Running Bear's September 2020 Coffee Shop


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Almost afternoon all,

I'm late, but is is Monday...yech!

Fortunately it has been an easy Monday, but busy. Makes the day go faster.

No train time over the weekend, but I overdid it Saturday and ended up spending most of yesterday just sitting as I could. Watched a BBQ contest show on Netflix (Think British Baking Show only with BBQ and sides). I knew most of their tricks....I've gotta get a wood smoker.

Got the pool taken down and mostly put away and 2 loads to the landfill from the daughter's shed on Saturday. She was going to toss 10 bags of cheap wood mulch that got wet in the shed, but I took them to put around the blueberry bushes and I think that's where I got done in. I'm still trying to recover some today.


Garry: Sorry to here of your friend passing.
 
Good afternoon all. Well I'm sitting here looking out at the rain and Beta hasn't yet made landfall. They are predicting 8 to 12 inches of rain. We did alright during Harvey recording 55 inches over 4 days. So much depends of high high tide in Galveston Bay has nearly all the bayous drain to the bay. Storm surge of coarse adds to the problem, amplifying the high tide by several feet.
Well rainy weather means I get some train time.

STAY SAFE
 
Good afternoon from the home schooling day for the grandkids. Online learning IMO is a waste of time. Both my wife and I are former educators, with the wife teaching in the LD program and then as an administrator. The 1st grader with me had 2 classes this morning, lunch at 11 and then 20 minutes of recess. We are waiting for his next online class in 45 minutes. The granddaughter had 1 class this morning and has 2 with the wife this afternoon. There has got to be a better way for elementary aged kids.

There will be a tree planting session this evening after dinner. My biggest supporter, sometimes helper, occasional operator and biggest critic didn’t think much of the installed bushes. After some adjustments she approved the bush installations at 11:45 last night. I can now install the trees.

Have a great day
TomO
 
Afternoon All,

Haven't done anything in the train room for 4 days due to a illness. Now I'm dealing with fatigue issues. I have energy when I get up in the morning and do some things around the house and by lunch I feel exhausted and take a couple hour nap (not normal for me) then feel like I have more energy until bed time at night. I hope this passes soon, I want to get back to the layout.

Sherrel- It sounds like your wife is doing well.

Garry- I am truly sorry to hear about the passing of your friend Dan.

Jerry- Interesting photo.

Lee- Great photos and video. I remember Mayflower Moving for one of our moves as a kid (Father was Army). I also associate them with Christmas also since growing up one of their boxes was used for ornament storage.

Troy- You're making great progress.

Alan- Great job on the 2-10-4.

TomO- It sounds like our distance learning locally has a fuller day, but I agree it's not like being at a school.

I hope everyone has a good night.
 
Good afternoon..

Thanks to each of you who commented regarding my post about my good friend, Dan, passing away yesterday.

Below is a picture taken a few years ago with Dan and the Dinner Train in Bardstown, KY. Four couples road the train that day, and we all enjoyed it.

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Everybody: .... Have a good evening.
 
Morning all!

Definitely a dark roast and double-donut day.

Didn't do much on the layout yesterday except draw lines. There are a few places where the main line is dictated by the curves at the corners of the benchwork, so I needed to get those down. The mainline is now drawn the entire way. I do need to work on drawing easements into some of those curves.

In other news, the wife said I was cranky, and I needed to channel that energy. So this was my job last evening. 20 apples skinned and gutted so she can make apple butter on her week off.

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Good morning from the left side of the map. Cooler temps for the next several days.
Alan... great work on the Santa Fe. I would like to see it run.
Willie...thanks for the complimentary doughnuts, Flo...do you have some extra strength joe to go with the doughnuts? I'm partial to deer camp coffee, I like it to either float or dissolve a bullet....thank you!
Everybody.....thanks for the likes & comments
You guys working on your layouts made me want to go out to the train room and get something done. Here's a pic from a couple days ago. About the same angle as the pic from the other day showing the yard.
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Have been concentrating on house repairs, property up keep this summer...that's a full time job! I don't have a pic. of it yet but I did clean off the peninsula (it turned into a work bench) and swept & vacuumed the floor.

Everybody be safe out there! :cool:
 
Morning all,

I was remiss in acknowledging the well wishes for the wife and daughter. Thank you!

Nothing on the trains yesterday as I was beat by my busy day yesterday. It wasn't a bad day, just busy. At least there were no emergencies that changed priorities to my day. Today hopefully will be the same, playing catchup to everything the past couple of weeks.

