Running Bear's September 2020 Coffee Shop


Status
Not open for further replies.
Hello, everybody ...

Thanks again to each of you for your kind thoughts and condolences.

The funeral was very good. Dan was a vet, and he was laid to rest with a military funeral in Hopkinsville. So, the funeral procession had a 40 miles trip from the funeral home here in this town to Hopkinsville. It was emotional as rifles were fired, the bugle sounded, and the flag was folded for his widow.

Life goes on for the rest of us. I'll be with my model railroad this evening. I have another freight car kit to work on. A P2K stock car.

Have a good evening.
 
Good evening Shop Dwellers. 61*F and overcast with a chance of rain later on (hope we actually get it, haven't had any here during the last couple weeks...)

Thanks everyone for the 'like's on my last post.

Didn't get very far yesterday with my remaining GP38 "project" loco. I was reinstalling the handrails and had just finished the front set, when I reached into the box for the rear set and they were...gone!? Wound up spending close to half an hour looking for the missing set [which I'd had in my hand an hour earlier]. I KNEW it had to be in there somewhere, and I did NOT want to have to order an entire set of replacement handrails from Atlas and waiting 10 days to recieve them. As I was sifting thru the debris from the trash can in case it had fallen in there, I finally caught a glimpse of the missing end rail lying ~18 inches behind my workbench chair...the ONLY place I hadn't thought to look! I decided at that point I'd be better off walking away from it for the night. Went back and finished the handrails earlier this evening...

Ken. A First Gear Mack R and B look just like the Athearn sized down that’s why they had to stop. Hope you get that computer issue solve. Post those locos when you get them done
Lee, exactly what scale are the First Gear Macks...got links to any photos? (I'll post a photo I snapped of the GP40 I recently finished later on.)

IBKen: After 35 years of dealing with computers, you see why I don't care to do DCC at this time. Too much like the computer stuff I do everyday and I want to get away from that in my hobbies.
Quite understandable Patrick. That's why nowadays I only buy locos with the decoders already factory installed.

If you've always wanted to dabble on the "other side" of computers, many people turn to Linux when their Windoze machines are no longer up to the standards the Emperor of Redmond has decreed. If you've ever used an Apple computer, they use a Linux variant as their operating system.
Actually Terry, I was thrust into that world when I migrated all my group's legacy databases off of an aging Sun box running Solaris 10, onto a VM running Redhat Linux. It was a bit of a culture shock after all those years using Solaris Sysadmin tools that streamlined the process of setting up printers, web servers, email, etc. Now I was expected to do all that stuff manually on the command line. I definitely don't want to have to deal with that again on my home computer..but thanks anyway for the suggestion.
 
Ken, I think First Gear trucks are usually 1:48 scale.
Thanks Terry, I figured they were probably useless to us 1:87 modelers...

Here is the photo Lee requested of my previous "project" geep:
BnO_3698.jpg


Proto:

bo3698akg.jpg
 
Morning all...

Looks like Mel forgot the donuts again, I'll go get some from my secret stash. Just a cuppa joe then.

In case you haven't noticed, I've begun a thread in Layout Design and Construction about the Still Untitled GN line. You can find it here.
I'm still writing "catch up" posts and surfing my photo archives. May have half-a-dozen of those before I'm current. But I'll get there.

In layout news not yet on that thread - I've started gluing down foam inclines and risers. So far, it's just on the center peninsula. Once I'm caught up on the new thread, you'll see pics there.

I'll see if I can get a post or two over there to get closer to catching up.
 
I think it is morning - the clocks say it is - my body does not know where it is at the moment?
It seems that I had/have some sort of intestinal flu? I am not so sure, but if it persists into Monday then I will try and see my primary. I felt really good yesterday afternoon - then went downhill fast ... wound up having a small bowl of watermelon and went to bed at 7:30. Will see what happens this morning!
No thanks, FLO, just will pass on anything to eat and I brought one of my wife's protein drinks to sip on.

GARRY - sorry to hear about DAN! It's never easy when you lose someone that you have been close with for many yers.
The photos you have been "blessing" the site with are - as Karl would say - Marrveeelooous!

KEN - 3698 is a work of art! You are very talented! Just simply beautiful.

I am really behind in looking back the past couple days. I see TROY and CURT have been very busy?

It's still mostly "near" summer out here. was 88 yesterday and looking for 89 today. Back into the 90's next week.

CHET - Always enjoy seeing photos of your layout. The Yellow color you picked for your diesel fleet really stands out - well done!

I'm not quite here at the moment - Sorry to not mention everyone ... forgive me.
 
