Running Bear's March 2020 Coffee Shop


Status
Not open for further replies.
Good Morning Everyone. Partly cloudy and 55° here in North Central Texas this morning. Pleasant day yesterday with the afternoon temperature at 75°, although winds were rather gusty at nearly 30 mph. Pretty much the same today with the wind finally abating somewhat after noon. I did do a little more mowing yesterday, mainly along my watercourse that keeps water from my hayfield from flooding the yard. Rain by itself will flood the yard at times.

Got the grill fired up yet Flo? I'll take a Western omelet with a handful of bacon this morning.

Thanks for the likes and comments regarding yesterday's gondola photo; Jerome, Garry, Sherrel, Ken, Joe, Mikey, Greg, Phil, Jim, Curt, Chet, Justin.

I barely made it out to the train shed yesterday. Finished the goat shed and started with bushes and other vegetation. Looks like Blackie the Goat fell over from the downdraft from the helicopter photographer.
03-01-20 003.JPG

Upon looking at this picture, I might just need to add a bit more hay bedding to the shed. I did get the cross fence installed on the left side of the trailer but that picture was too blurry. As you might be able to see, I did some weathering on the trailer.
Meanwhile here are a couple of 62' woodchip hoppers plying the rails on the layout.
03-01-20 005.JPG


03-01-20 006.JPG

Hoppers came from the now defunct E&C Shops. Woodchip loads are just sawdust glued to cardboard inserts.

Bob - That's great news regarding the new house. I hear you on the 30 year accumulation, I have 39 years worth. But I also planned on this being the first, last and only home that I bought. To me, it's a home, not an investment.
Jim - Rusty machinery picture coming soon.
Ken - Looks like I only have one more day to use the wood burning heater here on Wednesday. Carrying in the firewood gets old about this time of year. Time needs to be spent mowing instead!:mad:

Today is Justin Bieber's birthday. Who the **** cares!
Everyone have a great day.
 
Good Morning sports fans - soon it will be time for Baseball again ... I miss Louis and his banter with JOE!
WOW - 1st day of March already! Guess I had better start filing away the 2018 tax filings and start to assemble the 2019?
MEL - are you holding down the re-modeled shop this morning .. seems as if there are a lot of slow folks (like me) today.

OK - spent a couple hours trying to repair the "family" dolly-cart in order to assemble all the wood from the pesky tree, but one tire has a very slow leak and the other has a nail in it. I had to get my neighbor over to help me get the push nuts off the axel and then the tire and rim seemed to be welded (rusted) on to the shaft. We had to jury-rig a contraption to be able to pound it off - wasn't easy. I went to the auto shop close by to get a tire repair kit while my neighbor kept insisting that I go to Harbor Freight and just buy a couple new tires - I should have listened to him! I worked my fanny off getting that plug in the tire, but now all I have accomplished is TWO tires with slow leaks. SO, This morning I am off to Harbor Freight to see about a couple new tires - 10 inch pneumatic which are on sale for $6.99 each. I paid $5.99 for the damn patch kit because I was too stupid to drive the 15 miles to H/F. I hope they still have some in stock.

MEL - I'll be back for a good sized brunch a little later - thanks!
Only supposed to be 56 high today after 71 yesterday with a possible shower?

FORUM won't let me post this morning - has been acting up lately!
 
Willie- The trailer scene is looking good. Do you need some sort of water trough or bucket for the goats?
Today is Justin Bieber's birthday. Who the **** cares! I agree.

OLD SOUTHERN SAYING- I have had two bypasses, a hip and knee replacement. I'm half blind and half deaf and take 30 different medications that make me subject to blackouts. Can hardly feel my hands or feet anymore and not sure if I am 88 or 90. I've lost a lot of friends, but thank God I still have my driver's license!
 
Last edited:
Good morning America! Did some catching up in the old diner and dropping in for a quick check of the new surroundings. Looking good as usual! It's 45° with a predicted high of 62° today! Nice!

