Running Bear's May 2020 Coffee Shop

[Bruette]

Louis, remember The Incredible Shrinking Woman?

No, thankfully.

 

[Bruette]

Garry, forgive me, somehow I failed to comment on your post about Lionel technology. I thought I had, I guess I need more practice with the post button.

They certainly are moving forward in leaps and bounds! Like the Oldsmobile commercial, it's not your father's Lionel.

 

[Bruette]

That's all for me, say goodnight Irene.

 

[IronBeltKen]

Good evening Shop Dwellers, and thanks for all the "likes" and supportive comments - Chet, Garry, Greg, Phil, Sherrell, Patrick, Jerome, Karl, Tom, Louis, Guy, Joe, and Curt. If my photo of a rusted-out piece of junk attracted that many like's, I wonder how many my other slides of cleaner B&O locos would get, LOL!

Today I used another couple of accumulated vacation hours to do more work on the fence; got the last two frames assembled and swinging gates hung, but I still need to put on the mesh. I'm waiting for some glue to dry otherwise I'd have already done that.

Joe - I think figured out what it is about that kit that makes it extraordinarily difficult for me: the pieces are too tiny for me to use a jig or alligator clips ["Helping Hands" tool], and I have tremors - makes it kinda rough for me to get pieces properly lined up when my hands decide to shake! A modeler 30 years younger with fine motor control could probably finish this thing a helluva lot quicker.

Sherrell - you're not alone, we haven't got our Stimulus checks either!

IBKen - Excellent photo. Can't wait to see updates on the scene. Impressive.
. . .
Willie - I like the photos of the shear. I unfortunately can't use one as it is too modern for my time period. I sure miss out on a lot of crap.

Chet, thanks for the kind words on the fence work! As far as "missing out" - that maybe true for the scrap shear, but at least your era has more than enough 1:87 vehicles available to choose from. Not so with the 1969-72 era...

Curt - the lesson I learned is that, sometimes even the overpriced sprue cutters won't give the desired results! I wound up doing something similar to your technique to "corral" the hinge pieces after that first mistake.

 

[chadbag]

Meanwhile, in N Korea

and the improved version

 

[MikeInHubCity]

Mickey Mantle bunted successfully for a base hit twelve times in his triple crown season, 1956, Over his career Mantle had 80 bunt hits in 148 attempts, an average of .541.
Peter Laskowich - ‎New York Yankees Legends
View attachment 47756
Modern players should take note. Maybe we wouldn't see so many exaggerated shifts in defense. It would sure help keep me from yelling at the TV "bunt you idiot, the third basemen is at shortstop!"

It drives me nuts when managers say "he has too much power to bunt" If it was good enough for the Mick, it's good enough for anybody. I can understand you don't want a slow power hitter to bunt into a straight up defense. What gets me is when the defense is shifted and they don't bunt. If they give you first base, take it. The next time you might not see the defense shift!

If the defense is extreme shift(3B at regular 2B position, 2B in short RF & the SS within 15-20 feet of 2B), I say put down a hard, swinging bunt down the LF line for an easy double. Especially if the hitter had some speed. Same concept on a steal of 2B- a fast, alert running can usually steal 3B as well. Just gotta beat the pitcher/catcher to third.

 

[MikeInHubCity]

Meanwhile, in N Korea

and the improved version

updated version= Bee Gees meet the Chipmunks?

 

[Bruette]

If the defense is extreme shift(3B at regular 2B position, 2B in short RF & the SS within 15-20 feet of 2B), I say put down a hard, swinging bunt down the LF line for an easy double. Especially if the hitter had some speed. Same concept on a steal of 2B- a fast, alert running can usually steal 3B as well. Just gotta beat the pitcher/catcher to third.

That's the idea Mike, you get it!

I have not seen an MLB team take batting practice since I went to a game in Camden Yards in the early 2000s. Watching batting practice I was surprised to see every hitter, swinging for the fences with every swing! Not one bunt, nobody tried to aim the ball, nothing but swinging from their heels.

That's a problem in todays game. Everybody is trying to reach the fences with every swing, even with 2 strikes! No wonder they hit so many homeruns, but they strike out a lot to, too much!

All the nuance of the game is being lost in this home run derby baseball they play today.

