Running Bear's March 2022 Coffee Shop

[logandsawman]

Headed home for the day, will check in tomorrow

 

[Texas Hobo]

Good afternoon, all! A really nice day here in Houston. Sun has been in and out and temps in the mid 70's.

We don't do the miles we used to. Between the CRV and Tacoma we total about 5,500 miles a year. I change oil based on time instead of mileage. I gassed up the truck for the first time this year just last week. So, I guess I'm not paying much road tax.

Well I managed to avoid the stairs on the AC Brown building for one more day. It's coming, probably tomorrow.

STAY SAFE
LATER

 

[Sirfoldalot]

Those Harley Boys aren't going to like the "electric bikes"!
They won't be able to stop next to you and blow out your hearing aids with revving up the motor every 5 seconds!

 

[TLOC]

Good afternoon,

It is up to 26° F. Sounds like we may be getting a gob of rain, snow, or slush. Not really sure which. Hopefully the whole thing will part over our County and we have dry weather. If you are going to wish, whish big!

McLeod - very cool photo of the moose

Willie - I read that the actual fuel consumption of the Electric is higher than gasoline. And costs more money. Something not advertised.

Justin - I have a GML walk around that hasn't disappointed. I am die hard DC.

Tom - WI - our snowbanks are shrinking as well!! Yippeee

Here is a photo from the old layout. This is the corner of the layout and the backdrop is curved. I carefully bent the hardboard and screwed it to the layout.

View attachment 142037

I like the way this area turned out. There will be nothing like this on the new layout, I am moving on. Do still have the loco on the left.


more later, Dave LASM

Dave, the NCAA 2 time defending champion Women Hockey team ( the Badgers) play tomorrow at Ridder Arena on the U of M campus. Except for Covid and no spectators last year, the previous 6 WCHA conference championships we would be in Minneapolis this weekend. If the Badgers win Saturday we may drive over to the game PER my wife on Sunday! Glad to know the snowbanks are getting smaller. Minneapolis folks have always been very nice to us.

TomO

 

[TLOC]

A man after my own heart....spending time in the train room is a goal of mine for the weekend!

No broadcast news in my train room. My background music when I work on projects is either the sound of a train running the mainline or a tape have of early diesel locomotives that I play. I have to do a massive job of putting away so much of the supplies, kits and locos I've purchased (usually via the web) over the last two years while the enduring the plague. Wife's orders! A friend of mine from high school spends time in his garage as his escape.

I want to run the new Scale Trains EMD SDL 39's since they have built-in "Stay Alive" capacitors, my first locomotives to have that feature. It seems like DCC or the hobby in general has new improvements every time I open a model railroad magazine. I believe "Stay Alive" technology may do away with powered frogs in the future.

Tom, those ST Turbines must of been huge. What was the recommended radius for the locomotive? Those are beautiful locomotives.

Looking at the photograph of the F&SM, I can't image the inventory and size of George's kits, scenery and accent parts. Just the amount of his paints in his inventory.

Greg

Greg, the turbines were big, bigger then the Cab Forwards I had then to. I don’t remember a number if Scaletrains even said. My smallest is 32 and it worked fine but didn’t look to great. I did run it at a local modeler’s layout that had 42” as the smallest, they looked great there. Actually he is the guy who purchased all 3 of them, 2 museum and the 1 rivet counter. Gee, have not seen him since before Covid started in 3/2020.

TomO

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Those Harley Boys aren't going to like the "electric bikes"!
They won't be able to stop next to you and blow out your hearing aids with revving up the motor every 5 seconds!

They'll still have the electric horns on em though.

 

[bnsf971]

They'll still have the electric horns on em though.

...And the power to run kick-ass stereos with big speakers...

 

[bnsf971]

Speaking of which, I remember some models of the newer Mustangs had the engine sound electronically enhanced, and played through the car's stereo.

 

[roofintrash]

Speaking of which, I remember some models of the newer Mustangs had the engine sound electronically enhanced, and played through the car's stereo.

And that , is another example of why our once great country is turning into a great big pile of poo. God forbid someone else hears your horsepowers. lol

 

[gjslsffan]

Well I see I made it to another Friday. Temps are going to be up this weekend for a change. Not sure what I'll be getting into if anything. Might be a good time to start building. Who knows? Probably not but at least it sounded good. In other train related news. Given it'll take a month or two for my DB150 to come back I reinstalled one of my walk around DC throttles to the layout. I was using my Tech 4 260 again. I set up an Alpine Innovator 3500. Not sure if any of you guys have even heard of it. I stumbled onto it quite a while back. By far one of the better DC walk around throttles I have. It hasn't disappointed me so far. My locomotives slow but don't stall over uneven track. So I guess it's a plus. Well I guess that sums everything up for me at the moment. I'll stop by later if when I get a chance. This is what the throttle looks like.View attachment 142023

I have 4 maybe 5 of the Innovator 2000's, I like it better than the 3000, I didnt know they made a 3500. The 2000 wasnt quite so busy with all the gadgets on the throttle. We got some 20' tele cords replaced one end with a wall plug and we had long reach walk around cabs. Still using one in the main yard, all in all very good DC throttles.

 

[chessie_system3]

I have 4 maybe 5 of the Innovator 2000's, I like it better than the 3000, I didnt know they made a 3500. The 2000 wasnt quite so busy with all the gadgets on the throttle. We got some 20' tele cords replaced one end with a wall plug and we had long reach walk around cabs. Still using one in the main yard, all in all very good DC throttles.

