Running Bear’s June 2025 Coffee Shop

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TLOC said:
I laugh about the stealth planes going west and another group going east. They didn’t try to hide the west heading group but were in full stealth mode going with the east bound group.
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I thought that was a genius move. I wonder who actually thought of it? Probably not PH.
This along with a week of aerial jet attacks, showed how poorly that "super-duper" Russian defense system worked out for the Iranians.
 


It's 91F, 58% humidity, and I'm out on the patio again. Probably shouldn't be, but I do enjoy the heat.

Also taking the time to fill the pool a bit; the chlorine floater is starting to block up the skimmer every time it gets too close. That's annoying, especially when the pump only works for five minutes at a time. I keep meaning to design and 3d-print something to fix it, but I'm a rather lazy creature at times.

Managed to short-circuit the migraine yesterday, went to the cardiologist for the checkup (all good news), and... that was about it. Other than playing with possible track plans, anyway. Still working on that, and probably more today.

Only other thing on the calendar today is waiting for bits and bobs from Amazon with which to finish my train room camera.

Like I said, my life is boring. :)

bnsf971: And that is why I'm still with my Californian credit union even though they don't have offices here. When you find a good one, hang on to it -- and if they pull stupid stuff, go find a better one! Mine's been great since some time around 1994, so I'm lucky.

westtexjohn: I'll have to see if I pass through that area at some point. It doesn't really look convenient from here; Richardson is the only place north of me that I have an excuse to visit (other than for train stores). Your story is why both my cats are permanently indoors, btw; I can't stand the thought of losing one. Thanks for the welcome and the info!

Bruette: Thanks for the welcome! And good luck with your team; I'm a life-long Dodgers fan, when I have the time and patience to watch, which is rare. I should look again though, now that I'm out of the area and most of the games won't be blacked out...

troyphoto: I finally gave up and subscribed to cat litter on Amazon. Now I don't have to carry it to the car anymore. Between that and the robotic litter box, things have gotten much easier. Lazy creature, like I said... :)

logandsawman/kbkchooch: Karl's description is exactly what happens to me. Kaleidoscope ribbons. Usually if I close my eyes and rest for fifteen minutes or so they go away. If I don't, they turn into a full-blown migraine. Sometimes they do that even with rest. It's annoying primarily because it blocks my vision and I can't read anything while they're happening. It was difficult to finish yesterday's post for that reason; I was effectively typing semi-blind (and my vision already sucks to begin with!). I can't power through, because I simply can't see. :(

Have a good day, everyone! I'm off to play with track plans for a bit, and maybe cook up some chicken for food later. And I'll try not to forget that I have the hose in the pool...

Hmm. Maybe I'll actually swim tonight...
 
Ok gang!

I went to the vault and selected a kit.

Mel's kit.jpg


It seems fitting for this group. Looks like a trip to Michael's later. I'm sure I will have no problems getting the wife to drive me there later! In the meantime, there is lots to do prep wise!!
 
Good day to all on the forum...........

I got a sudden burst of energy last night around 9 pm (probably from the nap I took a couple of hours earlier) and thought I would go to the train room and work a bit. Mind you, my train room is in one side of my 30' x 40' metal building. I have some motion sensor lights that come on to light the way between my house and metal building but I have a flood light I turn on that lights up my back porch area and a portion of my backyard. Living in the stix, I have had raccoons, rabbits, deer, wild hogs and skunks show up late in the evening so I always check that the path is clear. Well last night revealed a rattle snake about 30 inches long, about 6 inches from my bottom porch step. I counted ten buttons on the tail. I dispatched sneaky snake with about 15 rounds from my 22 rifle and yes there was a reload involved. I left him and checked every 30 minutes or so to make sure he didn't leave the execution site as they can squirm for hours. After about two hours he finally stop moving. Today I'll have to toss his carcass into the nearby woods. I hope he has no family nearby. Oh yea, that little episode took care of my burst of energy.