Really like seeing what folks have done with their layouts and the prototype pics. Can't wait til I can be a contributing member with photos of my efforts, how ever flawed they might be.

Willie- I think that may be a fainting goat!

Stay safe, later!
 
Good Happy Sunday everyone!

Just got done a homecooked Sunday breakfast of Eggs, fresh from the oven biscuits, and sausage gravy with big hunks of sausage.....yes that woman CAN cook!

Speaking of the woman and cooking, she LOL'ed when I showed her the campfire cooking utensils , thanks Terry.

Thanks to all for the congrats on the new truck. The real reason I got it wuz cuz I wanted to be more like my idol Terry! LOLOLOLOLOL! ;):D

"Further adventures with the Lok Programmer and/or the PR-4" or "Why I threw my laptop against the wall today."
Alan, interesting title there. I've been trying to follow along but I am wondering if I even need the PR4. I have an NCE PHP system, that is tied into a dedicated PC (a.k.a. #2) along with the layout. Decoder Pro in the PC with a Keyspan usb-serial data adapter.

There is another PC in the basement (this one, a.k.a. #1). Do I really need the adapter to marry everything to #2, or just put the Lokprogrammer on my PC#1 with a seperate test track and call it a day??

Willie, I have to agree with Bob, I think you have a fainting goat.

Ken, Spring is coming soon, and soon the A/C will be needed in the layout room!

Finally, a sort of semi-rant. I recently listed some engines and autos on 2 different facebook ho railroad group sites with pictures, prices , and terms (Paypal only, etc) #1, is reading a lost skill? I did get a few pm's with folks asking questions that the answers were clearly right there, and #2, WHY would you click like on a facebook sale item post, especially if you have no intention of following it up with a pm or an offer????
Needless to say, nothing sold, its all going to auction next week. I'm done selling on FB. Watching paint dry is better.

L8ter!
 
Good morning, y'all. Today is a sunny Sunday.

Sherrel: Your post looks OK to me...o_O

Willie: Goat pen is nice. Wood chip hoppers are also nice. FWIW, around Jersey, wood chip hoppers are used for recycled aluminum, from garbage transfer stations.

SCL #86  Alexandria VA 04-29-1969.jpg

SCL #86 at Alexandria, VA in 1969
PFD Ladder 8 1946 Brockway Tractor - 1941 ALF 85' Ladder.jpg

Philadelphia Ladder Co #8, with a 1946 Brockway Tractor, and a 1941 American La France Aerial. Note completely exposed tiller. Photo dates to after 1950 based on the markings on the hood, P.F.D. instead of "Bureau of Fire". The Jordan 1923 Aerial cold be the basis for modeling this rig,if one can find a suitable tractor.
 
"Further adventures with the Lok Programmer and/or the PR-4" or "Why I threw my laptop against the wall today."
Alan, interesting title there. I've been trying to follow along but I am wondering if I even need the PR4. I have an NCE PHP system, that is tied into a dedicated PC (a.k.a. #2) along with the layout. Decoder Pro in the PC with a Keyspan usb-serial data adapter.

There is another PC in the basement (this one, a.k.a. #1). Do I really need the adapter to marry everything to #2, or just put the Lokprogrammer on my PC#1 with a seperate test track and call it a day??

Doesn't sound like it Karl, but then you're an established user with a home layout. Because I don't have a home layout, I needed a different approach. My notes are intended as a sort of public service/general information kind of thing for others just getting into using these devices. I have a short test track here and use a Powercab to run it. In the early days, I programmed off the handset, and still will for steamers. The Tsunami steam decoder is just too easy to set up that way. State of the art diesel sound decoders are another matter though. I found that their versatility (therefore complexity) required a computer interface, so I grumbled to myself, uttered a few words my mother wound not have approved of, and bit the bullet. If anyone on here is in the same boat I hope my experiences help. If not I hope they give someone a chuckle. If I were you, I'd just set up a separate program track for the Lok Programmer and call it a day.
 
Good Morning Everyone....sort of overcast here in Wisconsin and maybe the temperature hitting 50 degrees today. Glad March finally arrived.

