Running Bear's August 2022 Coffee Shop


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As promised:

Stoney Creek Enginehouse pit track. 08_05_2022 - JSW.jpg

Threading the rail (ME Code 70) through the cast on pit ties, was quite an adventure. I managed not to wreck the flex track or the pit. Although the pit was built for, (and included), code 83 rail, there was no size advantage to using the code 70. BTW, the pit is made by PECO, and I had to use a router to make the slot in the plywood to accommodate the pit it self.

In other news, the temperature at the Reservoir, has reached the predicted high of 90°,with a 30%chance of showers / T-storms after 1400.
Note, I'm planning on grilling again, so that automatically increases the chance of rain.

Yesterdays NY Times had a very nice article about the late Vin Scully.

The Orioles managed to win a 1-0 cliffhanger over Pittsburgh. Washington Nationals lost, but that's not news. What is news id the Yankees have lost 3 in a row...that's what happens when you trade Joey Gallo!
I expect that they all buy it from the same place no matter what their station sign says. I know the Chevrons around here that sell the ethanol free say "Not a Chevron Product" on the pump.

And that's not a new practice. back in the day, in SE PA, Sun would refine crude into Lube Oil, Fuel Oil and LPG. Their Gasoline came from ARCO or Gulf. Pipelines are amazing things. Today,none of these companies refine, and only Sun has a major East Coast retail presence.
 
Well, howdy there internet people. It's Troy again.

Nice to see new faces in the coffee shop. Though I had to check the home location of the new Christian and see if the Frenchman had returned. (it's not him)

Wife and I went shopping today. Stopped at JoAnn Fabrics. She was looking for yarn, or a good beginner pattern for Quilting. That's about the only needlecraft she hasn't done. Well, that and acupuncture.

Of course, since she was looking, I was the only one to purchase. (Pic below). They've got 50% off most storage solutions. And they have these no-brand name knock-offs of Really Useful Boxes (RUB)... tall ones with a removable tray in them. Since I'm printing up my Crusades era armies (there will be more than one) and there are lots of mounted bits including these camels, I need taller boxes. The trays can hold dice and game counters if they even stay in the RUBs.

Camels on the Printer, draining off excess resin.

Screenshot 2022-08-06 at 1.36.06 PM.png


As for the rest of the shopping, we went to Cheddars Scratch Kitchen for lunch. Wife wanted a chicken pot pie... I got a burger.

And, we hit DSW (Shoes) and I purchased another set of Birkenstock sandals. Right now, they're the only shoe that feels OK to walk in. With my Crocs, I find myself rolling my left foot toward the outside to alleviate Plantar Fasciitis pain. The Birks have less cushion but far more support. My old Birks have been through many bouts of Fasciitis, and the heel strap is annoying to slip on and off for a quick run to the beverage station. So, a fresh pair without the back strap.

Screenshot 2022-08-06 at 1.27.53 PM.png


And yes, I know the socks don't match. That's a compression sock on the left foot, over the matching sock. :)

Then we stopped at the LHS. I've been wanting to experiment with snow effects, and my current army on the painting table is VIKINGS. They definitely need some ice and snow on their bases. Once I get the bugs worked out of applying it there, I'll be able to add some to my MRR layout if and when I get that far.

Knowing that we were also stopping at Kohls so she could shop for a new wallet, I also grabbed the last copy of MRRer's Ultimate Guide 2022. Reading material for sitting in the car while she shopped.

Here's the final loot haul, except for her new wallet.
Screenshot 2022-08-06 at 1.28.06 PM.png
 
I learned a lot about HDMI since I bought the PS5.
I had no idea there was such a thing as HDMI 2.1
About $150 later I now have the correct HDMI switches and cables.
Now what do I do with all the old stuff? I only have one old 50" 720P Panasonic plasma TV. I wonder how many devices I can find to attach to that TV with all these old HDMI switches and cables? I do love that old Panasonic TV.