Maybe I can get another burst of energy today. 92 outside now with 95 forecast for around 5 pm. Plenty of sunshine.

Insomniville.... Just a heads up : Austin Train Show, Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road, August 23 & 24 (Sat & Sun)

santafewillie..... I miss the black eyed and purple hull peas we grew when I lived in east Texas back in early 80s along with a lot of other veggies.
Critters around here make growing a garden almost impossible.

Everyone have a great day.....John
 
westtexjohn said:
Well last night revealed a rattle snake about 30 inches long, about 6 inches from my bottom porch step. I counted ten buttons on the tail. I dispatched sneaky snake with about 15 rounds from my 22 rifle and yes there was a reload involved. I left him and checked every 30 minutes or so to make sure he didn't leave the execution site as they can squirm for hours.
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Be careful with rattlesnakes. In some states they are protected and if you are caught harming one, you can be charged (for example in Utah). It appears from my search I just did, that in Texas, only 3 of the 10 rattlesnakes known to be in Texas are protected under the law.
 


chadbag said:
Be careful with rattlesnakes. In some states they are protected and if you are caught harming one, you can be charged (for example in Utah). It appears from my search I just did, that in Texas, only 3 of the 10 rattlesnakes known to be in Texas are protected under the law.
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Several decades ago when the “don’t kill the harmless rattlesnakes” movement was just getting underway in my area, my high school science teacher went on a crusade to stop the senseless murder of these innocent creatures. A number of hunters took exception to his pleas, and gifted him with several baskets of live rattlers on his front porch. While I think he got the message, he also happened to be my neighbor, with all the reptilian excitement he received being shared by me.
 
Good afternoon gentlemen. Hotttt, starting to feel like summer. Had 100 degrees in the truck yesterday and no AC working, oh well. The boys took the truck in the shop today and i was driving a loaner. I still prefer to open the windows and the AC is set at lowest setting just to help cool the incoming wind from the road. While on my way home and not far from where i live , this lucky shot was possible, as the few times a week local was heading towards Reinholds and further down the former Reading Columbia Branch:
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Last week on Thursday had an early finish, so i went to Harrisburg area, specifically to Enola yard to see if anything interesting pops out. An eastbound freight was waiting at the east throat of the yard:
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The huge wooden poles were actually holding catenary in place in this spot. Rare to see wooden catenary poles on former Pennsylvania Railroad, but they did employ them in few places; notably west end of Harrisburg yard and several in Edison at former Chrysler plant yard. These here were probably replacements after some derailment. Heading east i stopped between Middletown and Elizabethtown near Conewago Creek. This westbound Keystone sported newly applied paint scheme on one of its Amfleet coaches, but it was flying way to fast for a good shot:
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The diverging track above is the former Pennsy Lebanon branch, which currently ends in about two miles from this junction:
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Friday proved to be shot work day also...so to Strasburg Railroad i went:
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The decapod is running around its train in Paradise and catenary can be seen on former Pennsy mainline. The rails that number 90 is running on are Pennsy 152 lbs rails, standard on their mainlines long ago. The 152 lbs rails end at the switch, but west of the switch where the tender is, it's actually number 1 track of Pennsylvania Railroad mainline.
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From Strasburg i stopped over near Smoketown to try capturing another westbound Keystone under Pennsy signal mast:
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Clicked on the camera switch just a little too soon, but got this one of a kind special livery on CitySprinter.
 
I worked on the Minuteman II program in the 80s at Whiteman AFB. Shortly after I left the Air Force it was announced that the 351st Strategic Missile Wing would be deactivated and all of the launch facilities would be imploded under the START II nuclear agreement.

Shortly after that it was announced that the B-2 would now become the tenant unit for the base under the 351st Bomb Wing. It was the first time in 50 years that aircraft had been assigned to Whiteman AFB since the B-47 left.

One of the commanders of the 351st Bomb Wing was the grandson of the B-29 pilot that flew the Enola Gay over Japan. Col. Tibbs.

