Running Bear's December 2021 Coffee Shop


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Good Morning all! A cool 51 degrees here in H-Town. It is however, sunny so it doesn't feel to bad to be outside.
Flo, biscuits and gravy please with lots of coffee.
The daughters and a grandson came by yesterday and put up the Christmas tree. We are planning to have the entire family here for Christmas, the first since 2019.
No real railroad news other than I ran a few trains, mostly just to sit and watch them chug through their little world.

STAY SAFE
LATER
I think playing with the layout is allowed, just don’t make a habit….slacker….grins
 
Good Morning All. Clear and chilly at 41° with the high only expected to be 54° today, a far cry from the 82° of the last two days. It will begin to warm up slowly tomorrow and hit 80° again Tuesday and Wednesday if the NWS is to be believed. Roller coaster weather is the norm for us at this time of year. Historically Christmas day is in the 70's more than in the 50's. Yes, we have had a couple of white Christmas's before. 4" in 2012 and 12" in 2009, those were more significant than anything in the previous 40 years that I have been keeping records at this house.

I split some more wood yesterday, I have minor soreness in the lower back today, not enough for a pain reliever though. Thankfully it doesn't usually affect me. Our home health care nurse Staci came by yesterday afternoon, I felt like I needed to observe since she was out of uniform wearing those Lululemon pants.
I spent almost an hour unsuccessfully setting the new camera up for wifi transfer of photos. Software all seemed to download OK, both the computer and camera. But the camera is having trouble communicating with the access point. It shows it is there, but just cannot communicate with it. So in the meantime I will just have to continue to remove the SD card and transfer the files the old way.

Thanks for the likes and comments regarding the latest project; Jerry, Rick, Patrick, Christian, Joe, Chad, Gary, Sherrel, Karl, Tom O, Tom H, Guy, Mikey, James, Jesse.

Chilly out there this morning Francine, so I'll take a couple of giant breakfast burritos with a big bowl of spicy salsa.

Life got in the way of a productive day in the train shed yesterday, although I got a little done. I first started by painting a concrete walkway on the layout's plywood surface, and installing a pipe to carry the corn oil to the pump house.
View attachment 136703
The pipe will emerge on the other side of the two tracks where the platform is. Then the plan has been to install a raised walkway from that door in the bakery to a corresponding door in the flour unloading facility. I don't know any other term to describe that building. So that has to be scratchbuilt.
Frame and supports made from Evergreen styrene shapes.
View attachment 136704
The walkway itself will be a metal grate made from this product.
View attachment 136705
I bought this about 20 years ago knowing that I would need it someday!
The end result after cutting it with an Exacto #11.
View attachment 136706
Next I will be adding handrails and crossover steps, both details that will only be visible from a small viewing area. But I have a lot of stuff like that on the layout. I am concerned about painting this. I want to use yellow, but I only have that color in brush-on paint and I am concerned about the mesh filling in. he mesh is pretty tiny.

Troy - Probably a little late to tell you, but a couple of $20's usually get things delivered inside around here.
Jerry - .

That bakery makes muffins which use corn oil. One of the doors is for incoming packaging materials and other supplies.
Tom H -

Steal away, I don't mind. They're meant to be shared. I got a lot of my ideas from others.
Excellent cab ride video of an equally excellent model railroad. I don't normally view videos that are that long, but I viewed it from beginning to end. I have been following your build thread for a few years now but I don't recall ever seeing a track plan. Does one exist?
Chris - I would never make that kind of promise to my wife.
Curt - Been there, done that. I once accidentally installed a Tomar bumping post (all metal) without an insulated rail joiner that shorted out the whole system. I finally located it by turning off individual DC blocks until the short went away and examined the spur that I had recently installed without testing.
Guy - Nice work on the structures. Can't wait to see them on a layout.
Sherrel - That is rather chilly for you out there. I have had a disappointing month in the market, but I finally regained everything in the last week. Still way up for the year though, but just 5.2%. I need to move more "safe money" into aggressive funds.

Nothing special about today except it's Saturday. It is another palindromic day as well, 12-11-21. One more coming this month in 11 more days.
Willie,
I have a basic drawing I did on a large piece of paper shows the benchwork and basic main track layout. Bu no I really dont have any drawings. There is a fella on another forum that has offered to help make one but I havent gotten to it yet. My knowledge on things computer are not very good. Glad you enjoyed the video.
 
I have a lot of sleep issue and my wife said I snore her out of the room sometimes. I talked to the NP at my Diabetes doctor's office and she set me up for a sleep study. I wound up having Central Sleep Apnea and had to get a BiPap ST machine which is for those of us with worse issues than those using a CPAP. They said I stopped breathing 29 times while asleep during my study.
Ken

my sleep issues started after returning from the 50th state. But my brother swears about how great his cCPAP machine is. As do so many others

IMO the machine business for sleep issues is the biggest of insurance and medical scams. Every illness they talk about at the doctor office always comes down to Sleep. Any pills I take are, “well you need this because you are a diabetic”.

Please don’t think I am blasting you and your machine I am not. It works for you and I am happy for you for that.

