Running Bear's February 2020 Coffee Shop


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Good afternoon all. Yes it's been a while. Sometimes I wish real life were as peaceful as the one I created on plywood and foam. Car buying, well repairs, washing machine breaks and family member having surgery, but alas life goes on. I did manage to go to the train show in Stafford yesterday. The organizers should be pleased. Crowded.
 
I've been using JMRI for a few years now. It has a small learning curve, but it has also saved my butt on more than one occasion. Eventually I want to have my roster completely added in with photos of each engine and all the programming settings, one of these days.

The Lok Programmer is a little different Karl. It does pretty much all of the same stuff JMRI does, and a little more, but it operates a little differently. One thing I've learned is this. When you bring home a new loco, or finish an install, the first thing you want to do is create a decoder project, save it as your loco number and whatever other identification you want to use, read the decoder data, save the project, and password protect it. That way you always have your start point handy, kind of like a restore point on windows. Then I create a second project file, same loco number and "consist" or rev 1 or whatever you want, save that file, and start experimenting. if anyone is interested enough I'll relay my "adventures" as I go :)
 
Back for awhile after dinner. Tried to watch the Daytona 500, but the rain delay happened. Played rummy with the Mrs. and won two games with one won by 10 points.

Change of plans for tomorrow. Going to continue stringing utility pole wiring on one area of the layout, but first I need to set one pole and drill a hole for my lamp post and do the scenery in a small area near the Junction. And, I'll finish the last coal hopper with decals and assemble. Will use the entire day in the layout room.

The wiring with take most of the day.

Espessfan: Please keep us posted on your progress with the Lok Programmer. I'm not sure why some decoder manufactures need to make programming harder than the rest of the decoders on the market.

Recliner time and good night everyone.

Greg

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Woods Scene.JPG

A wet area in a rock formation near Rocky Junction where the mainline separates and can run as a spur to the Pine River Yard or go on to the future freight yard area. The well maintained caboose is sure different in appearance than the weathered other pieces of rolling stock.-Greg
 
Nothing accomplished today except getting to the aforementioned luncheon. I'm glad I went - the food was spectacular and the company was great. I brought home a new pinto bean recipe that is out of this world. It was located uo on the mesa west of Murrieta about 45-50 minutes away - everything in CA seems to be at least an hour away even though you can almost see where you are headed!

Don't know about the weather forecasters ... there was not a wisp of a cloud all day and the temp this afternoon was 75 degrees with very light breeze.
Well - that's about it - time to feed the mutts - they are becoming restless!
 
Announcement from General Motors today the the Holden Motors name brand will cease at the end of this year. The last Australian built vehicle came off the line in 2017, since then, badge engineered vehicles have been offered.

Another bit of news on a business page, it will also mean the end of GM's involvement of the production of RHD vehicles worldwide. So although there was talk during the announcement of Chev's Corvette, maybe being involved in racing (Ford's Mustang, which is still marketed here has dominated the Supercar racing), that would appear to limit it's availability on the market.
 
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Just want to add that I have a Digitrax PR-4 which makes programming reading back CV's a easy process.

Greg
The user interfaces are similar Greg, but the two devices are apples and oranges. the Lok Programmer manages sound effects as well as everything else and allows you to add sounds or completely change the sound file in the decoder, like I have to do with a decoder with generic sound to an Alco 539. there's a bunch more sheets. Once I get up the learning curve, I expect I'll find it easy. I'm already picking up things. Lok sound didn't really make it any harder, they just made it possible for you to do more things, hence more to learn.
 
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Howdy everyone!

I want to thank everyone who liked my stuff! :)

Tom - thanks for the depressed center link. That is one fine looking heavy hauler!
Absolutely great show photos!

Willie - great work on the C-10! Wow - you lost 30 pounds! I have to get on the "eat less" diet,
as I have a physical in 4 weeks and want to be sure my levels are in the normal zone.

Sherrel - nice U-boat! Good that you have your "heater" working again.

Greg - all of your layout photos are excellent!

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I've been keeping busy with layout work this past weekend and got a lot accomplished. The
three grade crossings are constructed and the highways are laid. I also started painting
the asphalt.
Yesterday morning, I went to a local train show. I met Ken (goldnut) there and had a good
time. Both of us came home with some good stuff. I picked up a NOS Athearn GP60
demonstrator and paid $33 for it. The seller claimed it was like new and had very little run
time. At home I removed the shell and it was very clean with nothing worn or broken.
After a test run, I was convinced that it was indeed new. It's the first demonstrator I've owned
and really like the paint colors. Not bad for $33! :)

Everyone have a good one!
Jim

hWtdGaB.jpg

8YXSYYI.jpg
 
28 days until the cruise; it's getting hard to think of anything else. Actually, 24 days until we hop in the car for the drive to Fort Lauderdale.