 

[Bruette]

The Hindenburg disaster occurred on May 6, 1937, in Manchester Township, New Jersey, United States. The German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed during its attempt to dock with its mooring mast at Naval Air Station Lakehurst. There were 35 fatalities (13 passengers and 22 crewmen) from the 97 people on board (36 passengers and 61 crewmen), and an additional fatality on the ground.

The disaster was the subject of newsreel coverage, photographs, and Herbert Morrison's recorded radio eyewitness reports from the landing field, which were broadcast the next day.[1] A variety of hypotheses have been put forward for both the cause of ignition and the initial fuel for the ensuing fire. The event shattered public confidence in the giant, passenger-carrying rigid airship and marked the abrupt end of the airship era.[2] (From Wikipedia)

I can't be sure if this is an actual photo, but I think it is a good example of the disaster.

 

[santafewillie]

Good Morning All. Partly cloudy and 56° today. The cool spell continues here for another week or so, with highs in the mid to low-70's, except tomorrow with 84°. Ventured out for a pick-up Italian meal last night to enjoy at home. Surprisingly even though in our area, restaurants are allowed to reopen for 25%-50% dine-in capacity, only about half of them were open. Our favorite Italian place was not yet open for dine-in service, but the steak house next door was open. Same situation at all of the other places that I passed. Our Cinco de Mayo meal of fajitas will be tonight; it happens when you forget to take the skirt steak out to thaw!
Ran into a problem pumping the water out of the pool yesterday for the liner replacement people today. I lost the suction with my 600 gal/hr pump and couldn't get it back. Had to use the backup 60 gal/hr one for the last 1200 gallons or so. Hope that its empty this morning.

How about some cinnamon-raisin waffles this morning Flo. Of course add that double handful of bacon on the side. Be sure to save some for Sherrel.

Thanks for the comments and likes on the ferrous shear pictures yesterday; Louis, Patrick, Guy, Sherrel, Phil, Joe, Garry, Jerome, Tom, Curt, Chet, Ken, Ray. As Garry posted, it was a shear delight constructing it.

What little time that I had in the train shed yesterday was spent doing the rigging on the Walther's 25 ton crane.

My fingers are just too fat for this type of stuff!
I started on the electromagnet and should finish it up today.

I gave up a bit early and opened a cold one and ran trains instead.

Sherrel -

She is terrified of either one of us getting this virus and passing it to her almost 99 YO mom;

Good for Kate. Even though we don't have a Mom to worry about, we are being very cautious even with the easing of restrictions in Texas. UPS packages are remaining on the porch for 24 hours, face masks on every trip to public places (I hate wearing them, but the alternative isn't pleasant), hand sanitizer use even when seemingly unnecessary, and social distancing.
Maybe Herr Newsom is taking CA's cut from the check first!
Joe -

Now that I have three tomato plants and a pepper planted and the lettuce is growing, we are expecting a freeze over the weekend.

Be ready just before dawn with a garden hose and spray the plants with as fine a mist as you can get. Shouldn't be a problem for the lettuce if it's been in the ground for very long. You may already know this.
Louis -

Well, it's official, I have completely blown my resolution to not buy any more train stuff until I get what I have sorted and my inventory reconciled.

I think it was official about a week ago!
Chet - Belated Happy Birthday to your wife.

I unfortunately can't use one as it is too modern for my time period. I sure miss out on a lot of crap.

Yeah! But you have a much better selection of vehicles to choose from.
Ken - Your posts from the last couple of days reminds me that I have one of those Walther's fence kits in a shoebox somewhere. Partially built!
I have assembled a lot of Walther's kits over the years. I often wonder whether any one of their developers ever tries to put one together using their instructions. Besides some really small pieces, there are a number of sprue attachment points that make no sense to me, like in the middle of a mitered wall!

Everybody have a great day.

 

[Bruette]

Good morning Everybody!

It's 51 with light rain here in southeast Baltimore. The forecast; 90% chance of rain throughout the day.

I don't like to work in the rain. I don't mind the rain, but I don't like wet packages and plastic bags are a PIA. It's good to be able to cherry pick, thank God.

