Running Bear’s June 2025 Coffee Shop

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Been going back and forth with Rails of Sheffield on a return. This was my second Dapol Hawthorne Leslie. First one ran for a few days, started stuttering continuously. The running routine for this was run for 45 minutes, clean cr@p out of the bearings, which are the power pick ups, for the next 15 minutes. Run for 45, clean for 15. I ended up installing wiper pick ups on it and now it runs nicely. Dapol told me that I shouldn't have had issues like that and I should have returned it instead. I didn't know how to work the Japanese post office, so shipping it back to them was a no go.

Well, dumb a$$ me, decided to give it a second try, relying on what Dapol had told me. Second one ran for 2 hours before it started sputtering out. I had cleaned and vacuumed my track right before running this thing and when it started dying, I cleaned the track again. So, now that I have figured out the Japanese post office (had to figure it out to send 3 N-scale J94s back to Rails), I sent it back. They told me they tested it and it runs fine. I told them not to run it at 50-100% power as I run my stuff in the 20-30% range, which is where problems would show. You run anything at 100% and you won't see any issues. They told me they were running it that slowly and even sent me a video. A miracle that they could send me a video of a loco running smoothly as they couldn't do that earlier with my J94 fiasco (which they promised to do but didn't).

I told them that I run an MRC 9500 9000, which is not PWM as they told me PWM doesn't work with this model. I reminded them that it ran fine for 2 hours. Anyway, they are insisting that it is fine, so I told them to send it back to me and if it doesn't run for me, I'll be sure to record it and we'll be doing this again.

Since I cannot trust them to pre-test anything like they promised (the 3 J94s again), and this loco is miraculously running fine, I have canceled my 3 pre-orders and told them to send all my store credit from the J94 returns and shipping back to my credit card. I am done with Rails.

Rant over. Ah I feel much better haha.

Thanks!
 
Morning all,

56° and clear. The thunderstorms they were expecting here yesterday stayed south and east of the area. Just as well, didn't need any more rain. Sad part is that there are still a lot of sprinkler systems going off and we've had enough rain that they shouldn't need to be used for at least another couple of weeks. Mine has only been run twice all season (on since April 2nd), once to test and again to set fertilizer and crabgrass preventer.

Glad to be at the office as I couldn't take another day of "resting". Fence repaired and later my son called about a lady he know that needed assistance hauling off limbs from storm damage. So 2 truckloads of limbs got hauled to the city limb yard, where they'll either be shredded for mulch or burned. They also take yard waste (grass clippings, garden waste, etc.) and the mulch and resulting compost are made available for free to citizens. While I get mulch on occasion, I don't get the compost as I don't know how much chemicals are used on the grass the clipping are from.

SOS, parents made it when I was a kid. Cheap eatin'. Never had it during my time in the Air Force.

Not a lot going on yet.
 


Patrick said:
the mulch and resulting compost are made available for free to citizens.
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That's awesome! Wish they would do that around here.

Just noticed your sig. I just ordered an Athearn HO GN Consolidation. Not going to match anything else I have, but since my first loco was a Bachmann GN Consolidation in N-scale, I went for nostalgia. Ah hell, it'll be pulling my UP or JN coaches around, who am I kidding haha
 
Good morning all. A cloudy day with showers later.
A coffee on the go please, Flo.

Dawn has to have injections every week. This week she has had to double her dose. It takes a little while to get use to it. At the moment she is not '100%'.

Younger granddaughter is visiting after school, then I take her to Brownies this evening.

Received a telephone call from my 'Baby Sister' saying she is visiting tomorrow.
I believe that I have mentioned previously that she isn't a real sister. Years ago, what over fifty or more, Sharon entered my life. We have similar challenges in life, so much so we helped each other to overcome them.

Though we took our own paths in life, we remain close. Sharon was a bridesmaid at Dawn and I's wedding and at Christenings etc.
Last October she asked me if she could be my 'Baby Sister'. Naturally I said 'Yes'. Sharon as always been like a sister since we met.

Sharon and me with her husband, Ian looking on.

IMG_0151.JPG
 
chadbag said:
Just checked in for our return flight tomorrow night. They seem to let you check in more than 24 hours in advance since it was a little 9am when they sent me the email to check in and our flight leaves tomorrow evening at 6:20am. The layover in Korea is a little short but hopefully we are not late and we should make it. Only 50 minutes but they have a transfer hallway to quickly move between terminals though they make you redo a security scan on transfers.

Kansai Airport (Osaka) to Seoul Incheon to Las Vegas to SLC. Luckily we're avoiding LAX and SFO.

Today is grocery shopping to fill the space in the suitcases. If I were in charge we'd buy too much groceries and not have started to pack until tomorrow. But the wife and daughter and sister in laws have already packed most everything and we know how much space we have.

