Recent content by shortwrench

ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.


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    Running Bear's October 2026 Coffee Shop

    Happy Anniversary.
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    Sponge? What kind of sponge?

    I use foam rubber. The same grey foam used in disposable foam paint brushes. Usually from packing material used to protect products in cardboard boxes.
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    Running Bear's September 2026 Coffee Shop

    I liked WKRP in Cincinnati with Dr. Johnny Fever.
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    Running Bear's September 2026 Coffee Shop

    I like your idea of taking a video or pretending to take a video. Perhaps it may shame the offender enough to leave the parking space to someone who really needs it. I have pretended to take a video of people who don't pick up their dog's poop. I also take license plate photos of cars that...
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    Running Bear's September 2026 Coffee Shop

    Looks like some of your fellow commuters are the ones who shouldn't be out in public. Just like people who obviously aren't entitled to handicap placards for their cars. I saw a man in his 20's-30's pulls into a handicap parking spot with his placard. Not a big deal but his vehicle was a lifted...
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    Running Bear's September 2026 Coffee Shop

    I'm always on the lookout for things that I can make for my layout. I recall somebody on one of the forums mentioned that he made sacks out of tubing. Decided to give a go. Don't have a 3D printer--yet. Searching around my stuff, I found a piece of 9/32" round brass tubing. Cutting it to 5/16"...
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    Greetings

    Welcome to the forum. Continue posting your ideas and questions. Please post a photo of your turnout controller and we can walk you through a procedure to test its operation.
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    Running Bear's September 2026 Coffee Shop

    Thursday I had 2 crowns installed on my new dental implants. In preparation for the crowns, I didn't have to have a mold made for the crowns. Instead they use a scanner about the size of a cordless toothbrush handle to create a digital model for the lab to make the crowns. I had to go back to...
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    Lurker now introducing myself.

    Welcome, good group of folks here.
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    Running Bear's September 2026 Coffee Shop

    Done. Neater and safer. Thanks for the inspiration.
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    Running Bear's September 2026 Coffee Shop

    I found that by separating the the emitter and receiver to opposite sides of the track, thereby reconfiguring the sensor to detect the loss of the beam works very well. Changes in room lighting no longer affect the sensor. Because the train blocks the beam and the sensor is no longer dependent...
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    Running Bear's September 2026 Coffee Shop

    Thanks for the suggestion. Nice resolution to a marginal situation. Those standoffs are cores from doggie poop bags. At that time was anxious to get things going and at least should have cut down the length of the standoffs. By the way, the standoffs make for simulated sections of pipes and I...
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    Running Bear's September 2026 Coffee Shop

    As Sargent Shultz of Hogan's Heroes would say "I know notsing".
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    Running Bear's September 2026 Coffee Shop

    I've been working on a couple of back burner roundtuit projects. 1.) I have 2 locations where I have crossing signals. IR avoidance sensors trigger the signals when a train crosses the road. The sensors operate on a reflected signal. They don't have a lot of range, are affected by ambient...
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    Running Bear's September 2026 Coffee Shop

    Congratulations on your anniversary.
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