Running Bear's January 2021 Coffee Shop


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Willie - I am planning to stick with N for starters, but will eventually transition to HO. I've been having trouble with my hands lately, possibly the early onset of carpal tunnel, so that may affect my decision when the time to actually build comes.
 
DAVE in PV said: PS, we can shoot, burn brush, and pee off the deck, (if thats what one likes to do)

DAVE, Won't be that way in the near future, but I'd like nothing better that to be able to pee off the deck!
That is a beautiful place. Makes me wish that I still had the money that I spent on whisky, gambling, and wild women - the rest I just invested until it was all gone!
 
Morning, and Happy New Year!

I never drink alcohol, and I really don't care to party much; so the new years celebration becomes just another day that I'm still breathing. Heard the banging of some short lived fireworks in the night. Other than that, we as a family had no indication that a new year was in play. Didn't bother staying awake to watch some crap on TV that signaled the new year.

It's 8:29am as I type this, and I can hear a train whistle blowing in the distance, downtown. The CN boys must be getting some overtime pay; the railroad never rests.

I always enjoy a fine, hearty breakfast on the first day of a new year, though. In this case, I'm having steak and 2 eggs over easy with refried mashed thick with onion. That should start the engines. Whipped-cream coffee to wash it down with.

Looking back, I have one years worth of interest in the model railroading hobby. It all started when I bought the G-kids a Bachmann train set in December 2019, as a Christmas gift. Since then, model railroading has replaced my previous hobby involving model aircraft, both plastic and R/C.

I started out with a mind to build a train layout for the kids. This was my very first scratch-built HO structure, built when all I had was some slabs of balsa wood:
OneYearsWorth2020 (1).JPG

That little shop was intended to go onto the kids layout.

My interest grew. It wasn't long before I started hanging around the local CN yard, and photographing whatever there was to photograph. I took 100's of photographs. Filed them all. Now I have files containing an immense catalog of CN Whitecourt for the historical record.

As it turns out, there is a-lot of CN activity going on in this little town. Here is two photos of our local yard, taken from either end of that small yard:
OneYearsWorth2020 (2).jpg

OneYearsWorth2020 (3).jpg

Not the best of photos, I know. They do prove that there is a diversity of CN action going on in this little town, though. It's all due to the wide spectrum of industries we have in the area. Oil, forestry, mining, and agriculture. We are a very fortunate little town.

Now, after one year in the hobby, I have the beginning of a layout, a growing cache of locomotives and rolling stock, model structures and vehicles, and hundreds of railroad photographs. I truly hope it dosen't end anytime soon, and that I'm able to bring a layout to life.
You've already seen a similar photo to the following one. It's the beginning of my layout, that is presently suffering from a lack of progress. I must also keep my wife happy, as well, so her hobby of ice-fishing has cut into my layout building time. A happy wife is a happy life!
Here is the beginning:
OneYearsWorth2020 (4).jpg



I lift my coffee in a toast to all my new found friends who share an interest in this great hobby. Happy New Year!
 
Happy New Year.

Willie ..... It is good you could at least communicate with Jeffrey although you never could meet in person. .... You said you lost 35 pounds in 16 months. You beat me. I lost 32 pounds in 18 months. .... You said your brother was born 15 minutes before midnight on December 31. My youngest daughter ws born only 5 minutes before midnight on December 31. She was the last baby born of the year at a hospital in Michigan.

Jesse .... I have Merchants Row 1 and 2 on my layout. I am pleased with them.

Karl .... Good job with burning 2020. ......... We have 2020 hindsight now.

Everybody have a good day.
 
Good Morning all and a Happy New Year. A nice crisp, cold and sunny morning here in H-Town.
Just passing through, so a quick cup is about all I have time for.

Jesse - If I didn't have so much invested to N scale I would switch to HO right this minute. Granted the layout have to be different due to size change.
I think simple things like re-railing a car, detailing a building or a small scene would be a lot easier in HO. Not to mention putting decoders in locomotives. I turn 75 this year, my sight not what it was, my hands not as steady and some time my patience not as long as it once was. Just my opinion.

STAY SAFE
LATER
 
Good afternoon. It was supposed to be heavily thunderstorming and 75 today, but instead it's 37 and drizzling. I guess that's one of those "mixed feelings" things. I could have a lot of storm damage, and not pay for heating the house, or no damage, and a higher gas bill.
 
Good afternoon. After the wife took a nap on the couch I headed to the bench. Kitbashing a few ADM concrete Elevator kits from Walthers for the grain terminal. Shortening up the original kitbashing plan by 6“ to better not over burden the area. When I walked away from the bench the less then 40% chance of snow arrived. Huge flakes and wet. Found that out as I made the useless trip to the mailbox, forgot it’s New Year’s Day!

TomO

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Texas Hobo said:
Good Morning all and a Happy New Year. A nice crisp, cold and sunny morning here in H-Town.
Just passing through, so a quick cup is about all I have time for.