Good evening Shop Dwellers. 61*F and overcast with a chance of rain later on (hope we actually get it, haven't had any here during the last couple weeks...)

Thanks everyone for the 'like's on my last post.

Didn't get very far yesterday with my remaining GP38 "project" loco. I was reinstalling the handrails and had just finished the front set, when I reached into the box for the rear set and they were...gone!? Wound up spending close to half an hour looking for the missing set [which I'd had in my hand an hour earlier]. I KNEW it had to be in there somewhere, and I did NOT want to have to order an entire set of replacement handrails from Atlas and waiting 10 days to recieve them. As I was sifting thru the debris from the trash can in case it had fallen in there, I finally caught a glimpse of the missing end rail lying ~18 inches behind my workbench chair...the ONLY place I hadn't thought to look! I decided at that point I'd be better off walking away from it for the night. Went back and finished the handrails earlier this evening...


Lee, exactly what scale are the First Gear Macks...got links to any photos? (I'll post a photo I snapped of the GP40 I recently finished later on.)


Quite understandable Patrick. That's why nowadays I only buy locos with the decoders already factory installed.


Actually Terry, I was thrust into that world when I migrated all my group's legacy databases off of an aging Sun box running Solaris 10, onto a VM running Redhat Linux. It was a bit of a culture shock after all those years using Solaris Sysadmin tools that streamlined the process of setting up printers, web servers, email, etc. Now I was expected to do all that stuff manually on the command line. I definitely don't want to have to deal with that again on my home computer..but thanks anyway for the suggestion.
Ken. There 1/34 scale mostly here’s another company that also copied them but made them out of plastic I put there 1/34 cab on a 1/32 monogram frame and painted it and add Don Mills and AITM components to it I don’t think I ever seen a 1/48 first gear but they make a lot 1/50 1/25 also
3F54A5F0-B31E-417B-9AE4-21AA402AB57E.jpeg
5511DB8A-7A8B-46C5-A262-FC98307EA5E1.jpeg
7F9D1A5F-B987-47AA-884D-52B18FF7344A.jpeg
 
Good Morning all. 62 degrees in the Ozark Foothills going to Hot today hope this is the last Hot day in the Foothills. Flo. Coffee and a Cheese Omelet

Willie. Hope everything goes well with you you layout is looking better every day

Sherrel. Hope you get to feeling better

Curt. That landscaping is beautiful very nice. Thanks for the complement on the cars

Ken. Thanks for posting those pics I really liked them and I like B&O C&O Railroad as well

Thanks for all the complements and likes yesterday. I did get nothing done last night I was exhausted had a long hard week I think the Chinese are working over time since they went back to work over there we keep getting more Containers every day the all Rails are full at this time but that’s a good thing. Here’s a pic of a old Athearn Blue box undecorated kit that I painted/decaled in RailBox. I use a rattle can Caterpillar Yellow to paint it and Hearld King decals. Be safe and enjoy your weekend.


4DBCECB4-C27D-4139-8250-567C50BDF109.jpeg
314F0634-F794-4129-BD93-7400A14F957F.jpeg
 
Good morning y'all. 67° and cloudy...in other words, back to typical Jersey weather. Hopefully, I didn't catch Sherrel's bug, but I have been super tired of late. Blood work from Monday is back, I'm anemic...another can of worms, plus my BP has been bonkers lately...On the bright side, I'm up to a consistent 1 mile daily walk. I started a new BP med a diuretic...so I'll be spending more time in the toilet. :(

Garry: A little late, but sorry for the loss of your friend Dan.

Ken: Nice GP40. I like it. Note that the proto photo you used, the GP40 is coupled to a CNJ SD35. Power for the "Hudson" train? When I fired on the BL-6, PY to Edgemoor leg, we always tried to get up to 4 mile run and double out ahead of the Hudson. The B&O crew did appreciate that. The Hudson was always either a solid consist of CNJ power or a mix of B&O and CNJ power. That was around 1968 - 1969.

Y'all have been uploading numerous nice photos. Yes, I have been paying attention, but I'm so behind that individual recognition is impossible.

Enjoy your weekend!

franklin_1956_Mack_750_gpm_Pumper.jpg

My type of Mack B ...1956 750 GPM Triple Combination with two stage Hale Pump. Engine 6 was my old Engine Company.

CNJ RDCs cross McCarter Hwy Sept 3 1965.jpg

1965 view of CNJ RDC train headed for CNJ Broad Street Station, taken from Penn Station in Newark...In 1967, the Aldine plan would take effect, and CNJ trains were all moved to Penn Station. Broad Street Station is now the site of the Prudential Center, home of the NJ Devils and the Seaton Hall U "Pirates". Building i the backgroud, was once the CNJ building.
 