The entire base was modernized and refurbished. I think the only main buildings that were not razed and replaced was the Commissary and the BX. Both of those buildings were completed in the late 70s. All dormitories, maintenance and support buildings, headquarters, etc., were all torn down and replaced, along with new hangars and aircraft support buildings and shops.

I attended an Open House / Airshow there in 2000 and I hardly recognized the base. Even the base housing quarters were all new and the street I lived on back then didn't exist anymore. I saw a B-2 up close and personal. It's not as big as you would imagine from photos.
 
RhB Michael said:
Very strange to see a sister Vectron locomotive running in the States.
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If you look back at the last 40 or so years, the last pure American electric locomotives delivered to Amtrak, were the E60 class in two variants. First AEM7 was built in late 1979, and it was a modification of a very successful European electric. Since that time the electric side of American mainline is as European as it can get. Sure the equipment is adapted to heavy American standards, but other than that there's not much difference in what is running currently in Europe. Diesel side of things is also getting the European treatment more and more, speaking of passenger trains. I kind of wish things were different, because American designed electric locomotives have a charm and style of its own. In my opinion General Electric had a chance at building successful replacement to the famed GG1, but they simply got lazy. They did have a potential machine, it just needed to be redesigned on the inside a little and made rugged and reliable. I'm talking about the New Haven EP5 class. The 10 locomotives build back in 1954-55 had electrical problems because of requirements imposed on them running into third rail territory, but they had excellent design otherwise with specially designed high speed running gear, absent in the later E60. We can only imagine now how things would have turned out.
 
KriegslokBR52 said:
Last week on Thursday had an early finish, so i went to Harrisburg area, specifically to Enola yard to see if anything interesting pops out. An eastbound freight was waiting at the east throat of the yard:View attachment 223130
The huge wooden poles were actually holding catenary in place in this spot. Rare to see wooden catenary poles on former Pennsylvania Railroad, but they did employ them in few places; notably west end of Harrisburg yard and several in Edison at former Chrysler plant yard. These here were probably replacements after some derailment.
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If Joe sees this he can probably offer a better answer, but I remember that area being prone to flooding. I think they used wood poles there because the steel would rust off at the base, and the concrete footing could/would get washed out. It was easier and cheaper to install a wood pole when needed, rather than the major project that replacing a steel version would entail.
And I really wish I had wasted more film in that area when I was a teenager.
 
bnsf971 said:
If Joe sees this he can probably offer a better answer, but I remember that area being prone to flooding. I think they used wood poles there because the steel would rust off at the base, and the concrete footing could/would get washed out. It was easier and cheaper to install a wood pole when needed, rather than the major project that replacing a steel version would entail.
And I really wish I had wasted more film in that area when I was a teenager.
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I didn't know you lived there. Yeah, there are very few pictures available from threre, considering what it was. Conrail electric locomotives in photos are especially hard to come by and to see them in full Conrail dress blues, one only had a few years, with many units not getting anything besides CR stencils on basic black. That particular area where Day Tower used to be right beside route 11/15 is pretty high above Susquehanna river level, even in high flood conditions, that's why I'm thinking there was a major spill at one point, maybe during Penn Central. Penn Central being constantly short on cash improvised in many places, with some branches not rebuilt at all.
 
KriegslokBR52 said:
I didn't know you lived there. Yeah, there are very few pictures available from threre, considering what it was. Conrail electric locomotives in photos are especially hard to come by and to see them in full Conrail dress blues, one only had a few years, with many units not getting anything besides CR stencils on basic black. That particular area where Day Tower used to be right beside route 11/15 is pretty high above Susquehanna river level, even in high flood conditions, that's why I'm thinking there was a major spill at one point, maybe during Penn Central. Penn Central being constantly short on cash improvised in many places, with some branches not rebuilt at all.
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How close is that to where I-81 crosses over the road and yard? The Feds building that may have been a factor, but I remember that spot used to have standing water in it "a lot".
 


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