I'll be in and out.
 
Good Morning all. 51 degrees in the Ozark Foothills Flo Coffee, Cheese Omelet and Raisin Toast

Curt. Thanks for the complement on the pics and video. Glad I could bring back some memories with that Mayflower trailer.

Willie. Nice Santa Fe Power you have there

Garry. Thanks for sharing that pic hope things get better for you

TomO. Good luck with your trees

Troy. Bet your arm is sore this morning nothing like Homemade Apple Butter.I forgot to say I like that pic of the Chickens on the road and that’s a sharp looking Diamond Reo Tow Truck. Congratulations on your winnings for that pic you did good

No bench or Train time last night the evening got away from me and I turned in early. Thanks for all the complements and likes yesterday. Here’s a few pics of some containers I Painted/ Decaled years ago have a great day and be safe.

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Good Morning All. Completely cloudy and 65° out there this morning. Despite having many window open, it's 76° inside, but there's a nice north breeze coming through the bedroom window on my side of the bed. Sure am tempted to go back! The weather rock is wet this morning but I can't detect any measurable amount in the rain gauge, so I checked with the Weather Underground station around the corner and they got .06" overnight. I get more than that with a heavy dew sometimes!
Spent part of my day yesterday taking a buddy from my old workplace out to lunch. He's the manager of the plant that the corporate overlords are closing after 40 years. The plant extruded and painted aluminum shapes for their window lines. They will now purchase them from outside sources instead. Despite the fact that the operation has been profitable for the last 9 years (since the housing meltdown); the property that the plant is situated on, has risen in value so much, that they cannot refuse an offer to sell it. Amazon recently bought five properties behind it and built a fulfillment center. They paid outrageous prices for them and made everything else rise in value. My buddy has been inundated with job offers including one from the company that is receiving the business. Meanwhile he is going to be busy shutting the place down and removing and disposing of all the equipment and machinery. He feels badly about the situation and is not going over to the corporate mother-ship to stay with them, especially after how badly they handled the situation.
Today's the big day, the new freezer is supposed to arrive today. I am a bit tired of making the 50 mile round trip every day for dry ice, not to say anything about the expense. But since the fan in the freezer is still running and circulating the air, I have been able to keep all of the contents frozen, albeit at 23° instead of 0°. Not looking forward to clearing out the old one so it can be hauled off, but my wife was adamant that I couldn't use it as a waterproof storage cabinet back in the garden.

Just a handful of bacon and an English Muffin this morning Francine. I'm still stuffed from supper last night.

Thanks once again to all who commented or liked the locomotive comparison shots posted yesterday; Jerome, Guy, Sherrel, Karl, Chad, Lee, James Patrick, Phil, Hughie, Tom O, Chet, Tom, Justin, Garry, Jerry. I'll keep you posted when I begin to weather those units.

I did several tasks out in the train shed yesterday. Cleared out everything in the latest project area to paint the horizon on the backdrop. Here are before and after pictures of my best Bob Ross attempts.
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Nothing too difficult here. I'll add some painted trees and some other shades of green next, and then spray paint all of the track and ties.
I did some piddling around over on the workbench with the two structures that are going in the foreground, the diner and the appliance repair shop. Re-purposed since I cannot locate my HVAC dealer signs!

Hughie - I wish you the best luck with the rain and potential flooding from Beta. I don't particularly feel sorry for the actual city of Houston as poor city planning allowed developers to build and pave over on flood plains and bayous that now aggravate their situation. I do feel badly for the residents affected though.
Tom O - I just hope that the home schooling is at least partly effective. End of my comments regarding that as I can get very political on that subject rather quickly.
Curt - Hope that you are feeling better soon.
Jerry - Not much but it's a start. Any relief from the fires yet?

Besides being the Fall Equinox Day, 8:30 am CST here, today is also National Centenarian’s Day. While I don't think that we have any here on the forum, I hope that a number of us (myself included) reach that milestone, in good health.
Everyone have a great day.
 
Good Morning, Everyone!
42F right now, and these last couple of days were not nearly as nice as the weather guessers suggested it would be. I didn't see a whole lot of the promised sun yesterday, and it's still dark outside, so I can't see nuttin out there now. - Hoping it will be nice, as it's the last day of fence construction.
I only have the gate to build now. I'm considering installing a turn-buckle, as the 6'h x 3'w gate is likely going to be very heavy. I dislike a gate sinking down opposite the hinge side as the wood dries. This gate will have 3 very heavy duty hinges.