To make matters worse, my PS4 Pro is not working! I moved it this morning. From the boy's game center in the family room. To my TV in the living room and it would not boot up. Seems like the hard drive is struggling. I don't know enough about these devices to bother to open it up.
I signed into my Sony account to start a service ticket. Another $150 later I will be receiving from FedEx a box to ship the PS4 Pro to Sony for service. I have no idea if the $150 covers the repair. I doubt it, but i will let you know.
My grandsons have no idea what happened to it. It last worked on July 3rd.

This great deal, $499 PS5 from Amazon, just keeps on costing me! Not to mention the need for PS5 games, charging dock, an additional controller and only God knows what else.

The good news is I'm quickly racking up Sony and Amazon rewards points. At least Amazon gives cash rewards. How many more Sony radios do I need?
The bad news is I have already spent close to $2500 on this great, $499 deal! I can see $3000 on the horizon.

And my kids wonder why I still work.

Electronics and Trains have some things in common. For one they can both "nickel and dime" you to death!
Accessing and replacing the drive in one of those is obscenely easy. Remove one screw on a corner of the unit, and the drive slides out. It is a standard 2.5" laptop drive, though it does have to be formatted for the PS4. Mine had a 500GB hdd, I replaced it with a 1TB SSD. It does boot and load games more quickly than with a regular drive, but not enough to warrant spending the extra cash to upgrade.
The formatting process is pretty easy, there are several tutorials on Youtube.
 
Well, howdy there internet people. It's Troy again.

Nice to see new faces in the coffee shop. Though I had to check the home location of the new Christian and see if the Frenchman had returned. (it's not him)

Wife and I went shopping today. Stopped at JoAnn Fabrics. She was looking for yarn, or a good beginner pattern for Quilting. That's about the only needlecraft she hasn't done. Well, that and acupuncture.

Of course, since she was looking, I was the only one to purchase. (Pic below). They've got 50% off most storage solutions. And they have these no-brand name knock-offs of Really Useful Boxes (RUB)... tall ones with a removable tray in them. Since I'm printing up my Crusades era armies (there will be more than one) and there are lots of mounted bits including these camels, I need taller boxes. The trays can hold dice and game counters if they even stay in the RUBs.

Camels on the Printer, draining off excess resin.

View attachment 149735

As for the rest of the shopping, we went to Cheddars Scratch Kitchen for lunch. Wife wanted a chicken pot pie... I got a burger.

And, we hit DSW (Shoes) and I purchased another set of Birkenstock sandals. Right now, they're the only shoe that feels OK to walk in. With my Crocs, I find myself rolling my left foot toward the outside to alleviate Plantar Fasciitis pain. The Birks have less cushion but far more support. My old Birks have been through many bouts of Fasciitis, and the heel strap is annoying to slip on and off for a quick run to the beverage station. So, a fresh pair without the back strap.

View attachment 149736

And yes, I know the socks don't match. That's a compression sock on the left foot, over the matching sock. :)

Then we stopped at the LHS. I've been wanting to experiment with snow effects, and my current army on the painting table is VIKINGS. They definitely need some ice and snow on their bases. Once I get the bugs worked out of applying it there, I'll be able to add some to my MRR layout if and when I get that far.

Knowing that we were also stopping at Kohls so she could shop for a new wallet, I also grabbed the last copy of MRRer's Ultimate Guide 2022. Reading material for sitting in the car while she shopped.

Here's the final loot haul, except for her new wallet.
View attachment 149737
I’m not sure whether you meant the return ofFrenchman Christian a good thing or a bad thing, but regardless I’m happy to be here lol.

I do have some exciting news that may be a potential life-changer for me. So I’m currently 24 doing good old fashioned construction like my father taught me. However, the owner of the company that’s hired me to do some work has mentioned hiring me on full time to run the warehouse. It’s just a mention and pay and benefits are a further needed discussion, but I don’t think I’d have to negotiate in pay very much as he’s compensating me generously for the work I’ve been doing. He’s a really enjoyable person to work for and I do anything I can to save him an expense or recommend he do or not do something because financially or even just logically it doesn’t make sense. I took off one Saturday to attend my best friend’s wedding and he gave me an extra $200 cash on the side to help get them a gift.

