Running Bear's Coffee Shop XLIX

[Trussrod]

I did run a 2-engine consist with about 19 cars and all seems to be ok except for 2 cars I think may need a little weight. Then again, if I put them at the back of the field they might be ok. There was a few gondolas with some scrap copper in them.
E.

Eric, Quite often dirt build up on the wheels can raise them up enough to cause derailments to. As I was just typing I was thinking I also need to check the wheels on some of my cars.

 

[logandsawman]

Eric, Quite often dirt build up on the wheels can raise them up enough to cause derailments to. As I was just typing I was thinking I also need to check the wheels on some of my cars.

I purchased most of my freight cars off ebay. Some were obviously very old and quite well used. There was an unbelievable amount of gunk built up on some of the wheels, in some cases I changed out the trucks altogether, sometimes I had to scrape off the junk with an exacto knife then clean them up with alcohol.

Even though my engines run smooth, I clean my track every couple weeks or so; to avoid this very thing. I use a good system of cloth and a small wood block and rubbing alcohol, going over the track and moving the cloth as the dirt accumulates. It only takes me a few minutes since I have done it so many times I have gotten quite good at it.

Dust from the basement and airborne particles, I believe, are the culprits. Sometimes when I turn on the shop vac very tiny dust that gets through the filters, I can see, blows out and I am sure that ends up on the track as well.

 

[Trussrod]

The coffee is good.
Need a picture. This is in Whiefish, MT.

View attachment 49167

Hi Chet, Nice shot, it looks like the old work horse could be put back in service. As for the location it brought back the memory of a neighbor when I was growing up in Woodland Hills, which is in the San Frenando valley to the NW of the Los Angeles area of Calif. Milfred Johnson also was from Whitefish and his cousin was General Curtis LeMay. I looked general LeMay, to ensure the correct spelling and Milfred looked a lot like him as I recall.

 

[bnsf971]

About the plane crash, my theory is the pilot suffered a catastrophic health incident, and died at the controls. It is far more likely than suicide, and I think the pilot accidentally locking himself out if the cockpit would have resulted in much more commotion on the data recorder.

 

[BigE]

I think Big E took a nap.

Indeed I did! About 2 hours worth. I'm still a little foggy right now.

 

[Bruette]

About the plane crash, my theory is the pilot suffered a catastrophic health incident, and died at the controls. It is far more likely than suicide, and I think the pilot accidentally locking himself out if the cockpit would have resulted in much more commotion on the data recorder.

I agree with you Terry, had it been anything else the plane would have made an erratic or drastic decent rather than the gradual decent that has been reported. I believe it is standard procedure to lock the door so it can only be opened from the inside. I also believe the low cost airline did not have enough stewardesses to have one wait with the remaining pilot like I have seen them do on flights I have been on. My family and I only fly with Delta, I don't know if we are any safer, but it makes me feel better.

 

[Trussrod]

I purchased most of my freight cars off ebay. Some were obviously very old and quite well used. There was an unbelievable amount of gunk built up on some of the wheels, in some cases I changed out the trucks altogether, sometimes I had to scrape off the junk with an exacto knife then clean them up with alcohol.

Even though my engines run smooth, I clean my track every couple weeks or so; to avoid this very thing. I use a good system of cloth and a small wood block and rubbing alcohol, going over the track and moving the cloth as the dirt accumulates. It only takes me a few minutes since I have done it so many times I have gotten quite good at it.

Dust from the basement and airborne particles, I believe, are the culprits. Sometimes when I turn on the shop vac very tiny dust that gets through the filters, I can see, blows out and I am sure that ends up on the track as well.

Hi LASM, Glad you affirmed the gunk build up on the wheels as it can, as you say, get quite bad. The easiest way I've found, in the past at least, to clean the wheels on the various cars is to hold them or lay them in a foam work cradle and use a variable speed dremel tool at a fairly slow speed with a wire wheel in it and let it rotate one wheel of an axel while holding slight tention on the other wheel to create a bit of drag which helps te wire wheel to brush the wheel off good.

Woodland Scenics says their Tidy Track, 'Roto Wheel Cleaner' while meant to clean the Loco's Drivers, also can be used, non-electrified to clean car wheels by roaling the the car back and forth on the fiber pads which you can also apply some cleaning solution to first but I have yet to try it on the cars. It seems to work fairly well on the locomotives.

Their Hand wand with the various pads works well too, especially with the pads that have groves cut in them so they ride the rails without wandering, I use the more abrasive pads and when those get a bit of dirt build up on them I use a hand held wire brush to clean them off so it's ready to go again.

