Running Bear's August 2021 Coffee Shop


Status
Not open for further replies.
Morning all,

Seems we had a microburst at the house yesterday. Kids had texted that the middle school my grandson attends lost power. We were getting some light rain and thunder here at the office. I guess depending on what part of the town you were in, there was anywhere from 3"-5" of rain. I had to turn the pool filter back on as we had a little over 3" rain and I want to discourage mosquitoes. Shoot, forgot to turn the sprinklers off this morning... A lot of tree damage along with some roof damage from falling trees. No damage at any of the family homes.

Today is National Dog Day, so give your buddies a treat and a hug.

Guy: Nice rainbows...I haven't been fishing since 1998. All we have here are muddy water ponds they call lakes. Having grown up within a mile of Lake Michigan, you appreciate the clearer water. Catfish just isn't something I really care for, and the walleye and bass they have in the lakes here just have a different taste.

<RANT> On the nanny state seatbelt thing: The automakers have been sued over stupid stuff like not having a seatbelt warning or airbags in a particular model. Think about the stupid warning labels on products you may already have in your house: Don't put your hand or fingers under a running lawnmower deck, don't open the hot cup of coffee, don't carry kids on your lap while using a riding mower, etc. You know when you see it there was an idiot who "didn't know it would happen" and sued a manufacturer of any product because there wasn't a warning label. Common sense isn't so common anymore. Sadly we're educating people above their intelligence or capacity for thought. <END RANT>
 
Good Morning Everyone. Clear and 74° in the dark on the SFW estate. Same old, same old forecast for the next ten days, the weatherman is on vacation. We're not getting as warm as the NWS predicts, although it did hit 96° yesterday. There was finally a bit of breeze yesterday morning, so I attacked the east side of the estate with the mower, 3/4± acre out of the way. Good news is that the pool is staying in the 81°-84° range which is cooler than normal for this time in August.
Today is the weekly trip to town for perishable groceries and beer. On today's itinerary is an appointment with the hearing aid person at Sam's Club. An updated hearing test, adjustments and cleaning is in order today. Among other things, the left side ear bud keeps coming off and it's hazardous to fish it out of my ear. I already know that my hearing has further deteriorated as I have to "bump" the volume up when I wear them now. Ageing, sigh! For you youngsters out there, wear that hearing protection now when needed or end up like me.

Thanks as always for the comments and likes for yesterday's post; Garry, Christian, Steve J, Hughie, Tom O, Karl, Patrick, Curt, Chad, Rick, Tom, Steve, James, Guy.

Western Omelet over here for me this morning Flo. OJ on the side. PATY

I didn't do anything constructive on the layout yesterday out in the train shed. It was mainly a maintenance day as I got out the shop vac and spent over 30 minutes exploring every nook and cranny of the floor. Since I have to walk more than 100' through the yard to get there, I track in a lot of grass clippings, dust, discarded bird feathers and other assorted stuff that sticks to my shoes. I still won't eat off the floor though! Thankfully I didn't run across any rodent droppings.
So it's back to the archives for a couple of pictures that I took about a year ago of a small park in Jamestown. I am not sure whether or not I posted these before.
10-07-20 006.JPG

Officer Joe is trying to free up some more sitting room for other patrons. Eric on the guitar brought his own chair.
There's a couple of railfans waiting for the next train to come around the bend.
10-09-20 010.JPG

Garry -
GarryCBQ said:
Sherrel .... A question you might answer. Some young people are thinking of visiting CA, and they are interested in Venice beach of LA. From what I hear, that is not a desirable location. What do you think ?
Click to expand...
I know that this was directed to Sherrel, but this may be worth reading. I think that the city itself is still a somewhat pleasant place to go.
Venice Beach
Patrick -
Patrick said:
Willie: Agree with you on the pool, but when you get up @ 3:45a and leave for work at 5:15a and don't get home until 5:00p and make supper and clean up, it's time for bed.
Click to expand...
Been there done that for many years. Spent many moonlit late evenings (weekends) with the wife and a glass or two of wine out there though. I generally got home from work a bit earlier, 4:30ish, after the 50 mile commute and that's the first place I headed.
Greg - Too bad about the water clog, hope that you don't have to replace too many carpet tiles. Fix the clog on Cathy's car and then tell her about the loco! ;)
Guy - Nice looking fish.

I've pretty much used seatbelts as soon as I got a car that actually had them. My '61 VW beetle did not have them, or much of anything else!

Today is National WebMistress Day. It's not what you are thinking, it's the female version of a webmaster.
Everybody have a great day.
 
