Running Bear's October 2019 Coffee Shop


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bnsf971 said:
Sherrel, save some time and trouble by not looking for a ballast resistor. Your truck never had one.
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Yeah - That is what Patrick said as well.
I was sure hoping that I might find one there and the possible problem?
My son told me about a problem he had with his Ford diesel - that when it got hot - it would quit and not want to start ... come to find out that the tit in the distributor cap would not contact the rotor -- finally he just started swapping out parts and found it.
 
Sirfoldalot said:
Yeah - That is what Patrick said as well.
I was sure hoping that I might find one there and the possible problem?
My son told me about a problem he had with his Ford diesel - that when it got hot - it would quit and not want to start ... come to find out that the tit in the distributor cap would not contact the rotor -- finally he just started swapping out parts and found it.
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Really? A distributor cap for a diesel? :rolleyes:
 
chadbag said:
While I am in awe of the great modelers I see, I have no aspirations of modeling. I may try now and then, as I like a challenge, but for me, the interest in trains is the emotional interest in trains from places I have been or like to go. So shiny plastic buildings and vehicles, unweathered trains, simple landscapes, etc. work for me since I am not looking at the details, but rather the whole tie back to where I've been or want to go.

As we travel to Japan every other year, more or less, to visit the wife's family and to see her country and experience it, and as we travel by train a whole ton while there, I like the Japanese themed trains. It invokes the emotional feel of being there and planning the next trip there. I overlook the lack of details (weathering, etc) and just like playing with the trains. I run non-prototypical batches (ie, JR West and JR East on the same layout at the same time). As long as it evokes the image of Japan for me, I am game.

The same thing applies to the European trains (mostly Germany/Austria/Switzerland). Not only did I live in Germany twice (86-87, 91-93), and ride a lot of trains during the first sojourn, I've been back a few times and ridden some trains. But more than that, to me, the German trains means a trip -- a vacation -- even if only in distant dreams. (I will finally go back in 2020 and ride a bunch of trains when I go to a missionary reunion in Munich). I don't go to Europe as often as Japan, but it still holds the emotional attachment of having lived there and ridden trains there, and of a potential future trip there to look forward to. To dream about. So that is why I like the European trains -- especially the German/Austrian/Swiss.

I don't have or play with US model trains, though I love to look at all you guys' layouts and trains and great modeling skills. I have no real connection to the US trains. I rarely see them (mostly occasionally see the Frontrunner commuter train and I do see the light rail regularly) -- only see them when I drive up to Wyoming or very occasionally when they run through the valley. And we don't ride trains much in the US and I have not ridden more than light rail types since I rode a commuter train to Boston back in the late 80s. So there is a geek interest in looking at them and their technology and stuff, but no real emotional need to have them myself.

So, to sum up a long post, I agree with @Bruette -- I'll never be a great model railroader (though once I get my train room built and eventually get into retirement, I'll make a good go at it), I just like to run them and set up stuff to help me get excited about the next trip, to pretend to be there, and to remember the past trips.
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Well said Chad! It may have been a long post, but it was a short and enjoyable read, thank you.

I'm with you, my love for my toys comes from personal experiences. Seeing and reading about trains through out my life. Playing with my Tyco set, working with real trains as a young man and yearning for Lionel trains in the stores as a kid fuels the love I have for my trains today.

What I accomplish as a modeler really doesn't matter to me. To paraphrase what Texas Hobo said; close enough is good enough for me.

That is not to say I would not want a "Hall of Fame" layout. It only means I'm happy with what ever my talent and circumstance allows.
 
Sirfoldalot said:
Drove the truck yesterday for the first time in a week ... took it to the grocery store about 2 miles away and it ran normally with no problem. I'm beginning to think that it is a temperature-induced fault? Maybe I will try again today.
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Sherrel, you could be experiencing a form of thermal breakdown when it gives you trouble. I've known mechanics that use ice on the ECM on a road call to get the vehicle into the shop. I preferred to call a tow truck and move on to the next job.

No matter what you fix, that truck will still be X number of years old and something else could fail.

If I were you; I would buy the most affordable pickup I could get, new or used that has a warranty, At least if it fails it won't cost you anything.
 
Texas Hobo said:
I actually grew up in NY. Vacations were in the town of Shelburne Falls, Mass. Some of my earliest memories of trains were Boston and Maine along the Deerfield River. Lived in TX since 64, between Houston and Galveston.
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Very cool. Maybe we can get together for coffee sometime. We often go to Galveston, just for a day, when we're visiting relatives in East Texas, which is usually once or twice a year. Last year were in Houston attending a conference; this year were in Livingston (relatives).
 
Sirfoldalot said:
SAY TEX! What am I looking for? I will take a look. Yeah, It's a Dodge Dakota - 98 year.
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Sherrel, if you insist on keep that 21 year old "head ache" and you are a glutton for punishment get something like this;
1572436911135.png

I'm not recommending that one in particular. I don't have enough current knowledge to recommend the best.