What's nice about the wand is that the pivoting head can be somewhat locked in position for straight track or the base with the pads can be rotated 180* so it feely pivots for curved track and the design of the handle and how it attaches to the head allows you to easily move it through the tightest scenery or into tunnel portals with ease yet still hold downward pressure on it.

 

[bigB]

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I agree with you Terry, had it been anything else the plane would have made an erratic or drastic decent rather than the gradual decent that has been reported. I believe it is standard procedure to lock the door so it can only be opened from the inside. I also believe the low cost airline did not have enough stewardesses to have one wait with the remaining pilot like I have seen them do on flights I have been on. My family and I only fly with Delta, I don't know if we are any safer, but it makes me feel better.

Terry,
Who knows what this first officer's state of mind was, but the CVR is apparently indicating he knew exactly what he was doing--an intentional, malicious act.

Louis,
No, you guys are no safer, but you are equally safe. Interesting you have such brand loyalty for that reason. To each their own. You're extremley safe on any U.S. carrier and any Western European carrier. Safer than walking down the street...

Brad

 

[Flip]

Only time I got scared when flying was when the "Connie" lost an engine and we had to land in Carolina to wait for another plane. The plane they sent us was an ELECTRA! That scared me. I would rather have been on the Connie with three engines than that Electra.

Phil

 

[bnsf971]

The updates now say the crash was "a malicious act". I guess we'll see when all the facts are in.

 

[bigB]

Only time I got scared when flying was when the "Connie" lost an engine and we had to land in Carolina to wait for another plane. The plane they sent us was an ELECTRA! That scared me. I would rather have been on the Connie with three engines than that Electra.

Phil

Phil,

You've got quite a memory. Of course, something like that happens, you don't forget it.

Connies were beautiful airplanes.

As a friend of mine said, 'radial engines are round for a reason. They take a dump, you just roll em to the junkyard.' Lol

 

[bigB]

The updates now say the crash was "a malicious act". I guess we'll see when all the facts are in.

Terry,

What a novel idea! Do you mind cluing in the American media?
Despite their 'solve it today!' mentality, that's not how accident (or malicious acts) investigations work.

Brad

 

[BigE]

Terry,

What a novel idea! Do you mind cluing in the American media?
Despite their 'solve it today!' mentality, that's not how accident (or malicious acts) investigations work.

Brad

Agreed. The "malicious act" comment was made by some French prosecutor I heard early this morning.
Everyone should shut up until facts are known. Keep all speculations to themselves.
I don't know who said it but something to the effect that "lies/falsehoods get half-way round the world before the Truth gets its boots on".
Mark Twain/Sam Clemons perhaps???
E.

 

[Bruette]

An interesting side note, to me anyway; the only reason I am up this late is because my wife's flight is delayed.

BigE there is more to earning my loyalty the safety records, customer service is second.

I know why the media "beats the dead horse" (terrible analogy) over and over; ratings. CNN's ratings are never higher than during some "breaking news" story, even if it's the same news, or lack of news over and over. That is why I won't watch at these times.

 

[BigE]

Back to MRR....
I should know this answer but do not. Do modern day (80s and newer era) engines still use sand?
I might could find me a sand station like the hard-to-find fueling station I'm looking for.
Time for some scenery work and I ain't buying until I see the material. My Marine buddy across the street is all with me and watched me wire up all my feeders the other day. Maybe I should pester to get us a ride to the HobbyTown in Kennesaw instead of him giving me a dollar for 2 smokes.
Taxi ride would cost near $20 one way. That could get me a lot of stuff.

Guess I'll cook some supper and crash out for the night.
See you'ns tomorrow.
E.

 

[Bill Tidler Jr.]

Good Morning!

Partly cloudy and a chance of snow with a high of 33.

Temperature in Tipton IN

 

[bnsf971]

Eric, yes, they still use sand.
As for fueling facilities, I have one from Walthers that is a two track arrangement, with fuel hoses between the tracks, with an above-ground tank to be set off to the side.

 

[bnsf971]

Good morning. It's raining and 51.
We'll be taking our travel trailer to Wateree State Park this morning. It wil be our first outing since my wife had her stroke, and will allow us to see if she can make it to another, bigger, longer outing further away late this Spring.
I'll wave at Brad as we drive through Charlotte.

 

[Flip]

Good morning ! It's 67 and rainy. Scattered showers all day and maybe a high of 78.

Terry-best wishes for you on your trip. Easy on those wet roads.

Bill- Hope you kept coffee for yourself. I did bring pecan coffee cake and donuts.

Phil

 

[montanan]

Good morning all. Starting off at 42 degrees and we're supposed to get near 70 today.

Had to make a trip out of town yesterday on short noting but didn't see much action on Taptalk. Everyone snoozin, I know BigE took a nap.

My morning pic.

Haven't seen mush of the DRG. Love the lighting.