It's a good day to go grocery shopping for my Mom and I. I'll get my daily activity in the grocery store instead of working. That's how easy my job is, it's not much more than a weekly trip to the grocery store.

My youngest grandson's birthday is Friday. He has requested chili-dogs, that's my boy! I only need a few more things to make it happen.

I'm feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed, even after I worked 3 consecutive days. Evening routes are so much easier, I think they are best for me and they pay more! My business philosophy has always been; less work, more pay. It's great when you can get it!

Now that I have my sleep and eating schedule adjusted "I'm perking, working and having a ball" to quote the Greaseman.

That's it for now,

Have a great day Everybody!

 

[Patrick]

Morning all,

Not much going on yet.

Louis: The photo of the Hindenburg above was taken from a movie miniseries (Hindenburg: The Last Flight) as there were not color photos of the Hindenburg disaster. Brother Mathias had an an influence on a famous BB player that had a huge number of Home Runs over the years. I read this players biography, although the movie took a bunch liberties with his story....

I peaked at 6'3" and at my last physical was 6'1.5", I'm not changing my license....

 

[moermusic]

Wow, get busy for a couple days and you're 4 pages behind.

It looks to me like in the coupler mismatch photo, the car on the left is loaded and with slightly more worn wheels. The car body is definately sitting lower on the trucks.

Moermusic, where is that giant wood trestle? It doesn't look like there are many trees left in that area. Is the track removed or just the bridge replaced?

Ray, that machine producing shoe size bits from cars is probably a hammer mill or a shear that is basically a giant paper shredder. There is one near the Amtrak depot in Vancouver, WA, but I don't think I've ever been there when it's working. I have seen large things on the conveyor leading up to it and the pile of material at it's outlet and it sounds similar to your description. You can see the scrap yard here: https://goo.gl/maps/4m5jW9EfYgDsJ4L47 On the west side you can see the boomless crane they use for pushing cars. It looks like the crane Walthers offers but doesn't have a boom. And some of the windows are broken.

If you want a GP38-2 in HO, Athearn has a couple versions, Atlas and Proto also offer them. My preference would be for the Athearn, the other two didn't start with good drawings or something and the long hoods don't look like they do in prototype photos, especially in the engine room and dynamic brake areas.

All these old photos make me think of things I've seen but was either too young to photograph them or didn't realize they wouldn't last forever. My first train watching experience was standing on top of the slide at school to see over the highway and across the river to see the UP's Kellogg turn, now the Trail of the Coeur d' Alenes. I vaguely remember an orange and black train on a tall bridge on the Milwaukee's St Paul pass. It was abandoned when I was 8. Several times I saw the train between Deary and Bovil, ID, now no tracks at all. I lived in Lewiston, ID, home of the Camas Prairie "Railroad on Stilts" and have only a few photos and much of it is abandoned. I guess some day, members here will be all nostalgic about Dash 9-44CWs some of which are already nearing retirement age.

It was in Alberta. Built with Douglas Fir, all from British Columbia. Google/Bing - Duhamel Bridge

 

[Sirfoldalot]

WHEW! Got warm around here yesterday - official high topped out at 93 and they are calling for 94 today with clear skies and very low humidity in the teens!

FLO, good morning to you and MEL ... I see you are busy filling Willie's order - I haven't had those flapjacks for a while - same as Willie and don't forget the bacon that he left for me. Thanks!

Have a ton of chores today - biggest one is helping one of the wife's cousins get checked out and loaded up for an RV trip back to Tenn ... they have two teenage girls, are tired of "stay at home" so they are hitting the road. It is their first time out doing this! should be interesting. The Spousal Unit and I are thinking about doing the same thing - maybe leave Friday for a week or so and go look at the Sedona, Prescott area of AZ.

IBKEN - The fence and everything else you have shown us on your RR looks great. Your attention to detail and "getting it right" really pays off. Don't think for a moment that we don't notice.!

How's the pool, Willie, did the smaller pump work out?

We ordered a "family" dinner - pickup- from our favorite Mexican joint about 2 miles up the road. Mother of God! We have enough food for an ARMY - we will be munchin off that for at least two more days? Good stuff!

ALAN - You da man! Those cars are really great looking. Enjoy all of your pic and narrative with them.