I sure did enjoy the railroad, especially the money, but if I hadn’t left that life then I wouldn’t of had the opportunity I have here. Sometimes things that happen are just a blessing in disguise and we don’t even know it.

Anyways, got a major phase of the work done and the boss is pleased. Looking forward to the day to see the finished product of all our hard work. It’s been a long hot and rainy day and I’m very much looking forward to coming home to my girlfriend’s cooking. My father is from Guatemala so Spanish cuisine is in my blood. She’s been working on making more Hispanic meals and I gotta say, she’s NAILED the carnitas. Better than any that I’ve ever had. That sure did go to her head though as now she’s talking about how she deserves a ring! I told her “you’re checking off a lot of boxes so maybe one day I’ll get you one” lol. Good thing we have a guest bedroom😬
 
Afternoon All,

Started out with chores, then fixed one of the coal loads I did yesterday then spent some time doing some planning on the next small area on the layout. I've decided that I don't want to use the building I was planning on so I need to look for one that will work that I like. Not sure what's on the agenda for tomorrow.

Karl- The only game console I've ever had is a Wii which I gave to the grandkids when they were younger. I only have about a 30 minute attention span while playing games.

TomO- Interesting architecture in the different towns.

Hughie- The BLI NW2 is a nice loco.

Sherrel- Happy Birthday to your wife.

Guy- Nice progress on the layout. The ram bars look great.

rgeiter-It's a tough life for our furry family members. 😂

Joe- Great progress on the layout.

Willie- Nice progress and kitbashing. It looks like Larkspur Laser Art took over Monster Modelworks. I looked at their site and they have brick corner columns.

I hope everyone has a good night.
 
Accessing and replacing the drive in one of those is obscenely easy. Remove one screw on a corner of the unit, and the drive slides out. It is a standard 2.5" laptop drive, though it does have to be formatted for the PS4. Mine had a 500GB hdd, I replaced it with a 1TB SSD. It does boot and load games more quickly than with a regular drive, but not enough to warrant spending the extra cash to upgrade.
The formatting process is pretty easy, there are several tutorials on Youtube.
I should have asked you, before I paid the $149.99 to initiate the service order.

I picked up a crucial SSD drive for the last PC I needed to upgrade to SSD. I paid $89 from Amazon for 1TB

Even my oldest PC was drastically improved by going to SSD.

I read one of the reasons for the PS5 dramatic improvement is how it utilizes an SSD drive.
 
I’m not sure whether you meant the return ofFrenchman Christian a good thing or a bad thing, but regardless I’m happy to be here lol.

I do have some exciting news that may be a potential life-changer for me. So I’m currently 24 doing good old fashioned construction like my father taught me. However, the owner of the company that’s hired me to do some work has mentioned hiring me on full time to run the warehouse. It’s just a mention and pay and benefits are a further needed discussion, but I don’t think I’d have to negotiate in pay very much as he’s compensating me generously for the work I’ve been doing. He’s a really enjoyable person to work for and I do anything I can to save him an expense or recommend he do or not do something because financially or even just logically it doesn’t make sense. I took off one Saturday to attend my best friend’s wedding and he gave me an extra $200 cash on the side to help get them a gift.

I sure did enjoy the railroad, especially the money, but if I hadn’t left that life then I wouldn’t of had the opportunity I have here. Sometimes things that happen are just a blessing in disguise and we don’t even know it.

Anyways, got a major phase of the work done and the boss is pleased. Looking forward to the day to see the finished product of all our hard work. It’s been a long hot and rainy day and I’m very much looking forward to coming home to my girlfriend’s cooking. My father is from Guatemala so Spanish cuisine is in my blood. She’s been working on making more Hispanic meals and I gotta say, she’s NAILED the carnitas. Better than any that I’ve ever had. That sure did go to her head though as now she’s talking about how she deserves a ring! I told her “you’re checking off a lot of boxes so maybe one day I’ll get you one” lol. Good thing we have a guest bedroom😬
Bienvenue Christian!!!!
 
I should have asked you, before I paid the $149.99 to initiate the service order.