Good Saturday Morning All. Clear and 62° with a heavy dew outside. That precludes yardwork (mowing especially) for a few hours. But I ran the dishwasher before bed last night so I can empty it and then resume re-arranging and re-organizing the new freezer.
The CT angiogram went well yesterday. Nothing abnormal according to both the technician and the radiologist. I haven't bothered to look at the two CD's with 750 pictures yet! Not sure I could understand what I am looking at anyway. My primary care guy likes to help his fellow medical professionals by ordering additional (often unnecessary) tests. He had originally done a Doppler ultrasound in his office, although with inconclusive results.

A big pile of sausage patties and a pair of over easy eggs for me this morning Francine. I can't believe that Troy didn't bring any gourmet doughnuts this morning.

Thanks for the likes and comments made yesterday regarding my ballasting efforts; Karl, Patrick, Phil, Chad, James, Jerome, Lee, Curt, Guy, Ken.

Just doesn't seem like I got very far with ballasting yesterday, mainly because I didn't get home from the medical testing until after 4:00. Got about 3' of main line only.
09-26-20 001.JPG

09-26-20 002.JPG

Just to keep busy while the glue was drying, I pulled out one of the structure kits that I purchased last week. It is a simple DPM kit called Laube's Linen Mill, whatever that is. I am not going to use it in this scene (well never say never), but need something over on the workbench to keep me occupied since I am about to enter the scenery phase in this area.
09-18-20 003.JPG


09-24-20 003.JPG

It is a bit unusual (many DPM structures are), in that all ground level entry doors are all on one wall. If put together according to the picture on the front of the package, that wall on the upper right joins the one next to it. That would put a ground level entry door leading directly into a dock high loading door. No room for an interior staircase! I am going to reverse the two side walls from their design. That double door on the ground level is also only a scale 8' tall, thus making it somewhat useless as a true ground level loading door. Yes, I am anal about that sort of thing! Stay tuned.

Jerry - I thought that only Louis posted about Christmas while we're still in September!
Troy - Man, you're making excellent progress. I've seen your other thread. Great idea as many fellow members don't come by the Coffee Shop, I think that Sherrel and Beady scared them off.
Alan - I wish that I could get into steam engines like you have. You do excellent work. I just feel more comfortable with diesels, and that is the era that I am most familiar with.
Curt - Maybe just a few scrubby trees in the area of the fourth picture. Otherwise, great job. Regarding the ballast; I have used some ballast from Arizona Rock & Mineral on a past layout, not much, just on a few spurs. It worked well but I have just gotten used to the WS stuff and use it exclusively now.
Sherrel - I have resolved the update fiascos with my computer by stubbornly hanging on to Win7. No more updates!
Lee - Thanks for the comment. Now if I could talk Tom O into sending me about 250 trees, I could really fix up some areas.

Speaking of Louis, we haven't seen him since 9-14. Hope that he is OK. Mikey is another who I'd like to hear from. I know that he has been lurking but hasn't posted since July.

Everybody have a great day and an awesome weekend.
 
AWESOME PICS AND POSTS ALL!
I am clawing my way back among the living! I have no idea what attacked my innards - but part of it is still there! Whoo!
This is third day of the stool track meet - feeling chipper at the moment.

I got a call to get my tax info to the man by Friday! I know, YES it is last years- I was hoping they would just over look me.
I promise to do better NEXT YEAR (I think I actually said that LAST YEAR?

Have to run now - day started with my ASUS "crapped out" due to some (I guess) updates? Anyhoo, I had tore-enter signin and passwords for many accounts and somedidn't want to let me and had to do the "new password" two step which drives me bonkers -can't use a previous one - BS! Choose a sronger one - NO, I don't wanna! - you have too! ARGGG!

I be back! Off to see the wizard of accountants!

Just have to make one comment though! ALAN - I want to know where you live! LOL
Sherrel, if you ever get to Milwaukee let me know. I'll give you the 50 cent tour!
 
Greetings all!

No donut today. Wife is fasting to have labs drawn for the annual doc visit. So I have to be good too. She told me there's a big lunch in my future, since the lab appointment is right before lunch, and near to some of our favourite restaurants.

Hope to hit the train layout tonight, and start gluing down my WS foam risers. But, to do that, I need to figure out my access routes in and out of what will be the logging camp.

Here's the overall of that end. Foam risers are kindof in place. The curve is set. I just need to figure out where my cuts will be for underpasses and bridges. I've got a planning quandary, and would appreciate the input. I'll give my current thoughts... then add the what-about at the end.