By the way, when you joined the Railroad Line forums the other day IMO you joinEd one of the most helpful group of supreme scratch modeling experts online. There are none that come close. Like being here there are no egos there


TomO
 
Good afternoon. Finally a decent night sleep from midnight to 8:45am. Lots of action here this morning in the Diner.

Tested at the Conic this morning and waited until the lab got the results, negative go home the doctor will call you, she had an emergency to handle and is working on that patient. Doctor called and said that while home test kits are 95% accurate they don’t always tell the right story. on and on she went. I don’t have Covidand now will fight our insurance for this mornings testing at the Clinic instead of the free Dane County drive throughs.

Jerry, also congrats on retirement. I retired at 61 and turned 62 a months later and drew my SS immediately. When you draw and why are very important and really take the time on a withdrawal decision. In my case (ducking behind the counter) while I am entitled to it, as I was part of the program I fortunately don’t need it. Want it, of course, need, nope. It is my spending money for hobbies.

Philly, the City. Been there, done that both for football and hockey. While they are a tough hard nosed fandom for their teams Terry and I whenever we were there for the NFL we were never mistreated. In Detroit yes, a nasty terrible and scary city. Don’t wear your team stuff in Detroit, East Lansing or Ann Arbor, IMO.

Absolutely terrible days past and coming for Kentucky and Illinois weather victims. I see the EPA has been taxed with discovering the role Climate Change has affected the severe weather being experienced. This ought to be an interesting report.

Police, government, clergy and others: no one is perfect, no one is ever 100% right. There are bad apples in each barrel but when you find them do the right thing, throw them out or in this case expose them publicly. Our problem basically being exposed now is that in many cases it is years later that we find out about these wrongs. Lots of folks knew but swept stuff under the rug. Well you know the rug gets lumpy and someone checks out why and that were the bad apple stories went. I find that NDA or non disclosure agreement are a good part of the problem. Eliminate them from the legal system and we may get less under the rug. This is a minor project to be worked on. Has anyone have any ideas on the nail plate, how to do?
22739F48-0210-4D68-A8FB-355867255792.jpeg

TomO
 
Afternoon All,

Started out with some chores then did the initial ballasting (dirt) on the new sidings and cinders on the track where coal gets dumped for the coaling tower. Now at a standstill until tomorrow. I need to look on YouTube for making a walking path. The idea is a path from the terminal office to where the diesels are at.

Jaz- Great looking kitchen. Great scenes. Awesome scratch building. I love the 3-wheeler.

Joe- Thank you. That was a great game.

Dave- That will be a highlight of your layout.

Terry- Congratulations on your new arrivals. I would have thought the IM locos would run better than the Bachmann.

TomO- The building looks like it started as a roundhouse. I look forward to seeing what you do with it. What's the purpose of the egg crate and straws? You could use tulle for that.

Troy- Sad news about Anne Rice. I read 3-4 of her vampire books until I had my fill of vampires. Same thing happened with the "walking dead series", I watched 3 seasons then got tired of zombies and basically the same story line every season.

Willie- Nice scenes. Neat scratch build. Too bad it isn't in a more visible location.

Guy- I have found it amazing how small things really change the look of the building, even if it's a cheap plastic kit.

This terminal office replaces the foundry. This is from FOS and I believe it was my first craftsman kit even if it's pretty basic.

20211211_172251.jpg

I hope everyone has a good night.
 
There is a billboard in Baltimore "Defund the police and free Palestinian" WTF?

Defunding the police anywhere is a stupid idea. Defunding the police in Baltimore is insanity!

While I'm on this topic, the Baltimore Police take a lot of blame for our rise in violent crime. I believe the problem is Baltimore's prosecutor. Why arrest people when the prosecutor lets half of them off.
I'll share my idea to curb the drug problem and crime overall. Arrest people for public intoxication and hold them for 24 hours.
 
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Good afternoon Everybody!

Been very busy, thank God for the energy needed. 😁 now that I'm feeling so.much better I realize just how sick I was for so long.

We must support our troops from the time they signup until the time they leave us. God Bless them all.

I believe every citizen should vote, but no one should be President unless they have served in the armed forces. It is easy to talk tough when you don't know what you are talking about.

Have a great day Everybody!

God bless us Everyone
 
Louis: Nice to see you wound up, a tad. Means you're feeling better. I agree with everything you have to say.
Problem with most East Coast cities, with Orthodox Progressive Liberal Mayors and Prosecutors is that they believe their own rhetoric. They couldn't see evil, if the fell in a pool of it, but know how to address it...by blaming everyone, but the evil, for the evil behavior.

Can't fix stupid...
 
Thanks Troy for bringing up Ann Rice. I was unaware of her passing. I spent so much enjoyable time reading her books over the years. Her books and Tom Clancy’s are the only ones that I couldn’t wait for the paperbacks to come out, so I purchased the hardcovers.

Have you tried printing out any HO or other scale Railroad workers.

TomO
I haven't found any to print yet. But, I also haven't looked.