 

[kbkchooch]

Good morning gang!

Back to work this week, gloves, facemask, hand sanitizer, yada yada yada. They pushed me to the very end of the service counter, back in a corner. When lunch or the end of the day comes, I take off my mask and fling it across the cab of the truck, with the same relief the wife has taking off her brassiere! The last 2 nights I've been too pooped to go downstairs, maybe tonight.

The Spousal Unit and I are thinking about doing the same thing - maybe leave Friday for a week or so and go look at the Sedona, Prescott area of AZ.

Sherril We were in Sedona the day before the wedding last October, gorgeous country. We are thinking about a return trip next year. See if the Spousal unit will let you drive a few hours to Williams Az, then ride the Grand Canyon Railroad!

IBKen Sorry to hear you are having quite the time with the fence kit. I'm sure you will persevere and get it done. I feel your pain though, as eyesight starts to fade and hand get shaky. I just got done putting a steering column in the dash of one of these.

Chinese algebra would have been easier! Now I have to put the dashboard in the car!

Alan, Sherril is right, (for once, hehe) those cars are really something!

L8ter gang

 

[Sirfoldalot]

Sherril We were in Sedona the day before the wedding last October, a gorgeous country. We are thinking about a return trip next year. See if the Spousal unit will let you drive a few hours to Williams Az, then ride the Grand Canyon Railroad!

KARL - Wife has been there, Sedona, with her sister (they love to travel) together. We want to look at the housing around Prescott (can't afford Sedona) for a possible escape from CA. That area is high enough that it would not be quite as hot as the PHX area.
Rode the train out of Williams several years ago - with steam! Great ride.
We have been in and out of Flagstaff several times - the huge Casino just east of town is an "overnight camping" spot in the parking lot on our travels - we do pay our dues while there!

 

[Greg@mnrr]

Good Morning Everyone......sunny, but cool this morning.

Never made it to the train room yesterday. The Cable television was acting up so Cathy called the company and they would send a tech out sometime this morning. The Cable Gateway, wire less equipemtand power supplies(2) are located under my computer console and the orginal tech did a great job of mixing my comuter network cable with his cable stuff and he used 25' of cable to cover a foot of distance between compotents. The entire install in the basement was a mess.

I fasten the wiring into coils and found an extra optic mouse and several peanuts. The entire area looked great after I dusted and was organized. Then the television was normal the entire night so we cancelled the service call.

KARL - Wife has been there, Sedona, with her sister (they love to travel) together. We want to look at the housing around Prescott (can't afford Sedona) for a possible escape from CA. That area is high enough that it would not be quite as hot as the PHX area.

Sherrel/Karl: Have you looked at the Pine Top/Lakeside area of Arizona? Precott is also very nice. We wanted to retire in Pine Top, but the owner next to the lot we were going to purchased, built a plywood garage onto a 100 year old plus log home and painted it yellow. My BIL has a cabin in both Prescott and Pine Top and we loved the area and its only two hours from Phoenix.

Years ago the BIL sold a vacant .22 acre lot in Sedona for $189,000 and a co-worker of mine purchased a similar sized lot in Sedona for $289,000....way too expensive...but great views.

I subscribed to the internet series TrainMastersTV for $9.99 for six months. The series on weathering was alone worth the cost.

Catalog

trainmasters.tv

Hope to get downstairs later.

Short and Sweet.

Greg

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[Sirfoldalot]

Sherrel/Karl: Have you looked at the Pine Top/Lakeside area of Arizona? Precott is also very nice. We wanted to retire in Pine Top, but the owner next to the lot we were going to purchased, built a plywood garage onto a 100 year old plus log home and painted it yellow. My BIL has a cabin in both Prescott and Pine Top and we loved the area and its only two hours from Phoenix.

Thanks, Greg - will check that out!

 

[Greg@mnrr]

Sherrel: We watched a Packer Game in Pine Top at a resturant in Pine Top.

Greg

 

[Bruette]

Willie, you are correct sir!

I buried that resolution a week ago. I just keep driving nails into it's coffin.

To be perfectly honest I think may have blown it up even before that!

I don't even keep my "on order" spread sheet updated. The last entry I have is from 9/21/18 God only knows what I have bought since then.