Talking to the son right now on FB messenger video. Next week we'll be back to our Sunday night talk with him (Monday morning in Japan). He is being transferred to a place called Kitami on the east side of Hokkaido.
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May the tail winds help, safe flight
 
Hi from the overly dry heat of the desert Southwest. Great to visit but not when it’s over 100. 73f degrees at 5:15am heading to 106+ with heat warnings popping up every where you look. It will be 100 at noon! The breeze with gusts under 5 mph is helpless.

The son and his girlfriend flew back to Austin, we did some driving yesterday visiting nearby towns, mainly Summerlin. Too many gated communities around here. It’s down to 5 of us this week with no visitors expected. My sister wants to hit a casino today but does not want to hit the strip. There are a few casinos a mile or so north of the gates here.

Heading out for the morning walk, today’s it’s 25 minutes out!

Enjoy your day
 
Good Morning All. Mostly cloudy and 68° to start our day. Thunderstorms last night as I posted, light rain during the night, all left me 1.05" in the rain gauge, although most fell between 9:15 and 10:00. Lots of very loud thunder and then it stopped suddenly. Further south and east, there was more severe weather and thousands are without power, some in Dallas and in Ft Worth. Storm is still headed towards Houston and Beaumont, although it looks like Houston will miss the brunt. Saves me from having to add water to the pool this week! 1" in the pool is about 700 gallons. More of the same starting Wednesday.

Made some major progress mowing yesterday, despite the heat, humidity and lack of wind. Stopped by the pool twice during the adventure. There was a remote area of about 300 ft² that I hadn't done yet this year, that got it's first mowing. SIL came out and picked up both granddogs yesterday, and will board one for my other daughter's family until Tuesday when they return from the vacation trip. They stopped in Austin on the way back, to drop my grandson off at his UT orientation and stay with some friends for two days. I don't mind dog-sitting, but I was glad to see them go this time. They were consuming a lot of my time with getting mud off them and vacuuming up the shedding fur. I was also refilling the half gallon water bowl twice a day.
Out in the garden, I picked a dozen Tomatoes and a couple more Yellow Squash. Pulled some weeds in advance of applying the summertime mulch.

I only visited the train shed yesterday to hit up the beer fridge, so nothing to report from there. I'll get time out there today since it's really wet outside which curtails any tasks.

Louis -
Bruette said:
Do they still work on weekends after nearly 600 positions having been eliminated?
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My understanding is that most of those 600 positions were non-functional DEI positions added in the last 4 years. But it's an agency that in my observation has had a rather dismal record going back many more years than that.
Marlin - I cannot comment on the LA riots without being political, except to say that I don't think that they are being handled well.
Chad - Have a safe return trip, whichever time zone you're using.

The late great guitarist, Les Paul, was born on this day 110 years ago. He lived to be 94.

Everyone have a wonderful Monday. Sorry if you have to work.
 
Good morning,

It rained a bit last night, currently it is a chilly 50 with cloudy skies, forecast high is only 64 today.

Worked for a couple hours yesterday on landscaping the layout, used up all my dirt and glue, then mixed up some new batches for today.

I started using a weaker formula with only about 20 percent glue, 10 percent isopropyl, one drop Dawn, then water. Previously I think I was too heavy on the glue.

Will be spraying more invasive weeds in our Prarie grasses and some more ballasting on the layout for today.

Wife is going out to lunch in the cities, with one of her groups of friends.

Chipped beef over toast? We always ate it for supper.

Strangely, I had it on the menu for a supper this week.

Enjoy your day, if possible

Dave LASM
 


Good morning all!

Looks like the rain and storms have moved out of the area and cooler less humid air is in place, Currently a cool
65F with a light breeze. High is only supposed to get to 70F,

Not much on the agenda for today. I don't think the yard is quite ready to cut, so that will be on tomorrow's
list. Do have a few errands to run later, but should be a low key day, unless the wife has other plans.

Last night in the train room I moved from the area I was working on to a new area. It was an area that I
wasn't sure how to proceed. I posted beginning photos yesterday in my build thread. Another update will
be coming today.

Have a safe day everyone!
 
The problem in Japan with US news is that I have observed them to rely on CNN. I have to remind my wife that they are the current version of the national enquirer. No actual reporting and 99% opinion. And the reporting is also swayed to show what they want you to see.

The good thing about being out here is that it is easy to remain in bliss. I am currently watching an episode of digging for britain.
 


Kusojiji said:
The problem in Japan with US news is that I have observed them to rely on CNN. I have to remind my wife that they are the current version of the national enquirer. No actual reporting and 99% opinion. And the reporting is also swayed to show what they want you to see.

The good thing about being out here is that it is easy to remain in bliss. I am currently watching an episode of digging for britain.
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Japan has that same problem with its own news. They don't show any of the actual stuff happening in regards to immigration, China, corruption, etc. and just parrot the government. (This is how it was explained to me here). People need to use social media (X, YT, etc) to communicate demonstrations, and all sorts of things. A new and growing party is never mentioned in the news, for example, because it is against the government policy of China appeasement. (Again, this is how it was explained to me).
 
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