Went to Walthers yesterday for a few items. The Showroom was fairly busy for a Saturday in late Winter. I needed more Whisker #148 couplers and a 25 pair pack was on sale for $41.98. These couples are great improvement over the old #5 Kadees. I have a bunch of #5 and Whisker long shank couplers in my wheel shop, a plastic box with 12 compartments of wheels, couplers, small screws and misc parts.

I just purchased a Black and Decker hand battery vac and it seems to be too heavy, but very strong in power. It size is also a disadvantage to using it in tighter areas. So I saw that Woodland Scenic has a small, battery hand held vac and so I picked one up at Walters on sale for $19.98. I'll try it later and see how it works. It's small and compact.

I needed a few metal wheel sets so I purchased two packs of 12, Walthers wheel-sets with plastic axles. I been using Walthers wheel-sets and they seem to track fine and are always in gauge. To finish the order, I purchased some Monroe Black Wash and Modelflex Rail Brown for painting wheel sets. The Monroe wash works great to weather and accent a car's side body details. By the time I left the Showroom I was just under $100.00 lighter.

We had the neighbors over last night for dinner and poker. Sort of a late night. Made a few bucks late during the games.

No trains today....too tired so maybe a movie or two and then Rummy with the wife.

That's all to report....

Greg

################
 
38 and clear. We're entering into a few days of the low to mid 40s. 11 days til we leave.

I'm holding off on weighting my rolling stock until after the cruise, although I will be trying to "track" down the rough areas where the derailments and separations occur. In the meantime I still have to file our taxes. It's a toss-up whether we'll owe anything. For this year, I'm pretty sure we're going to be paying Uncle Sugar something; the wife will be getting the first installment of her inheritance next week, and I'm in the dark on inheritance tax laws.

I've joined a few Facebook groups related to cruising, and the panic over the coronavirus is beginning to calm down. We're going to the Carribean, where norovirus is a bigger concern, but the various governments have become hypersensitive, refusing entry to any ship that has more than 4 or 5 suspicious cases (and these ships carry upwards of 5k passengers and crew). In case of a missed port, the ship gives each passenger a $75 On-Board Credit, which buys a lot of rum punch (as a veteran, I already get $100 OBC, plus another $25 from my travel agent).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Uh oh, that last post, #12, contained some attachments I had not intended. The only one that should be there is the hippo. For some reason, I can't edit them out. I apolgize to all the prigs, it really was unintended. The rest of you, enjoy.
 
Uh oh, that last post, #12, contained some attachments I had not intended. The only one that should be there is the hippo. For some reason, I can't edit them out. I apolgize to all the prigs, it really was unintended. The rest of you, enjoy.
Looks like you managed to edit everything out.
 
Afternoon All,

Did some inside chores then some outdoor ones before it warms up this week. Thursday Phil and I are meeting up with Jon. Friday morning I'm meeting up with the Subvets again and I'm going to try to get down to see Tom on Saturday. I guess my social calendar is full!:cool:

Chet- Interesting photo perspective.

Alan- Nice review and comparison.

Willie- Nice scene.

Mikey- That Southern saying has Florida written all over it.o_O

Joe- Nice photos.

I hope everyone has a good night.
 
Good afternoon gentlemen. Here in N Calif, Feb is our 2 wettest month, (usually). Last night we got .2" at 10pm. Had it not been leap year it would have been the 1st time since the dinosaurs disappeared that it did not rain in February.
I found a pic from our recent Amtrak trip to Reno I forgot to post, the "Trench" thru Reno.
In the trainroom, I have a conumb cumnub conumjru difficult situation that has come up. The area where the Union Sugar Mill will be, needs to be concrete with embedded rails. Also I have found a building that I will use for the MAIN building of the sugar mill. It is called Middlesex Manufacturing by Atlas. Is anyone familiar with this building? It's the closest thing I've seen to the prototype which is brick and 7 stories high.
IMG_4434.JPG
middlesex manufacturing.jpg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.



Back
Top