Running Bear's Coffee Shop XLIX


Morning gents. Mid 40s here going to low-mid 60s later on.
Got my yard tower built this morning.
I was going to build it yesterday but my Marine buddy, CJ, was over last night.
Had too many beers to do a decent job anyhow.
That's ok. Gave me something to do this morning.
Turned out pretty nice if I do say so myself.
Part of the upper stairs didn't line up very well but the casual observer wouldn't notice.
I'll figure out something to fix it.

I probably should have painted some of the trim to accent it before assembly. Ain't hindsight always a wonderful thing. :(
I only have a few bottles of REALLY old paint from the old days laying around.
Anyone know any sort of assortment of paints, brushes, thinner/cleaner I can get all in a package at once?

What are those gray pipe looking things suppose to be?
Here it is.

YardTower1.JPGYardTower2.JPGYardTower3.JPG
 
CMMR said:
BigE - what you have is an interlocking tower. It goes back to when signals were operated manually via mechanical linkages coming from the tower. The "gray pipe looking things" are the linkages. There is more info here if you are interested:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signalling_control
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Thank you Gary! That would explain why the directions call them "interlocking rods" but I didn't know what that is either. I guess since I'm running more modern era stuff I don't really need them on my layout.

Man, I gotta open a window. That styrene liquid welding cement gives me a headache.
The Plastruct Weldene seems to be worse than the Testors stuff.
E
 
Evening All,

Well today I had planned to do the last rake of the yard and then put in the first part of the inclines on the layout but the only thing I accomplished was taking a long nap. I do feel more awake now. Tomorrow I have to go downtown with my son and it will probably take up most the day.

bsmart- Welcome to the diner.

BigE- Nice job on the tower.

I hope everybody has a good night.
 
I managed to find some time to get started on the little Bachmann DCC (with sound) 2-6-0. The UP markings were removed and when I was getting ready to letter it for the LV, it works out that the tender was too small for the decals I had, so I just put the initials on the tender. Kadee 158 couplers were also installed. Most of my packages of decals have been around for decades and are a bit dry and really have to be applied carefully.

IMAG0330.jpgIMAG0331.jpg

Some time in the near future I guess I'll have to crank up the air brush and get this weathered, along with some of the Kadee box cars I picked up recently.

KEN - The sound does work on this locomotive operating it on DC. At idle, you can hear the compressors. When you slowly increase the power and the engine starts moving, it sounds the whistle twice and the bell comes on until the speed picks up. It also sounds the whistle once when the engine is stopped and sounds the whistle three times when started off in reverse, and of course, chuffs. The only thing I can't do with it is sound the whistle at crossings.

I really appreciate my sons intentions but with its pulling power short trains only.

I also got started on the Walthers fence kit for the salvage yard yesterday. The fence is supposed to resemble a corrigated metal fence. The fencing material has been painted a sd=silver color and will have to have some character (rust) added before it get put up. Unfortunately, there is not enough length in the kit so I had an old MDC old timer baggage car I found in one of the many boxes and decided to use it for a shop/office to take up the distance that I don't have enough fence for. After all, it is a salvage yars, why not use an old train car. With warmer weather, my time in the train room will get less and less.

IMAG0332.jpg
 
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I just read some sad news across the street: Bob Hartle, a.k.a. "crmproducts", died suddenly a few days ago from a heart attack. I'm sure a few of you in here know who he was - the guy in Clarion, PA who hosted frequent op-til-you-drop sessions on his large layout. He had fairly strong opinions on just about everything (especially track maintenance), and he frequently ended his sentences with an exclamation point (!). I always enjoyed reading his posts.

I do remember him sharing something about having an emergency heart procedure done last year. Goes to show that we should make the most of our time today because we can't always be sure we will have another "tomorrow"...
 
Chett, for grade crossing signal try giving the throttle a little voltage "spike". Tsunami says that will operate that signal in DC.
 
CSX_road_slug said:
Good morning. 32*F and sunny with a 10mph wind in my part of MD.