I picked up a crucial SSD drive for the last PC I needed to upgrade to SSD. I paid $89 from Amazon for 1TB

Even my oldest PC was drastically improved by going to SSD.

I read one of the reasons for the PS5 dramatic improvement is how it utilizes an SSD drive.
I think the PS5 uses NVME SSD, and the PS4 uses SATA. The average person can't really tell the difference from performing basic tasks, the big difference is when it starts doing large file movements.
 
Evening all,

Been trying to get in all day. Got 3 15+pound packer briskets today at the store. On sale for a decent price. 1 frozen for an event late next month, the other 2 are getting smoked tomorrow. Smoker is prepped, briskets set up in the morning. Just trying to figure out what wood to use. I have hickory, apple, cherry and peach. I also have some alder, but it's a bit mild for beef.

Was 104° today and the same expected for tomorrow. Got the yard mowed, but overslept so I got a later start. Enough wind to make the feels like temp more tolerable.

Willie: you may be right about the heat as we've had more days over 100° than average, I do know it's not a pollination issue. I also think the varieties of the 2 trees have something to do with it as well. They've been in the ground 8 years and were supposed to be able to handle production their first year, but I've read from others having issues a well. They no longer sell 1 of the 2. The pecan also needs a tree from different parents. My real idea in planting it in the first place is that they can make a wind hardy shade tree. Yes I was the squirrel.

Christian: Welcome to here. There was a guy from France that was in and out under several different names. I wasn't aware that he was either disliked or a problem either, but has your name.
 
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Karl- The only game console I've ever had is a Wii which I gave to the grandkids when they were younger. I only have about a 30 minute attention span while playing games.
Curt, I had use of a Wii about 10 years ago, right after I had a stroke. A friend insisted I try it , I was skeptical at 1st, but soon saw the promise in it. Between bowling, tennis and a few other games I went from standing with a walker with one hand trying to hold the controller still while the other pressed buttons to winning games in 2 months. I also was outpatient 3 times a week at Kernan Hospital near Baltimore. The nurses there were impressed with my progress so much that they eventually got a Wii for the rehab unit.
The PS2 was a hand me down from one of the kids. I don't play them much now unless they are here, otherwise I have my trains!.
 
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I just spent the last couple of hours talking to a friend. He's pretty upset, and it may take some time for him to come to terms with it. He was running his train, and ran over a pedestrian. Plus, he's having trouble from the railroad over it. He works for a major railroad in the Western half of the US.
 
Good morning,
Just looking over some old threads, great modelling on this thread from what I have seen so far.

My first Layout - a 5' x 9' Modern BNSF Freelance
Tell me about it, there are so many I don't know where to look, all great builds, all with very realistic scenery, (I loved Willie's chickens). Then I look at my attempt and want to curl up on a corner, but having said that, they also all give me inspiration and a "one day, that'll be me" attitude towards my MRR.
 
Good morning from the suddenly wet So. Central Wisconsin where even though Terry’s TV weather last night said the rains will start at 1AM, at 10:45PM the skies opened up. It was not a pop up either as it may not have stopped since. I have 2.42” in the computerized weather stations around the property. I have not had a chance to check the new manual gauge yet this morning. Hey, it’s raining, I don’t want to get wet. Our flood warning for the area is telling us accumulations of 3-5” by noon are expected, along with flash flooding. It’s been so dry with just a 1” combined total since July 4th and that was in 3 rainfalls. The area definitely needs the rain. But, not so frigging much in maybe 14 hours. Yes, better then in less then a couple hours but this won’t soak in, it’s just flashing off! The radar indicates (below) the storm shouldn’t be too bad, no red in my area.

D3C7C13F-07AD-4811-9102-924989755FA8.png

Since it was so nasty for Wisconsin with high 90’s yesterday for the temperature and the heat index hitting at 5pm 110f, I spent most of the day in and out of the train room. I did post on my Weathering a Continous Thread over in the painting and weathering forums some pictures. More hopefully today. Terry is down in the stable checking the horses.

enjoy the day
 
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