Running Bear's July 2022 Coffee Shop

[santafewillie]

What's the highway in today's 2nd post photo made out of, please?

I use tarpaper, sometimes referred to as roofing felt. It's much blacker when first used, but quickly settles into that nice asphalt color. After all, that's what it is.

 

[Smudge617]

Having a "day off" from the layout, still got lots to do, but not today.

So just been watching the Commonwealth Games, lots of various events Cricket, Mixed Triathlon, Gymnastics etc.

However, the big sports event is nothing to do with the Commonwealth Games, it's the UEAFA Women's World Cup, (England vs Germany), now you have to understand, I hate football (soccer), to the point that I would much rather watch paint dry while standing naked outside in a -40 blizzard, however, the women's games, and I've managed to watch nearly all the English ones, have been far better than any big premier league, no fuss, no drama or histrionics, just a really good game how it should be played. So I will be watching, and willing England to win.

 

[Sirfoldalot]

Morning all you cloth bag shoppers and those of you who are pea-picking tomato-picking dudes! FLO, Please have MEL cook up one of his famous garbage omelets for me this morning and I will have it and coffee on the patio with TOM. TROY, You may bring your plate of bacon over too?

We are looking at a high of 90 today with thunderstorms? in the forecast - they advertised the possibility of thunderstorms yesterday, but never materialized.

GUY said: "I'm betting you never heard of Whitecourt, until you met me in here".
Not so my friend! It was a regular stop along my following the Alcan Highway route to Alaska during the summer of 1963. I am trying to remember if I spent any nights there, but the details are now as fuzzy as that Grizzley you posted.

The Spousal Unit is desperately trying to find money to buy that house she loves.
We would still need a mortgage about the same as now, and lenders base on income only, not counting any savings? Just not sure that they will approve a loan right now. It may be a mute point anyway as there are now 3 offers on the property (including ours) and I will not play the bidding war.

There has been very limited interest selling the "ranch", so the price could come down to our affordability; I keep asking her whether, or not, that her brother/sisters give us a portion of their share to keep the house in the family - but not getting anywhere - all too greedy! LOL!

KARL - So sorry that you had the nightmare of pet problems. First of all, BUD, and now the kittycat.


I got to run at the moment - BBL

Regressing back to the "bag" subject? The primary reason that they wanted was to get rid of roadside trash and to keep the plastic bags out of the ocean and what few waterways there are.

 

[Jaz avalley]

Good Morning!

58F heading up to 70, under cloud. It's actually very nice outside. I was just out there to start the lawn sprinkler for a 20min run.
The 'they's' say it's supposed to rain this afternoon. I hope that forecast is true.

Willie - Glad you find my thoughts on temperature amusing. Actually, Environment Canada put out severe heat warnings over the last few days. They suggest checking on the aged neighbours and helping out those who are in distress from heat exhaustion; and I don't think it hit 90F. Canadians just can't take the heat.

Yesterday, I build some some balsa rail ties and dipped them in Dark Walnut stain. I'll cut them in half length wise, and that will give me over 100 ties. That should be enough to fill-in the remaining track laying on my table:
View attachment 149454

Plus, I started the motel office.
I've decided I don't like the carport overhang idea on the roof. It will hide the stores front entrance from view, when placed on my 44.5" layout height. - So, I'm going to cut the roof in half, to have about a scale 3' overhang. I won't use the planter and the roof supports for their intended purpose.
I'll also scribe some sidewalk detail into that base at the front of the building.
View attachment 149458
There's not a-lot of parts to this little motel office. I'll have to consider if I want to build an interior into the structure.
I probably will build an interior. If I don't, it means I just got lazy, and I'll suffer for it later in knowing I didn't do it. Those are good sized windows to let everything be seen.

Jaz avalley - Very nice landscape photos. I was looking to see if any Messerschmitt Me.109's were still buzzing around the British skies, but, I guess you folks won that one.

BigG - Great looking, lush garden surrounded by forest. I like that.

Karl - Super nice work on the layout table construction. How wide, and how high?

Willie - What's the highway in today's 2nd post photo made out of, please? I'm toying with the idea of making highways out of sand spackled with Dap filler and then painted a grey colour. I intend to experiment with that idea soon.

I feel very sad for our American friends who are suffering those severe flood conditions; loosing everything and many lives lost. I'm seeing some horrific news stories. I've never been overly religious, but, I do send prayers in my own way, that these catastrophic events end, and the people are safe.

Suppose I'd better go turn off the sprinkler water. It's been about 1/2hr of yapping. Have a great day!

 

[Jaz avalley]

Talking of winning gold, Rainbow,, rainbows, I once saw a rainbow and an u-side down one top but had no camera, but here you can see one or indeed two…never found the pot of gold though

 

[MikeInHubCity]

Good morning interweb peeps. 77 & breezy here in the heart of the Dairy State with a high around 82. Sitting at the farmer’s market at Festival Foods with SWMBO, selling her handmade wares. Only 2 appointments tomorrow(cognitive & vision therapy)- about 2 hours & 30some miles apart. Doing the Main Street Marshfield market on Tuesday at Pick N Save. It’s not as bad now that we got a canopy for shade. Train room is on the back burner for a while.

 

[BigGRacing]

BigG - Great looking, lush garden surrounded by forest. I like that.

These pics do the yard more justice:

 

[troyphoto]

Time to play what's on Troy's smoker today?