Troy - I'm liking the benchwork you are building. Following closely. - That looks like a very expensive and complicated apple peeler.
Jerry - I like you're benchwork, as well. - I made my first bench recently. I'm probably going to tear it apart and re-think it, as I can't get rid of the bow in the middle. It's made with a 1x4 frame, with is bowing as it dries. Thinking of making a new one with a 3/4" plywood frame. The bench is to become my town yard area, so I would like it flat and level.

Garry - Very sorry to hear you lost a good friend. The honest pain you feel for his loss means you were a true friend.

Willie - Can't say I've ever seen one of those cab-less GP60B engine units; I guess they make sense. I'm not so sure I like them; my thoughts are 'men and machine', not the robot world.
Lee - I really like all you're piggyback trailer units. I'm especially partial to the Mayflower one; I like the colors.

Just coffee until break-time today. Going to be leaving soon to finish the fence; and then this afternoon I have a basement electrical reno with another ex-client. Need to keep them happy, even in my retirement.

Out and about yesterday, I noticed another SD40 in the town CN yard, so I stopped for photos. That newer paint job lured me right in. Turns out this is a complete rebuild, and is known as a GP40-2Q. This engine began life as CN5084, in 1969. Photos:
SD40-2Q_09-21-2020.jpg

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Have a good one!
 
Good morning, y'all. 48° and sunny.

Willie: Bob Ross it's not, but far better than Boris. :rolleyes: All kidding aside, I like your progress...but save something for the winter.

Guy: Nice photos, those CN units just keep going...and going...

Spent part of the day running wires on the layout, then we went over to the park for a walk on the trail. Managed 1.16 miles in a tad over 25 minutes. Little stiff this morning, though.:oops:

Forgot to include photos, yesterday...so...
RDG SD45 at Orangeville. September 1977.jpg

This was one of the dual control Reading "Bee Line" SD45s, before Conrail.
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Princeton, NJ MUs loading travel for connections at Princeton, jct.
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Alco on the Bustleton Branch 9-29-1967 at Holmesburg Jct. (Philadelphia). Division Point where the Philadelphia Division Ended and the New York Division began.
 
Morning fellers. I hope everyone is well. Finally getting a taste of fall here. Although won't last much longer. Supposed to be mid to low 80s by the end of the week. Seeing TrucTrain55s bluebox locos motivated me to go and dust off one of mine. And I mean dusting....this poor thing I have had on the shelf for quite some time. It's a solid runner but itll need the wheels cleaned and needs lubricated. I've put some elbow grease in this unit as well. By far my favorite among my bluebox locomotives. I have a GM50 that needs finished up that's still in the box.
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As Jerry said prior - Morning from the left side of the map. It is supposed to be 89 again today (that will be three in a row) then we are supposed to get a couple 91's.

GUY -- Hope you are able to tear yourself away from the house? (The woods are calling your name?). I think your brick building looks really good. I know, I am more critical of myself than others are, but you have done a nice job on it.
Here is a picture you may like. and perhaps have seen it as well? https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

TROY - You are moving right along. The apples look good, but personally, I am not a fan of apple butter - not that it matters as I doubt that you were going to send me any? And why I said that - I have no idea?

FLO - Better let me have a refill on the java! I need it this morning.

WILLIE - No water proof storage huh? That's too bad ... maybe get a few concrete blocks to support it?
Question? What's that dry ice cost and where do you get it? I never bought or needed any - just curios?
I sure do like thos silver trucks on the SF locos. Frisco did paint Their E Unit trucks silver, but the freight's were all blah black.
Good luck on getting the new freezer in the house and setup.

OK .. I have had this post started for solid hour - now I have lost my train of thought!
One interruption after another! I'll be back!
 
Here's a couple for Sherrel:

Frisco Depot, Augusta, KS.

1890's:

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From 1956. Frisco still going.

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What the retired station looks like now:

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The tracks are only the length of the brick and the line long abandoned. East they don't exist, R.O.W. given to adjoining landowners. To the west (right) towards Wichita is slowly being converted to a rail trail. Adjoining landowners been fighting that for years.

Also when the station was remodeled, many were upset they put the tile roof on, but as noted in the 1890's picture, it was originally tile. It houses the Chamber of Commerce and has meeting rooms IIRC.
 
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