Running Bear's Coffee Shop LXXI


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Justin - Good luck on your mainline.

On the subject of tracks, I was playing around with my SCARM software this morning and ran into a snag. How do those of you that use these programs for layout planning get around the inconveniences of tracks not lining up and not having the correct sizes available to make a complete loop? I know pics would help explain my issue, but I'll have to post that later. I'm trying to set up a double mainline with crossovers on one side and turnouts to the inside on the other and the best I could get it to do was slightly overlap one way or not quite touch the other. If I wasn't using EZ Track, I know I could trim it off, but what do you do when none of the available pieces work?

Jesse
 
ACL-CSX said:
Justin - Good luck on your mainline.

On the subject of tracks, I was playing around with my SCARM software this morning and ran into a snag. How do those of you that use these programs for layout planning get around the inconveniences of tracks not lining up and not having the correct sizes available to make a complete loop? I know pics would help explain my issue, but I'll have to post that later. I'm trying to set up a double mainline with crossovers on one side and turnouts to the inside on the other and the best I could get it to do was slightly overlap one way or not quite touch the other. If I wasn't using EZ Track, I know I could trim it off, but what do you do when none of the available pieces work?

Jesse
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Hello Jesse...I've just taken a look at EZ Track and it looks remarkably similar to Marklin 'C' Track and like the 'M' Track I use it isn't terribly forgiving...
Through the years I found that a very small 'Miss' in a long run can be 'Fudged' into place...My current plan has a 'Miss' I haven't been able to figure out
yet...It's a 'Miss' of less than 1/4" in a 22' run so I should be able to make it work if I can't get the geometry squared away...I hope...I still don't like it...
And a Question: Does the EZ Track have an adapter from EZ to Flex ???

I have the SCARM software so if you post an image I could give it a look but I'm certainly no expert...I might see something ???...Trig
 
Trigster said:
Hello Jesse...I've just taken a look at EZ Track and it looks remarkably similar to Marklin 'C' Track and like the 'M' Track I use it isn't terribly forgiving...
Through the years I found that a very small 'Miss' in a long run can be 'Fudged' into place...My current plan has a 'Miss' I haven't been able to figure out
yet...It's a 'Miss' of less than 1/4" in a 22' run so I should be able to make it work if I can't get the geometry squared away...I hope...I still don't like it...
And a Question: Does the EZ Track have an adapter from EZ to Flex ???

I have the SCARM software so if you post an image I could give it a look but I'm certainly no expert...I might see something ???...Trig
Click to expand...
I've never seen an EZ track to standard adapter, though I have seen a Unitrak to standard track adapte.
 
Trig - I will try to post one later tonight or tomorrow. My laptop battery is dead and the charger is in the bedroom where my son is trying to nap. The gap I have is less than an 1/8 of an inch, so I'm sure with the actual track I could fudge things into place. Unfortunately,the software does not have any "wiggle room" and is either connected or not. It's rather frustrating and the reason I stopped using it before and made track templates out of cardboard. Unfortunately, the pieces I need to figure out I don't have to make templates with.

Jesse
 
ACL-CSX said:
Trig - I will try to post one later tonight or tomorrow. My laptop battery is dead and the charger is in the bedroom where my son is trying to nap. The gap I have is less than an 1/8 of an inch, so I'm sure with the actual track I could fudge things into place. Unfortunately,the software does not have any "wiggle room" and is either connected or not. It's rather frustrating and the reason I stopped using it before and made track templates out of cardboard. Unfortunately, the pieces I need to figure out I don't have to make templates with.

Jesse
Click to expand...

Hello Jesse...

10-4...The Software is 'True' to the Track Geometry and won't let me fudge a connection either...I asked about the 'Adapter' because when I look in SCARM
at the set for EZ/NS Track I saw a piece of 'Flex' at the top of the selection list...Really more my curiosity than anything...I guess it can be done by custom
building a section ???...Bachmann/Atlas/Kato/Peco/Marklin...So many variations...I'm sure I missed about a dozen others !!!...I do enjoy learning :)...Trig
 