Oh, that's right, I already told you:

 

[Patrick]

Afternoon all,

Been a busy morning. Had 4 bicycles in dad's repair shop this morning. 4 new tubes in 2 adult bikes and brake adjustments and air added to the kids bikes. Hardest part was putting the daughter's bike back into shape as she had an infant\toddler seat she needed removed as her youngest will be 10 in October. Toddler seat off and rear fender and package tray re-installed. Then we all went to fill 4 cars at Dillons (local Kroger affiliate). Gas at 3.69 before discount. So it's finally going down, but still should be a buck lower at least.

Time to finally head downstairs.

Willie: How do you make your wooden grade crossings? I think my material is a bit too narrow or too wide. I'm partially fighting with the Atlas track tie plates.

 

[TLOC]

If not all sold at once, then the taxes may be lower, could you rent some out, perhaps not for cropping, but for other activities, a friend goes to a private home where they have dog walking on their land, and make money from it, have you considered a shooting range, you could build a back stop, just push the soil into place, set up some lanes, I have seen people use bales, provide parking, get some insurance, you might need a porta loo, and you might want a larger freezer to sell icecream,and cold drinks, tea and coffee, or else buy an old caravan. Clever idea to keep a piece in the middle.

850 + acres would seem easy to divide up but we already sold off almost 300 acres those have been or are currently being developed by 3 seperate developers.

The daughter has 10 acres around her house which adjoins 40 acres where the quarry is and the Son in Laws vineyard is. So they are pretty well set property wise. Our son is not coming back to cold Wisconsin after the last 17 years of heat in Arizona and now Texas. The daughter hated living in our place after they purchased it last Fall from us even though I tried to warn her. We got it back. 85% of the house is covered by earth into the side of a hill. I love it. Terry I think is starting to not like it. Most of our land is heavily forested or horse pastures/fields. I do have 1 crop farmer who rents out some land for what seems like peanuts but it is the going rate around here.

Gun range! When we got our permits the son in law said we need a range so he built one. Very isolated near the quarry and 3 can practice. I don’t have a outdoor golf range but do have a simulator that is weather proof next to the garage.

Taxes, I don’t mind fair taxes and we do not cheat. We take fair deductions but if the news media is right I think many of us, including Terry and I, in the USA pay more taxes then most of our billionaires… But that is another discussion

Jaz, we love our toys!

 

[PRR Modeler]

Afternoon All,

Got some people into SeaWorld this morning (free tickets). After getting home I weathered the outside of the 5 hoppers. Slow day home alone.

Terry- Great photos.

Karl- Congrats. I know the great feeling starting out.

Jaz- Nice photos.

Gary- Nice flowers. Cost was one of the reasons I never modeled O scale.

Willie- Nice progress on the layout.

Guy- Good progress.

Patrick- Take a look at Blairline.

I hope everyone has a good night.

 

[kbkchooch]

Well built and looks like great lumber

I got lucky there. Several years ago I went to a building materials auction and scored a hack of mostly clear pine 1x4s .
I won the lot with a bid of $51.00. It works out to about 51cents a board for 8 ft boards! Since then they have been stored flat in the basement waiting for this day!

This was the day I returned home, as you can see, these were some nice boards, especially when you consider the crap out there on the market now!

 

[BigGRacing]

Cost was one of the reasons I never modeled O scale.

So true, too expensive for my blood sadly.

 

[santafewillie]

Willie: How do you make your wooden grade crossings?

For many years I painstakingly handmade them from wooden ties from Micro Engineering or Kappler. I stained them with either black or brown India Ink. For the ones next to the tie plates and spikes, I split them lengthwise for clearance. I attached them variously with Walther's Goo or Gorilla Super Glue. Not all of my installations are picture perfect.

That switch was tough.
Then Blair Line came out with their straight ones which look great. They are thin enough that the spikes and tie plates don't matter because they come with styrene shims to place under the center. I use them with code 100, but I believe that they will work for code 83.

They now offer sets made for different radii, from 15" to 34". They can be fudged a little. Theirs have a wider flangeway than needed, but it is certainly easier.
Blair Line Grade Crossings
At some point I will go back and replace some of my original handmade ones which are a little rough. They are relatively inexpensive and can be gotten for less at many hobby shops. I didn't see it on their website, but I got a package of 12 straight ones, partially pictured above in picture #4.

 

[santafewillie]

I just looked at Amazon for a price comparison and Mr Bezos charges nearly twice as much.

 

[Bruette]

Willie, "not picture perfect". In real life things are seldom picture perfect. At least from my experience. I think it only adds to the amazing realism of your layout.

Ps thanks for sharing your work, I really do love the pictures!

 

[Patrick]

Thank Willie. I've spent the better part of 5 hours trying to make one without buying them. I have a Tyco truck I've been using as a test, but when the piece is placed on the real track everything else derails. I do like the roughness of a couple of your handmade crossings though.

 

[BigGRacing]

are a little rough.

I think yours look better actually and more like they used to be.

 

[Smudge617]

Have to agree with Gary, your handmade ones are, to me, more realistic.

 

[Smudge617]

Having a "day off" from the layout, still got lots to do, but not today.

So just been watching the Commonwealth Games, lots of various events Cricket, Mixed Triathlon, Gymnastics etc.

However, the big sports event is nothing to do with the Commonwealth Games, it's the UEAFA Women's World Cup, (England vs Germany), now you have to understand, I hate football (soccer), to the point that I would much rather watch paint dry while standing naked outside in a -40 blizzard, however, the women's games, and I've managed to watch nearly all the English ones, have been far better than any big premier league, no fuss, no drama or histrionics, just a really good game how it should be played. So I will be watching, and willing England to win.

Oh! England Lioness's won 2-1 in extra time.