I'm still vertical - for what it's worth! Just busy with life and it seems is getting more behind all the time. Supposed to warm up to 98 Today- so far it has been a rather nice summer with the temps in the 80's and even a couple days with a high in the 70's = strange?

The Spousal Unit is away with her Mom at this time. Her mom is slipping downward and we all see it even though her mind is clear and sharp, her body is not in the best of shape.

I am very much behind in reading all your posts ... but have enjoyed all the pic and photos that are posted.
To whomever asked about Venice Beach: I have not been near that place in almost 30 years. From what I hear on the news and such, it seems to have gone downhill along with everything else due to the homeless, drug, and crime that is in the area. I am sorry to be of such little help?

Got to run at the moment - another busy day for me!
 
Good morning

santafewillie said:
I know that this was directed to Sherrel, but this may be worth reading. I think that the city itself is still a somewhat pleasant place to go.
Click to expand...

Willie .... Thanks. The beach looks awful with so many homeless bums with drugs. I think there are many other places to visit that are nicer. .... I like the park scene on your layout with Officer Joe waking up the guy on the bench.

Sherrel ......... It sounds like a place to keep away from. Thanks for commenting.

Christian ..... Your track work looks good. You will have a fun layout.

Late today, my friend and his wife will arrive here from northern Illinois. He is going with me and a couple of friends who live here to see Big Boy 4014 on Saturday.

Everybody ....... Have a good day.
 
McLeod said:
Good evening!

I probably won't be coming in for a few days. The wife is on a holiday from her work and she insists that this time be used for fishing. So, it's off to Silkstone at 5am each day for the next while. Home late every night.
Click to expand...

What, no ice ? How do you (meaning Guy) go fishing without a frozen lake? Heresy. Doing it the easy way like the rest of us...
 
TLOC said:
I wear my seat belt all the time now. Back in 1980 we purchased a VW Golf and the car would not start until you used the seat belt.

TomO
Click to expand...

I feel naked without a seat belt. Kind of weird to occasionally get in the car and move it to a different spot on the driveway or go down the street and come back and not have the belt.

What annoys me more than the car not starting without a seat belt are the manual transmission cars that won't start without the clutch in... Being able to push start a car is a good feature and modern manual transmission cars have killed that...
 
chadbag said:
I feel naked without a seat belt. Kind of weird to occasionally get in the car and move it to a different spot on the driveway or go down the street and come back and not have the belt.

What annoys me more than the car not starting without a seat belt are the manual transmission cars that won't start without the clutch in... Being able to push start a car is a good feature and modern manual transmission cars have killed that...
Click to expand...

Do some real damage trying to jump start newer fuel injected cars, especially if the battery is dead. I did jump start my '79 C10 (years ago) and it had the neutral safety switch, just didn't have all the electronics we have now.
 
Good morning from the south deck in my portion of Wisconsin. Slept till 9:30 and the wife woke me because she feared I wouldn’t wake. Cannot remember the last time I slept that late and not been sick. Normal time to sleep was 11:30 and slept straight through.

Like willie’s weather guy ours must be on vacation too. Same old, low 90’s, humidity in the high 80’s and the miserable index says severe because the dew point is in the 70’s.

The ladies are back from riding and the huge excitement for the day maybe a trip to Best Buy. My friend, the 7 year grandson and I spent 2.5 hours forming tree branches on his wire armatures and applying molding compound on them. We also dipped 20 tree trunks below the branches in paraffin. I have done that before and the wax cracked, the friend wanted to try it. After doing like 3 the grandson wearing gloves, his apron, long sleeves and eye protection took over for the last 17 with no issues. I have to go down and see how they look today. After dinner he and I went and formed up another 50 trees before he left at 10:30. We had a good time and it’s the 1st time beer found it’s way into my trainroom. Lite bulb!, maybe that’s why I slept so long. 1 bottle of beer is a lot for me in a month, 2 last night…

guy, I always envied the folks who enjoy fishing, I never caught on to that. Back in the 1990’s and early 2000’s 2 of my friends and I would take the pontoon boat on Lake Dubay in Wisconsin and race our weed eater engine powered RC boats. That’s as close to fishing I got in adulthood. As a kid in Chicago we would drop a line in the Marquette Park lagoons and catch boots!

Garry, enjoy 4014

Chad and Patrick, belts in the car have definitely become a thing. My brother has some high end sports cars because he is single and needs to demonstrate his virility but even those need to be belted in before ignition. Patrick, the rant is oh so true, but we had a neighbor that the little kid walked next to the lawnmower as he cut, guess he couldn’t read or the kid was invinceable

We have a pool and I use it pretty much every day, either for swimming laps for exercise or just relaxing. But, it is work

TomO
 
CHRlSTIAN said:
Two questions for you Experts !
#1 Can I use double-sided tape to secure Kadee #381 uncouplers to the track? I don't want to stick them forever.
#2 Can I run a Bachmann 86008 on 20"radius curves without any problem ?