Sirfoldalot said:
Morning Folks! It’s 50 headed towards 74 today with mixed clouds; weather folks say rain is coming in the next few days.
Have to go shopping for a new dishwasher today – it decided to go tits up about half way through the cycle. Maybe I will just let the Spousal Unit do the shopping – I will just have to sit on her to keep from buying the most expensive one in the store. Did I mention that? She is good at that! For Christmas I told daughter in N.C. that I wanted a Timex watch – I have not had a wrist watch since my previous one quit the month I retired in 1995. I had a nice looking Timex that had lasted over 10 years and I liked the looks and feel of it and I wanted the SAME kind again. You should have heard all the discussion between my daughter and wife. They did their best to try and persuade me to want a “gaudy, big, and expensive watch. I did get what I wanted much to their disappointment – and I love it. It is just exactly like the one that I had before and it will probably outlive me.
I feel for all you folks putting up with the cold. Daughter in N.C. called yesterday morning at 5 AM – they had no heat and said that they had checked everything. They have a heat pump – all electric house – and I don’t know the first thing about a heat pump? After doing a bunch of reading yesterday – I still don’t understand how it works! Long story short – they borrowed some heaters from neighbors and finally got a tech to come out. The motor up in the attic had burned out! Why would it pick this particular cold spell to crap out? One of life’s mysteries I guess.
I also replaced the windscreen wipers on the car yesterday in anticipation of the forecast rain – Ha.
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Saw this late, Sherrel, but I had a Heat Pump when I lived in MD and PA. From what I remember, the heat pump has two stages, one is the heat pump itself which kocks off when the outside temperature drops below 30°. The second stage is a "back-up" which is usually straight electric. While it should be set to come on automatically, but in some cases it's set to off, especially in a Mild place in NC.
 
OK...Now I'm a Happy Camper...Nice Clean Canvas to work with and it's smoother than I expected...
And it's dead flat and spot on level in all directions...I'll take all the good luck I can get my hands on !!!

Trig :D

Board.JPG...But now I've run out of excuses not to get back to Cleaning & Testing the gear !!!
 
Joe - Thanks for the info! Daughter had told me that they do have an "emergency heat" setting on the thermostat - I presume that is what you mean? She said that they had tried that, but that was before they learned that the blower motor had burned out, so it did not help.

Trigster - Table top Looks good. I hope that works for you. What is the thickness of the cork? I think that you still need a "roadbed" under the track for in order to look more like a railroad track?

Ken in VA - Modules are looking good. I like the carrier you have built. I hope that you were pulling someone's leg about the cycle? I don't think you have lost your marbles yet!
 
Good evening, y'all. Temperature has been holding at 7° F all evening.

I spent some time sorting and separating model paint in the basement, separating the water based and solvent based bottles. Some of these have been around for years, others are new. Funny thing is, I keep buying the same colors over and over. Also noticed, I'm lacking in Concrete, sand, rail brown and tie brown, as well as rust and aged concrete. Also have some Testors enamel, model master and Craft acrylics. Mostly in scenery color. need to reorganize everything so perhaps, I can find something when I need it. :rolleyes:

Sherrel: Well obviously, the burnt out blower motor would have prevented the heat from working, but the "emergency heat" setting is probably what I meant. Heat pumps are perfect for moderate winters, but once a deep freeze sets in, they lack the guts to maintain the household temperature. Back in the '70s, we had a house with a heat pump, in PA. It suddenly got cold, Christmas eve, and we awoke on Christmas Morning with frozen pipes in the utility room and kitchen. Oh what fun that was, on Christmas Morning, with little people, Santa, and guests. Fortunately FIL had a torch, solder and flux and a few fittings... So much for R-19 Wall insulation and that geo thermal pitch...

Hope things were fixed quickly, my son says it's damned cold there below Jacksonville. (He's been on work from home status all the past week, because the building he works out of at Cherry Point, has inadequate heat, not to mention the ice and snow).
 
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Sirfoldalot said:
Joe

Ken in VA - Modules are looking good. I like the carrier you have built. I hope that you were pulling someone's leg about the cycle? I don't think you have lost your marbles yet!
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No, really did go out for a ride just for the bragging rights. Roads were dry, so the only issue was covering exposed skin. So today was my coldest riding temp, -5.
 
D&J RailRoad said:
No, really did go out for a ride just for the bragging rights. Roads were dry, so the only issue was covering exposed skin. So today was my coldest riding temp, -5.
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What did you do about the heated glove situation?

OK ... maybe I am wrong (not surprising) that you really have lost your marbles? LOL
 
As I posted that GE Brazillian export vid the other day and found this one preceeding it of more in different livery and there was some discussion on my "Dozer" thread about the fact they have 8 wheel trucks, this one shows a better view of the difference between those locos and the standard 6 wheel type, because, of the 7 locos, 6 have the 8 wheel, and only 1 the six. Can you spot it. Also note how the 8 wheel trucks are arranged (3 flat cars behind).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=QIP-vPLCh5I
 
Very early good morning y'all. Today we have 16°, feels like 10°, and a toothache. Going to have to pay the dentist a visit tomorrow to see what can be done about it. Hope everyone is better off than I am today. Will check back in after church.

Oh, and no donuts today Flo, but don't be stingy with the coffee.

Jesse
 
Good morning.
3 degrees in the miuntains North of Asheville.
And the heat pump in this house blows... :(
 
Good morning, Happy Sunday! -4°F on my sensor, -8°F at the Manasquan Reservoir, some 5 miles from me. Going up to 14° this afternoon, if we are lucky. Actually, after today, we will be into a warming trend. Chet, you can have your winter weather back! :rolleyes:
 
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