And read these; https://www.obd-codes.com/tsb/1998/dodge/dakota/
 
Good morning everyone. 37 and raining like mad out there. Snow flurries and freezing drizzle north of here, and may come into our area tomorrow. And starting tomorrow low temps in the 20's and low 30's. Okay - - "Goodbye, summer - it was nice knowing you."

Thanks for all the likes and comments on my D&RG mirror post yesterday, Flip, Sherrel, Tom, Patrick, Wheeler, Louis, Chet, Willie, Chad, and anyone I may have overlooked.

Nothing to post from the layout right now. Was busy again in the wood shop last night 'cause another order came in for one of my woodcrafts, a cat, which so far is my best seller. Lady wants two cats painted white and one painted black. Here's a photo of my table at the craft fair this year in our building. Lto R: "Christmas Candle Trios;" an assortment of ducks, horses, geese, and cats (actually I had run out of cats when I took this photo); magazine storage bins; various birdhouses. I've mentioned before that this is one way I fund my model railroading habit. ;)

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Okay. Off to the dentist, and eventually back to my office. Have a good day everyone.
 
Good morning Everybody!

Sherrel, we got us a game 7, go Nationals!

It's 59 with 89% humidity under cloudy skies in southeast Baltimore.

I was a bad boy last night. I raided the Halloween Candy bowl, not good. A half a dozen bitesize snickers and 4 single serving packs of peanut M&Ms. I was disappointed with myself when I threw away the wrappers off the coffee table this morning. Two here and there and before you know it, ten!

Mitt Romney 2024! I respect a man that can stand against a mob.

Have a great day Everybody!
 
11F at 5:30am and still 11F at 6:30am. Supposed to be cold and clear and sunny. Hopefully the house will warm up a bit with the sun through the windows. Ended up with a 1/2 inch to one inch of snow yesterday late afternoon. Part of the time the sun was shining while it snowed. Then it got cloudy again and snowed abut harder for a short while.

Good morning. Nothing train related to report.

Woke up at midnight, after going to bed at 9:30pm. Tossed and turned for several hours before drifting off. Woke up again at 4:50 and drifted off another 40 min and got up. I hate when that happens -- wake up and can't go back to sleep. Mind was busy working on something.
 
Pop's barber shop is down to one customer, but I am a satisfied customer!

Looking in the mirror of my daughter's vanity that I use to cut my hair and I see a "turkey neck' is beginning! God has a whacky sense of humor!
 
Good Morning All. 41° and still misting/drizzling. 1.1" of rain in the last 36 hours, all soaked in. Temperature hasn't changed at all in that same 36 hours, but it's going below freezing tonight and tomorrow night. It will however, clear out and warm up into the 50's tomorrow and the 60's on Friday.
Spent too much time on household chores yesterday. Oh well! Couldn't do much in the yard anyway.

Eggs over easy and a handful of bacon this morning Flo. I'll take a toasted whole wheat English Muffin to go with that.

Thanks to all who liked or commented on the barn progress; Mark, Louis, Sherrel, Chet, Joe, Jerome, Patrick, Tex, Johnny, Dave, Tom, Phil, Rick.

Out in the train shed, I mostly worked on the barbed-wire fence to go around the barn. I need a scale 290'. I mostly finished cutting the remaining fence posts from toothpicks, 38 in all, and then drilling three .020" holes in each one for the wire. Broke my last .020" drill bit and had to finish them with a .021" bit. I got the top two strands of wire through all of the posts before I was seeing double.
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Should finish them up today and do some painting; rusty wire and faded wood. I know that the posts are a bit oversized, but they work elsewhere on the layout.

Chet -
montanan said:
What are you going to come up with to top the barn???
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I don't know, maybe a buzzard? LOL
Greg - Good luck on that NMRA achievement award. Looking forward to seeing the results.
Chad - Well said regarding your modeling goals. On many other forums, that would be considered blasphemous, but our forum members here understand exactly where you are coming from.
Joe - Nice to see some more progress.
Sherrel -
Sirfoldalot said:
If you can - try for a small cupola on the top with broken slats and weather vane?
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That's not really the style of barn I am trying to present. Thanks for the suggestion though.

OK, here's the plan for tomorrow night, Halloween. Get yourself a Bernie Sanders mask, and an Elizabeth Warren mask for your wife. When kids come to your door for trick or treat, take candy from their bags.

Everybody have a great day.
 
Bruette said:
Sherrel, you could be experiencing a form of thermal breakdown when it gives you trouble. I've known mechanics that use ice on the ECM on a road call to get the vehicle into the shop. I preferred to call a tow truck and move on to the next job.

No matter what you fix, that truck will still be X number of years old and something else could fail.

If I were you; I would buy the most affordable pickup I could get, new or used that has a warranty, At least if it fails it won't cost you anything.
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https://www.myriversidechevy.com/Ve...erado 1500&year=2019&sort=salePrice|asc#close
 
Morning all,

Time for coffee only this morning Flo! Thanks.

35* and cloudy so far. Supposed to get to 32* and some snow, but maybe some freezing drizzle. Less that 1/2" expected here. 20* here tonight which is the coldest since spring. Weather guessers aren't sure.

No train time again. Seems to be elusive as the weather changes and the holidays come upon us.
 
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