I did print out a Tiger tank at 1:160 scale, and put it next to a Woodland Scenics dude and car (from the carwash scene)

The Tiger is almost 10 tall, and over 20 feet long on the chassis. The actual tank is 20mm high and 37mm long. My brain isn't up to figuring out the maths on the conversion. Might still be too large
Screenshot 2021-12-12 at 5.30.42 PM.png
 
This terminal office replaces the foundry. This is from FOS and I believe it was my first craftsman kit even if it's pretty basic.
Curt- You did a nice job on the kit. Looks like all the windows went into the right holes! I sometimes have trouble with that.
I like the way you faded the paint and washed the roofing. Nice light weathering touch all around and the lighting is about the correct brightness for each room.
My only question is why do you have dirt and rocks on the lower roof? It is only my ignorance asking.
 
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Good afternoon. Finally a decent night sleep from midnight to 8:45am. Lots of action here this morning in the Diner.

Tested at the Conic this morning and waited until the lab got the results, negative go home the doctor will call you, she had an emergency to handle and is working on that patient. Doctor called and said that while home test kits are 95% accurate they don’t always tell the right story. on and on she went. I don’t have Covidand now will fight our insurance for this mornings testing at the Clinic instead of the free Dane County drive throughs.

Jerry, also congrats on retirement. I retired at 61 and turned 62 a months later and drew my SS immediately. When you draw and why are very important and really take the time on a withdrawal decision. In my case (ducking behind the counter) while I am entitled to it, as I was part of the program I fortunately don’t need it. Want it, of course, need, nope. It is my spending money for hobbies.

Philly, the City. Been there, done that both for football and hockey. While they are a tough hard nosed fandom for their teams Terry and I whenever we were there for the NFL we were never mistreated. In Detroit yes, a nasty terrible and scary city. Don’t wear your team stuff in Detroit, East Lansing or Ann Arbor, IMO.

Absolutely terrible days past and coming for Kentucky and Illinois weather victims. I see the EPA has been taxed with discovering the role Climate Change has affected the severe weather being experienced. This ought to be an interesting report.

Police, government, clergy and others: no one is perfect, no one is ever 100% right. There are bad apples in each barrel but when you find them do the right thing, throw them out or in this case expose them publicly. Our problem basically being exposed now is that in many cases it is years later that we find out about these wrongs. Lots of folks knew but swept stuff under the rug. Well you know the rug gets lumpy and someone checks out why and that were the bad apple stories went. I find that NDA or non disclosure agreement are a good part of the problem. Eliminate them from the legal system and we may get less under the rug. This is a minor project to be worked on. Has anyone have any ideas on the nail plate, how to do?
View attachment 136807
TomO
Print them on shiny paper...
 
Good afternoon. Finally a decent night sleep from midnight to 8:45am. Lots of action here this morning in the Diner.

Tested at the Conic this morning and waited until the lab got the results, negative go home the doctor will call you, she had an emergency to handle and is working on that patient. Doctor called and said that while home test kits are 95% accurate they don’t always tell the right story. on and on she went. I don’t have Covidand now will fight our insurance for this mornings testing at the Clinic instead of the free Dane County drive throughs.

Jerry, also congrats on retirement. I retired at 61 and turned 62 a months later and drew my SS immediately. When you draw and why are very important and really take the time on a withdrawal decision. In my case (ducking behind the counter) while I am entitled to it, as I was part of the program I fortunately don’t need it. Want it, of course, need, nope. It is my spending money for hobbies.

Philly, the City. Been there, done that both for football and hockey. While they are a tough hard nosed fandom for their teams Terry and I whenever we were there for the NFL we were never mistreated. In Detroit yes, a nasty terrible and scary city. Don’t wear your team stuff in Detroit, East Lansing or Ann Arbor, IMO.

Absolutely terrible days past and coming for Kentucky and Illinois weather victims. I see the EPA has been taxed with discovering the role Climate Change has affected the severe weather being experienced. This ought to be an interesting report.

Police, government, clergy and others: no one is perfect, no one is ever 100% right. There are bad apples in each barrel but when you find them do the right thing, throw them out or in this case expose them publicly. Our problem basically being exposed now is that in many cases it is years later that we find out about these wrongs. Lots of folks knew but swept stuff under the rug. Well you know the rug gets lumpy and someone checks out why and that were the bad apple stories went. I find that NDA or non disclosure agreement are a good part of the problem. Eliminate them from the legal system and we may get less under the rug. This is a minor project to be worked on. Has anyone have any ideas on the nail plate, how to do?
View attachment 136807
TomO
Tin foil-dull side,plastic. cable ties just hide the join
 
Good afternoon Everybody!

Been very busy, thank God for the energy needed. 😁 now that I'm feeling so.much better I realize just how sick I was for so long.

We must support our troops from the time they signup until the time they leave us. God Bless them all.

I believe every citizen should vote, but no one should be President unless they have served in the armed forces. It is easy to talk tough when you don't know what you are talking about.

Have a great day Everybody!

God bless us Everyone
I also believe that no one should be President if they haven't owned a business where a payroll had to meet a payroll
 
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