&B Valley covered hopper kit with a crazy amount of individual parts to itself. I'm splitting my time between them, between honey do lists, and glue drying.

Progress so far, still have a bit of brake rigging to do!

As you can see, the E&B Valley kits are not the "shake the box" variety.

What can I say, but it's keeping off the streets!

 

[NYC_George]

Believe it or not...I use my phone (Android) for everything. Meaning my phone is a "hot spot" for my laptop and my TV.
I have unlimited everything through Verizon. It works well. I don't have cable or satellite tv or a service provider for the house. I just use the phone. I do have Norton program on the phone to protect me as well as my laptop. For the tv I have a 75 inch Vizio in the man cave and I use the phone for that and I have installed a HD antenna system that works fantastic. I get about 50 to 60 channels. I do a 5 minute scan every other week as the stations does make monthly changes for whatever reason. Not a big deal. I don't watch a lot of programs. I do watch a lot of YouTube stuff though and occasional movies.

I wish I had your setup James but my wife would never go for it. We have a $212.00 a month cable bill. She needs the 700 channels to stay happy. That's nothing compared to our health care bill per month. Go on youtube I used to do some magic tricks on the golf course porch every couple of weeks. Here's 1 or 2.

George

 

[montanan]

Good afternoon. Another month gone. Snow again last night after getting up into the 60's yesterday afternoon. We did barely feel the earthquake down in Idaho last night. The rated it as a 6.5.

Karl - Nice to see someone taking the time to build a wooden box car kit. I do have a number of them on my layout.

Willie - You sure get those wood structures build in short order. Looking good.

Sherrel - I'm sure that your wife is NOT the only one with cabin fever. My wife is still working but got so bored that she started moving furniture around last Sunday wiping down window sills and picking up a couple of bones that the dogs had lost under the couch.





Later

 

[bob]

BOB - You should have changed that right at the stroke of Midnight!

Yep and changed the forums headers to say "Welcome to the remote control car forum!" That woulda got you guys.

Interesting that out of maybe 15 RR forums that I signed up with 10-12 years ago that this one is the only one I can remember ... Hmmm!

I'll take that as quite a compliment, thank you.

 

[bob]

Must have been a different loco that succumbed to the rot, the little 0-4-0 still looks OK, if a bit dusty.

 

[Patrick]

We're good with getting back on the site Bob.

Thanks for the concern. I was ribbing you about the having to log back in.

 

[kbkchooch]

Must have been a different loco that succumbed to the rot, the little 0-4-0 still looks OK, if a bit dusty.


View attachment 45869

I've got its 0-6-0T cousin, along with several of its larger cousins. Gotta love the old Mantua kits. my Dad and I built 2 when I was a Pre-teen, back before the Punic wars. Later in life after my Father passed, I rebuilt and refinished them
both. The 0-6-0T and a 4-6-2 Pacific.

This is the Pacific Dad and I built 48 years ago. I leaned how to rivet valve linkage at the age of 12 on this one. Totally stripped and rebuilt after many years of faithful service, redetailed, proper tender, painted and DCC & sound, I still think of Dad whenever I run it.
Bob, keep that old Mantua. Shave those cast on details, replace them with brass castings, detail her out, paint it up and enjoy it!

 

[bob]

This is the Pacific Dad and I built 48 years ago. I leaned how to rivet valve linkage at the age of 12 on this one. Totally stripped and rebuilt after many years of faithful service, redetailed, proper tender, painted and DCC & sound, I still think of Dad whenever I run it.

The R-T-R version of that Pacific was the pride of my passenger fleet for many years. Pulling a rather un-prototypical string of stainless steel flute sided passenger cars, it probably did a hundred miles around the Christmas tree every year. My passenger cars were the early ones, with a very shiny "chrome" covering on the plastic. While it was nothing like the real Royal Blue, that Obs Car sure looked fancy rolling down the track. The coating was kind of like the reflective coating on "L'Egg" Panty Hose shells. It has long since deteriorated, much of my rolling stock suffered flood damage back in the late 70's when our basement filled with water. A good portion of it was damaged beyond repair.

Bob, keep that old Mantua. Shave those cast on details, replace them with brass castings, detail her out, paint it up and enjoy it!

No worries, it's not going anywhere. It's on a little piece of display track. No plans to detail it up or anything either. I like it just the way it is. That's how it was when I was a kid, and that's how it's going to stay. I don't care if it doesn't look "real". I might be inclined to add the valve gear, but other than that, I don't think I'll change it.

 

[PRR Modeler]

Evening All,

Today was a good day. I received the BTS Mine kit (see below), I ordered on Monday and I received my Walthers order. I'm a happy camper. This afternoon my son and I pop riveted the aluminum sheets to the bird trays.

Greg- Prayers for your family.

Karl- Nice looking kits. I'm sure the Pacific has great memories for you.

Bob- I don't have the 0-4-0T and never have but somehow I have the zinc weight.

The new kit (it's orientated in my computer album properly but it posted sideways)


I hope everyone has a good night.

 

[Alcomotive]

I wish I had your setup James but my wife would never go for it. We have a $212.00 a month cable bill. She needs the 700 channels to stay happy. That's nothing compared to our health care bill per month. Go on youtube I used to do some magic tricks on the golf course porch every couple of weeks. Here's 1 or 2.

George

That's pretty good George! I like the coin trick the best! The 2nd one I can do.

Ya I can't spend $$$ on TV service like that. 200 plus no thank you!

My monthly phone is 109 for unlimited and beyond everything.

 

[NYC_George]

That's pretty good George! I like the coin trick the best! The 2nd one I can do.

At the time I was the fireman on the night yard switcher in Brewster, NY. I asked the engineer if he could run the job alone because I had to attend a class. He said, well I guess if you have to go a class. The next night he found out it was a magic class. He said, that's it. They'll be no more skipping out. You'll have to bid off the job and I did, Hated that job anyway. The second video was the first trick we learned in the class. After that I spent hours hanging out at Tannen's Magic in New York City until I left the railroad in 1981.
George