Jesse - If I didn't have so much invested to N scale I would switch to HO right this minute. Granted the layout have to be different due to size change.
I think simple things like re-railing a car, detailing a building or a small scene would be a lot easier in HO. Not to mention putting decoders in locomotives. I turn 75 this year, my sight not what it was, my hands not as steady and some time my patience not as long as it once was. Just my opinion.

STAY SAFE
LATER
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The main reason for N scale is because of space issues. If that changes before I actually get a chance to build, then HO is the way I'll go. Right now I have a decent amount invested in everything, but not a huge amount. Mostly eBay and Facebook marketplace finds. The train budget isn't much bigger than the available space. 🤷🏼‍♂️
 
Afternoon all,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! We got nearly 6" of the white stuff. It was pretty heavy, the kind of stuff heart attacks are made of. I did get the snowblower going and did my drive, the 3 close neighbors and the daughter's house. Doubled the hours on the machine. The temp actually rose, so the temp was above freezing. Drives are dry at this time. The blower started actually clogging with slush.

Did do so train stuff while it was snowing. I have a minor detail to add to the tower, but I got some picts of it where I think I'll stage it. Monday I'll show what I have.
 
39° and rain here in Central Jersey. Supposed to warm up overnight, then turn colder sometime tomorrow. Hope the day has been kind to everyone.

It didn't take me long to reach my drug deductible. I had a 90 day supply of one prescription filled . That's all it takes. Also found our stimulus money is a pending deposit...Whoopee! Not a bad start to 2021.

I have been down in the train room four times today, but I haven't done anything, but try and consolidate all the material that's scattered all over the basement.

SB Morgantown Coal Train at Brandywine 12-31-1995 Al Moran..jpg

PEPCO - Morgantown Coal train, Southbound at Brandywine, MD on 12/31/1995 - Al Morgan photo. Pope's Creek Secondary Track. I spent a lot of time here in the late '70s. Numerous coal trains and a five day / week local . The wye led to the Herbert Secondary, which ran to the PEPCO Chalk Point Power Plant.
 
I have decided this kitbash will be shorter by 6”. As it shows below it’s 20” long and that’s still a good size.
0E07CF5E-7316-48CF-9392-ADACC7650A02.jpeg

I am going to extend the Grain Terminal at least 20” to the right Against the wall. That beige building is a cold storage facility and there is 40” of negative space there that this will move into. The space right over the billboard is the load out facility for the old ethanol plant. That may get a few silos and a grain building, a rectangular building with a fabric top. This grain terminal is getting a life of its own.
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Happy New Year !!
The best to all you spike drivers in the year ahead !!

Thee day started out sunny from a cold 34°F, warmed-up to 55°F but will only drop to 40° tonight with no rain till Monday. I had a friend do some roof repair for me as I've unable to climb the ladder as I couldn't aise my right leg/foot high enough, but I'm working on it. So I'm feeling more secure I hopefully won't have a leak like in the past.

Hello Francine, your looking very sexy babe, Hi Flo. A large bowl of pot roast with potatoes, carrots, onions and mushrooms alone with coffee. Maybe some rubarb pie later

The the holidays were always a Time I wanted to enjoy my trains but with the weather being so cold and not feeling so great due to my love tip and leg muscles and knee I've not had the ambition to get out into the garage and work on the layout or run trains although the desire is sure there !!

I've I've enjoyed many of the post and pictures on here and looking forward to being more active this year as well as hopefully making more progress on my layout.
As Willie mentioned Jeffrey was quite a colorful and enjoyable form member and many of us who knew him miss him and his ability to put various locomotives etc together on parts.

I've built most of my own locomotives from kits, including a couple of model diecasting - MDC Shay locomotives which I managed to get running quite well.
I've I've always thought that it would be very unique to have a lightweight rail truck or car that was actually powered to operate on the layout and maybe I just figured a way of doing that by combining the motorized portion of a 1930s type vehicle with the cab and body works like Dave posted. Could be an interesting project as if I don't have enough to do as is LOL

Again again the best all in the New Year here !!
 
ACL-CSX said:
View attachment 122646

As promised, here are the ideas for the second component of downtown.

The dime store on the end will be the home of a law firm. Still working on a name. Considered Dewey, Cheatem, & Howe; but not completely sold on it. Also in the running was Ditcher, Quick, & Hyde. I want comical, but not trite. The lower level will be reception and offices for the junior partners, while the middle level will be records storage and conference room. The upper level will house the senior partner's office and living quarters.

The center unit is going to be my post office. I have not yet figured out if I am going to leave the display windows or cover them up. Leaning toward keeping them because I like the look.

The lower unit on the end will house the Crossroads Diner. There will be a black 4 door Impala parked on the street in front of it. Sam and Dean are hungry fellows and the Crossroads has a pecan pie to die for.

The upper unit will house Valiant & Valiant private detective agency. It will also double as their living quarters.
Click to expand...

I like the DQH Law Firm, LLC name.
 
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