Joe/Louis - you guys are bringing back memories of the "glory days" of railfanning in Baltimore. B&O's Riverside loco terminal; WM's Port Covington; Beth Steel at Sparrows Point; the network of B&O interlocking towers where I would often hang out [sometimes in the middle of the night], waiting for trains. All of those are long gone now *sigh*.
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Ken: I was only at Riverside Engine terminal once, one evening during an ice storm in 1985. My purpose was to obtain a Chessie System Portable radio, to place in Anacostia Tower to permit communications with the B&O trains out of Potomac Yard. (B&O had rights on the PRR Main Line - Landover to RO, between RO and Anacostia). For some reason, Anacostia Tower's radio had failed, and while there was no problem communicating with CR trains using a Conrail portable, the B&O trains were another issue. Most engines were at that time not equipped with the 98 frequency universal radios. Once Chessie System determined they could issue the radio to Conrail, (Corporation, and not to an individual); I had to drive down the BW parkway to DC, to get to Anacostia. Fortunately, MD, the Park Service, and the DC DOT had treated the road surface, so the trip was uneventful. I was impressed that Riverside was the overnight layover point for the RDCs between Camden Station, and Washington Terminal. Now, even Potomac Yard is gone. Never thought that would happen.

One of the best locations for railfanning in DC was Virginia Ave. Tower. (Also long gone). Everything passed Virginia, the passenger trains off the RF&P and the Southern, Chessie and Conrail road freight, and Benning Yard drills. It was also a good location to set up radar and make signal tests. :eek:

Don't forget the Fells Point tractor crews, and the night "City Block" transfer move from Bayview to Presidents Street down the middle of Boston street and Aliceanna. Friday nights were always good for a slow speed collision between a somewhat impeded motorist and a locomotive. Then there was always the early morning derailment somewhere along Boston St. Always good for "laughs" :rolleyes:. Now, the street railroad is gone too.
 
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bnsf971 said:
Joe, were you one of the people that hid in the weeds with a radar gun?
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Never hid in the weeds, :eek: always in plain sight, :rolleyes: or inside the tower. Weeds are infested with mosquitoes, :mad:, towers were (generally) air conditioned.:cool:.

Worst time, was the day I had someone from the System Rules department and an FRA guy with me.....they really wanted to make an example of someone. So, we set up in the weeds, and waited. the only train that went by that night did everything by the book. My "guests" were so mad. WTF, it was Monday night, which was normally light on traffic. System guy should have known that. They never came out and bothered me again.
 
Good morning folks! I hope that everyone's doing well....
Has anyone ever seen a good trackplan orwhatyacallit, over Milwaukee Road in Avery?

%20at%20Avery%20Idaho%20by%20Scrafford_zpsb9g2tswo.jpg


A quiet afternoon in June of 1972 at Avery, Idaho, by Scrafford
 
Good morning all. 53 degrees and clear this morning, supposed to get into the 60's today.

Toot - I'll give it a try on the voltage spike to see if it will make the whistle work. My Z-5 is equipped with Tsunami sound and when I do take it from its home in its box and run it for the sake of keeping it lubricated, I didn't see nay results by a voltage increase. Here a picture of one of your Aussie locomotives.

tr4353.jpg A pretty big boy. Tell us about it.

113 - Nice shot of the Avery yard. Brings back memories.
 
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I'll let Wikipedia explain it 'cause they've been through a few hands. Don't see that class up here in Qld, as the gauge is 3'6". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NR_class. PN do have both container on flat car (single stack) on 3 car drawbar coupled purpose built cars and coal transport service. Queensland Rail (QR, state owned) also owned Queensland National which was one of the largest interstate operators as well, but that got sold off and is now known as Aurizon rail. Passenger services are the only ones now owned by the state. Here are a couple of 71 class hauling coal in central Qld
7288.1299317627[1].jpg

The interchange between Qld and NSW is at the Port of Brisbane where everything gets swapped over between the gauges (NSW being Std gauge). It's been said that our main line, which is still single in most places will need upgrading with a new dedicated freight only track by 2020 (was 2016), hope they have the sense to make it Std.
 
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