View attachment 117699

The metal yardstick is the proposed underpass for the spur line to the logging camp, which will be in the center of the loop. The foam risers are part of the looped mainline. The red line off to the right will be another spur line, and probable staging area for log cars from the camp. I'll cut away the pink foam there to the outside right so that outer spur is green level, not pink level.

A look into the void of the underpass:

View attachment 117700

I haven't cut away the foam of the risers (yet). Need to know there the carve-out for the incline into the logging camp will fall. The gap is just a visual reminder. I may use a 4% 2-foot riser just because it's a logging spur with a dedicate (yet to purchase) loco for pushing empties up the hill.

And from the other side:
View attachment 117701

This photo shows the quandary:
Do I branch off BEFORE the mainline incline (yardstick location)? Or do so FROM the incline to the right of this image? In this case, the spur would utilize the same tunnel under the mainline loop, but curve away on the backside.

Here's how that might look?

View attachment 117702

Thoughts?
Did you lay the riser intact and then cut the gap? Not saying it absolutely will make much difference, but if cut and then spaced, with each side hieght being the same it might create a levelling in the track, at that gap if laid in contact with the foam and roadbase.
 
Alan - I wish that I could get into steam engines like you have. You do excellent work. I just feel more comfortable with diesels, and that is the era that I am most familiar with.

Thanks Willie. Model Railroading is an art form. I know all of our "non modeling" friends roll their eyes if you call you trains art, but I believe that's exactly what they are. We're all recreating a time and place that we remember or have researched. If that's not art, nothing is. You have to express yourself through what moves you. You can't force interest. If you do, you'll do subpar work. Guess how I know that! Now I also do diesel modeling, and model the SP all the way up to the 1980's. The most modern engines on my roster are tunnel motors in the bloody nose scheme, as well as some SW-1500's and MP-15's. My club's era is slowly evolving into the 80's and later, as younger members come aboard, so I decided some more modern equipment wasn't out of bounds. Enjoy your diesels. You do some pretty fine work yourself!

Steamers aren't for everyone. Brass especially isn't for everyone. The time and cost involved can get to be substantial. The skills needed take time to perfect. I screwed up a couple of models on my journey, bad enough that I've only recently acquired the skills and the tools to fix them! It is very satisfying to take a box of pieces and bring it back to life though.

From this:
IMG_2881.JPG


To this:

 
Did you lay the riser intact and then cut the gap? Not saying it absolutely will make much difference, but if cut and then spaced, with each side hieght being the same it might create a levelling in the track, at that gap if laid in contact with the foam and roadbase.
Are you asking about cutting the gap in the foam riser?

If so, it has not be cut. Just had the “seam” between two of the sections fall where I was thinking of coming up with the spur. So I unfastened one side of the riser (using the foam nails to hold it in place while I noodle about) and slid it over.

I’m assuming that it’s best to cut the gap in the BASE first, lay the riser over and glue, then trim the riser for the bridge I’ll add later. Don’t have brides small enough for that gap. Need to order a few.
 
Good Morning Gentlemen,
Several days ago I threatened to post a few pics of our trip to my old stomping grounds, so here they are. As mentioned, the museum which has the local clubs layout was closed due to some virus but I did get a closeup look at the SP beet gondola which serviced the sugar plant. I will need at least 4 of them on my layout. (I just missed 4 of them on ebay but the price, +- $50 was a little more than I wanted to pay) Now its time to
get the mowing done and prepare for more power shutoffs. Red flag alerts up here again in N CA.

IMG_0262.jpg
IMG_0271.jpg
IMG_0279.jpg
IMG_0263.jpg
IMG_0272.jpg
IMG_0273.jpg
 
Afternoon, 80 yesterday and today I'll take it for this time of the year. Getting things cleaned up and putting the summer stuff away and getting out the fall decorations. Going out to Long Horn for our 28th anniversary tonight then a couple glasses of wine by the campfire with dessert to cap the night off.
 
Made the mistake of installing a security update to my MacBook 3 days after it’s release ... WAY too early. It’s managed to hose my computer. Spent all day doing the normal scans and fixit. Nothing accomplished.

But I did order a bridge kit, and the turnouts I needed from MidwestMRR
 
Afternoon, 80 yesterday and today I'll take it for this time of the year. Getting things cleaned up and putting the summer stuff away and getting out the fall decorations. Going out to Long Horn for our 28th anniversary tonight then a couple glasses of wine by the campfire with dessert to cap the night off.
Congratulations on 28 years Tom. I barely remember my 28th in the year 2000!:cool:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.



Back
Top