Mrs Beady is having cataract surgery this afternoon. They're doing one eye today and the other in two weeks. I had one eye done two years ago and didn't think it was any big deal; might have the other eye done later this year.

A few weeks ago the wife was standing in line at the post office when, for some reason, she had occasion to say our name out loud. The woman behind her asked if she was related to "John;" the wife said yes, and it turned out the woman and I worked together at the Coast Guard hospital on Kodiak, Alaska, 40 years ago. Now she lives about three miles from us, along the route we travel to go grocery shopping. We haven't got together yet, but I hope to in the next several days.

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Howdy everyone!

I want to thank everyone who liked my stuff! :)

Tom - thanks for the depressed center link. That is one fine looking heavy hauler!
Absolutely great show photos!

Willie - great work on the C-10! Wow - you lost 30 pounds! I have to get on the "eat less" diet,
as I have a physical in 4 weeks and want to be sure my levels are in the normal zone.

Sherrel - nice U-boat! Good that you have your "heater" working again.

Greg - all of your layout photos are excellent!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been keeping busy with layout work this past weekend and got a lot accomplished. The
three grade crossings are constructed and the highways are laid. I also started painting
the asphalt.
Yesterday morning, I went to a local train show. I met Ken (goldnut) there and had a good
time. Both of us came home with some good stuff. I picked up a NOS Athearn GP60
demonstrator and paid $33 for it. The seller claimed it was like new and had very little run
time. At home I removed the shell and it was very clean with nothing worn or broken.
After a test run, I was convinced that it was indeed new. It's the first demonstrator I've owned
and really like the paint colors. Not bad for $33! :)

Everyone have a good one!
Jim

hWtdGaB.jpg

8YXSYYI.jpg


these are good units...although the cabs are incorrect. I started years ago kit bashing new cabs for them. I have yet to finish them.


EDIT: Holy cow ....I did some research and found this omg....well 3d printing is amazing these days....

https://www.shapeways.com/product/4LXLV6AWB/gp60-demo-cab-nose-asbuilt

wow!
 

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Good Morning All. 57° and clear skies with a hint of fog this morning. Temperature got higher yesterday than the forecast, 74° instead of 68°, predicting 76° for today's high. Dips to freezing again Thursday night for what could be the last freeze of the season. I have actually had them come in April before, but it's rare, only three times in the 42 years of gardening records that I have accumulated. Usually the last one is around March 12. In 2018, the last one was February 12.

Thanks for the likes and comments regarding the progress pictures yesterday; Bob, Sherrel, Jerome, Joe, James, Justin, Ken, Karl, Jim.

Sausage and sunny-side-up eggs for me today Flo. And a couple of pieces of whole wheat toast to mop things up with.

Not a lot of visible progress yesterday in the train shed. I did install the bollards at the grain elevator (the structure).
02-17-20 003.JPG

Over on the workbench I started installing the guy wires and stabilizers on the grain elevator piping. Don't ask me how they actually work in real life, but they are present on every elevator that I have seen.
02-17-20 001.JPG

Tedious work that took several tries and eventually a little extra CA cement. Looks like my limit (i.e. patience) is going to be two a day and there are twelve to do in all. I'm looking for the next project to do while I work on these. I did make some trees with Woodland Scenics plastic armatures but haven't planted them yet. Here they are drying.
02-17-20 002.JPG

I am trying to decide what to do with this spot between the Majestic Hardware parking area and the Midtown Consolidators structure to the left. Suggestions anyone? It might just be a good spot for a lot of trees surrounding a rundown trailer full of hillbillies. Or maybe just an overgrown lot?
I haven't actually thought about my next project area yet. I want to do a little more research and thought about that railroad materials yard that.s behind this area before I do anything besides just setting that boxcar in place. This area was a big chunk to do and I need to look at a few smaller projects next. I am holding off on assembling another laser-cut kit for now since the workbench is occupied. If I could decide on this small spot, I would certainly do it first.

Bob - Congratulations in advance for a successful closing. I know that you have been looking forward to that for a few years now.
Hughie - Good to read that you are well even though life has been throwing you some other curves.
Beady - Good luck with your wife's cataract surgery.

Everybody have a great President's Day.
 
Good morning everyone, and happy President's Day. 51 and cloudy here.

Just back from a whirlwind trip to Florida - Lakeland and Orlando. Personal business and an education conference. I'll catch up on posts later.