View attachment 131625

index.php
Click to expand...


Double sided tape will make the magnets sit higher. possibly interfering with trip pins.

That big six axle unit may go around a 20 inch curve, but it will look kinda silly. The overhang on them, autoracks, and full length passenger cars I would try to stay away from.
 
bnsf971 said:
I am all for choosing to wear seat belts, but it appears there will be another reason why:
Click to expand...

Sherrel: How about the "Little Black Box" that many vehicles have that are like "Flight Recorder Boxes"? "The car black box records a large amount of data on your driving behavior and records your speed, where you park and your journey. This data recorded by the black box for cars is crucial for providing evidence in the event of a road accident or theft."

Greg
 
CHRlSTIAN said:
#1 Can I use double-sided tape to secure Kadee #381 uncouplers to the track? I don't want to stick them forever.
#2 Can I run a Bachmann 86008 on 20"radius curves without any problem ?
Click to expand...


Are you positive of the Kadee #381? I can't find that uncoupler in Kadee's website. I would use a touch of Walthers GOO to a tie or two to secure the uncouplers.

I would expand the radius to 22 inches or larger to get better operation of a six axle locomotive.

Greg
 
UK weather is mad, in our area August has been cloudy and overcast with spitting on regular occasions, and any number of storm warnings, only to get no rain, I just dug up potatoes the earth is dry for a foot in places,harvest is low due to lack of natural rainfall and being too busy to water, and plants are convinced it’s Autumn or as you guys call it Fall. I have even been wearing cardigans and jumpers sone days, the day time today was 2g degree centigrade, 57.2 F it is mad.
Just scoffed sausages pork and baked beans, for tea. flo did it to perfection
 
Greg@mnrr said:
Good Afternoon Everyone.....very humid and hot!!! Dog days of summer are here.

Guess I'll need t look for a place to live after Cathy finds out that a fifth DCC/sound locomotive is on its way. I ordered a Rapido SOO SW1200 via a LHS months ago and I forgot that it was ordered until they sent me an email for my credit card number. I just received a Rapido MILW SW1200 and have on order two Scale Trains, Museum SDL39's and a Rapido SP B36-7. At least I have some time before the SDL39's arrive. I always could live the home-less life of a Hobo.

Speaking of Hobo's...as a kid in the 50's we lived near the SOO Line mainline tracks, some 15 or so miles from DuPlainville, Wisconsin that was a poplar spot for hobos to catch trains since the SOO/Milw diamond was locate there in the small unincorporated town. But, near our house in a wooded area there was a small hobo camp that we as kids would check on many times during the summer. Even at a young age, as county boys, we carried .22 rifles, so we felt protected should we encounter any hobos. We never saw anyone. The camp was always clean and had signs in hobo language that we could not understand.

Living in the county and in the 50's we could buy .22 ammo even at our ages and I even brought .22 rifles at only 14. No restrictive rules like today's.

The A/C condensation tube clogged yesterday and a ton of water entreated the carpeted area of the train room. It's still drying today. No damage other than the wet carpet. The carpet tile I used is for Menards and I brought twice of what I need for the room so I would have some spares to redo the traffic lanes when the tie comes. The condensation line on the wife's car is also clogged, a problem that we discovered this afternoon.

Thanks guys for the comments on the photos I posted yesterday.

View attachment 131600
My heavy weathered patched Wisconsin Central SW1500 now a CM&N Railroad locomotive in need of a paint job.-Greg

View attachment 131601
A less weathered MN&S locomotive, a line that the SOO once owned.-Greg

The MN&S locomotive was weathered using black weathering powders on the sides to dull the finish after even a coating of Dullcote and then thinned, black oil paint on a narrow brush used to touch the seams of the locomotives panels and allow capillary action to spread the paint. Dust was applied to the trucks and fuel tanks.

That's about all for now.....................

Greg

####################
Click to expand...
You cannot go hobo no electric for the layout…I see in your future some serious Grovelling, is there any jobs you have previously promised to do you could cash in, or treat her to something next.
 
CHRlSTIAN said:
Two questions for you Experts !
#1 Can I use double-sided tape to secure Kadee #381 uncouplers to the track? I don't want to stick them forever.
#2 Can I run a Bachmann 86008 on 20"radius curves without any problem ?

View attachment 131625

index.php
Click to expand...
I do thing it won’t do much harm to try…but test underneath, leave a day then remove the sticky and check for damage. Before you do it on the visible part
 
Status
Not open for further replies.



Back
Top