I know Innovative Train Technology had the lower numbers. Found this out after some research. Alpine Division Scale Models purchased their throttle lineup and marketed them as the Innovator Line. I don't think they may have changed anything from ITTC. Could be wrong. Here's a picture of the box mine came in.

 

[gjslsffan]

I know Innovative Train Technology had the lower numbers. Found this out after some research. Alpine Division Scale Models purchased their throttle lineup and marketed them as the Innovator Line. I don't think they may have changed anything from ITTC. Could be wrong. Here's a picture of the box mine came in.
View attachment 142063

The heat sink on mine look different. They were very common around here for DC throttles a few years back. To keep away from all the wiring I ended up with 6 of the Aristo wireless controllers, but we still use tethered throttles for yard jobs. I am a dinosaur still using DC no plans at this time to go DCC. I may, but not right now.

 

[MilwRoader_Steve]

Greetings all.

Enjoying running trains around the outer loop! That is pretty cool. Here is a vid link:

20220303_090711.mp4

drive.google.com

Started the layout of the northern 18 inch curve. Tonight I glued down the Peco insulfrog TO that crosses over to the main. THe straight leg then goes into the curve. Figured that was probably the trickiest place for getting things right. Also built up and installed another electromagnet uncoupler that is in the east side inner straight. Fun little project.

Ordered from Hiawatha Wednesday evening - got here this afternoon! UPS ground, no less.

Well wife just got home and will be out of the shower soon, so that's all for me tonight!

Steve J

 

[BigGRacing]

Right now, it’s mainly the rich that can afford electric cars or those that are working unique jobs where they can lose there car for 12 hours for a charge. I know inflation up here takes most of the average persons extra money, and of course the rich can afford the solar panels, the middle class are paying for it through subsidies.

Steve, your train looks awesome !

and good morning

 

[CambriaArea51]

Good morning....Coffee Flo, please. Not much going on, just going through inventory of stuff to sell at a couple of train shows coming up. I have a few Kato engines that I would like to put in the ESU Loksound in them.Have some research to do.

 

[Patrick]

Morning all,

Already had breakfast. Made bacon and cheese omelets. Buy a good quality bacon bit and you can use them instead of having to fry the bacon and break it up. Got 20# of bacon on the freezer, but this is handier. Supposed to rain a little bit this morning.

Going to try to get some more train time later.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

I wouldn't just write off EV or solar panels to being a rich person's commodity. As I've said many times now, Petroleum is on its way out. The government has made itself very clear on that. Somehow, people think they're going to get around that as if they know of a secret gas station somewhere that will always have gas at $1.15 a gallon and that they heat their house on natural gas, so they aren't going to get bit by the skyrocketing electric bill. I didn't really want to put $40K into a panel system or $60K into a car but compared to what they will be when demand picks up and people realize that's the only option, the current prices will pale in comparison. Yeah, yeah, yeah, battery prices are coming down. Uh-huh, don't get your hopes up.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Op session today on the D&J Railroad.
Been prepping all week, staging local freights, setting up other trains to come into the division and out of the division. Throttle batteries all charged up. Just have to go hit the grocery store for a few bags of snacks and a bag of ice for drinks. At about 11AM I'll put a couple of track cleaning trains in motion for last minutes dust off of the rails.

 

[kbkchooch]

Good morning gang!

31° and overcast, supposed to get to 59° later. Doesn't matter much for now, I'm at the shop til 2 or so. Then I can start my abbreviated weekend.

Flo, better pump me full of caffeine, and maybe one of those breakfast burritos with salsa on the side!

Ken, I've been mulling over solar power for the house, to supplement the grid, but they can pry the keys from my cold dead hands before I give up my ICE. Unless they can come up with a battery that can outlast my bladder and recharge as fast as I can empty my bladder!

 

[TLOC]

Good morning Crew from a 95% off grid house that has solar, wind, thermal energy collectors and Powerwalls. We get our personal use water tested monthly from wells on the property and water only used in the landscaping is collected and stored in a underground tank or cistern.

Yes, I also buy from Scaletrains and rolling stock from Rapido, Exactrail, Walthers, Athearn not Genesis and Accurail. Go for it, call me one of the rich. How sad comments like that are that only the rich can afford things like solar. Definitely never a person who has done any research on how to obtain solar panels. Just so you know I would rather add-on to a mortgage $20,000.00 or more in energy savings devices then pay $300.00 or more monthly for the next 20-30 years I would spend in a house. We have exactly done that or more for the last 3 houses. Our monthly energy bill for the house and stables currently is the $10.00 monthly minimum because the wife insisted she have natural gas for her kitchen. We have no other connection to the grid unless you are one of those who consider the internet part of the National infrastructure and not a luxury.

As for batteries in cars. It’s a faze right now until they find the economically better product. Is it hydrogen? Don’t know. My VW should last another 7 years if gasoline is still available at the corner station. Don‘t kid yourselves, it’s BIG OIL that is pushing and lobbying the new energy. They do know how long the oil supply REALLY will last, you don’t.

Model Trains by the way I read a year or so ago are after Art, Wine Collecting, Cars and another one but forgotten by me is in the top 5 most expensive hobbies. Is that true? Is anything in the media believable any longer?

As I drip with sarcasm…

In this Golden Age of expensive trains my projects continue. The paint booth has been moved and the vent connected. The contractor put a hole in the wall for the vent and I moved the bench I paint and weather at next to the booth to form a “L”. Did some brush weathering last night. Today, I will add 2 electrical circuits to the train room for the compressor and outlets for the LED’s and the new Vortex mixer coming to the new spot. No more extension cords for painting after today.

Heading to the showers to remove the sarcasm that dripped
Enjoy the day
TomO

from last night