Only this photo to share with you today. We were eating in a Cracker Barrel Restaurant last Saturday in St. Petersburg and noticed this old advertisement on the wall. I especially like it since they are NYCentral trains ;) Wish today's prices were like they are in the ad.:rolleyes:

Train Advertisement.jpg


Have a good day everyone.
 
Good morning, FLO, double up on Willie's order - sounds good to me!
Supposed to be 71 today with a bright clear sky.
I have many projects to do just have to decide which ones to tackle first.

Great photos everyone ... Willie, I like your weathering on the grain structures!
Greg - Always enjoy your layout photos.
JIM - nice to see your work - What;s in the "Chicken of the Sea" can? Great find on the JEEP!
Tom - Nice show photos - enjoyed them all.
BEADY - I would like to place an order for a couple dozen of those remotes? I'll pass them out to friends here.

Anyone else I missed .. apologize for that!
 
Good morning, y'all! Happy President's Day! it's sunny this morning, going to warm up to the upper 40s. Just a little more than a month before Spring. Sounds like a good morning for taylor Ham and eggs with home fries on a Portuguese roll.
Incidentally, I learned last night that the Polka dot lunch truck, is still on Delancy St., Newark. Tony, the guy who bought the trucks when Vinnie retired, has sold out to Lena, but the quality is the same. Come to think about it, I haven't patronized that particular lunch truck in about 25 years.

I'm' uploading something different this morning, a couple of CT 220 Teletype consists, from May 1965. They include train # 174, a PRR - NH train from Washington to Boston, and # 175 from Boston to DC. Both trains were named "The Patriot", and are primarily New Haven trains, with local cars and on the Southbound train Southern connections.
Form 220 (consist) 05-22-1965.jpg

# 175 includes the consist of the New York origination cars for the Southern Rwy's "Southerner" to Birmingham and New Orleans. head out although, in practice, these cars were on the rear end to facilitate switching in DC. Also lists T&E Crew members and On duty times and outlaw times and other instructions. Sidebar: Many of the names on the 220 bring back memories, as most of these fellows were still working during most of my time there.
 
Good morning, America. 36 and rainy, with a high of 40. Sure beats the -10 we had Friday morning. Thankfully, I believe that was the only sub zero temps we've had this winter.

Bob - Congratulations in advance for a successful closing. I know that you have been looking forward to that for a few years now.

Thanks, Willie! Yes, we've been waiting for this for quite a while! We've started packing and sorting what goes, what stays and what gets thrown away. The stay stuff will either be given away or sold. Trying to decide what I keep as far as tools goes. My tools alone would come close to a medium U-Haul truck load by themselves. I don't plan on keeping all of them, so I've got decisions to make with them as well. One thing I know..........I'm keeping ALL of my trains and related stuff. I've got about a quarter of my train stuff packed..............with love and care!:)

Nice work on the grain bin and everything else.

Alan and Greg- I know who to ask for help with my LocProgrammer and my PR4. Ordering the LocProgammer this week and I've had the Digitrax PR4 since last fall. Couldn't get the PR4 set up to work, so after our move and resettlement, I will be asking for some help, if you are willing.

Johnny- The prices would be nice, but I would like a little more detail!:D

Beady- You make me laugh. Thanks!

Jim- You've really made a lot of progress on your layout. Nice job.

Well, I better get back to sorting and packing. My wife seems to think I should help! Women!

Stay safe. Later!
 
Good Morning Everyone....overcast again in Wisconsin, but every day is a day closer to spring.

Espessfan: Alan, I'm not an expert on the more advance programmers, but the Digitrax PR-4 will do sound files, but only with Digitrax sound decoders. So far the PR-4 has worked on every brand of decoder I come across to change CV"s except T have not tried it on LokSound and ESU decoders.

Again, the video of your club in MRH was outstanding. Having so many people in to view the layout during an Open House are they any problems with theft or accidental damage to the layout?

Willie: Excellent progress on the grain elevators. Just the right amount of weathering too. Don't forget some pigeons on the silo.

Beady: Forget your remote woman control unit....I found that a large hammer is very effective. Just kidding.

I have today's railroad activities all planed out. Going to spend the better half of the day in the layout room and there's several things that will make a impact on the layout's appearance. I'm in my own little world when I'm in the layout room.

That's all for now.

Greg

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A typical readout from the Digitrax PR-4 programmer for a 8 bit sound decoder . There's sort of a learning curve with the PR-4, but once you become familair with the unit it bcomes second nature. Just one draw back is that many of the sound effects on a factory dceoder that once erased are gone forever. Pay no attention to the slot machine short cut!!!-Greg
 
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