Running Bear’s November 2021 Coffee Shop

[TLOC]

Happy Monday to all. Another beautiful day coming to the island paradise. 66f degrees at 4am as I type this heading to 83 BUT with some rain expected. I looked at the temperatures at home in Wisconsin. The wind chill at 9 was +10, low windchill over night there was +6.

Prepping my brother again at 5 this morning, he’s always up daily at 4:30, for his meeting in Wisconsin on Wednesday. I knew nothing about what this business did but after 2 weeks working with my brother on his presentation, I don’t want to know anymore. Looks like we are staying till the 15th as Friday, the little brother turned down the latest counter offer for the house here. He told the agent no more offers unless it is per the original listing.

The materials for the garage wall to create my trainroom showed up unexpectedly on site late Saturday. Now we get to see how hard it is to use metal studs. The house in Wisconsin uses them but I have never played with them. Contractor said it should take less then a day to complete including the drywall. He however was at least 90 days out. I will be happy if drywall is completed Wednesday. So after golf today I will lay it all out. So far the golf course betting is on the positive side. The wife allows me $100 to lose. Anything over that the brother will cover for me. I am a gambler and Terry is allowing the betting with the limits and the bro understands. I don‘t listen to the betting games we play, I just say did I win or lose. Now playing to a 10 handicap. I think that’s fair to everyone and me. The issue is I have always been a lousy putter, if I putt well I could be below a 5. In my teens and 20’s my best was a 2. The guys we have been playing now realize if my putting is on they are in trouble, but it’s still mostly lousy. Starting to look forward again to the golf. When the brother leaves tomorrow I will still play in the group of 16 to 24 but not in the individual betting games they play.

I had some train retail therapy online last night. Ordered some code 83 rail but ME turnouts are not in stock anywhere in quantity. Looks like I will be making my own turnouts which if I could get the Central Valley tie strips for track and now turnouts isn’t that hard building. Since I will be making the turnouts #8’s are going on the track plan. I will not hand line a full layout so I really need the Central Valley tie strips.

Terry says as a male my brain is minimAl. Also said, I am clueless! I had an answer to that one but smartly kept my mouth shut, see I’m not clueless!

Enjoy your day
TomO

 

[BigGRacing]

Other than hitting the WWII museum in NOLA, I don't care what we do. Any ideas?

Football game for sure and lots of jambalaya !

 

[MilwRoader_Steve]

Please forgive and delete if inappropriate:

I know I have lots and lots of small parts and stuff already and I'm new to this game. Home Depot has these:

Stanley SortMaster Junior 14-Compartment Small Parts Organizer STST14022 - The Home Depot

Secure your tools and supplies with the Stanley (R) SortMaster Junior. 8 removable dividers let you customize the box for small parts or large hand tools. Design allows storage of hammers and angled tools

www.homedepot.com

for $16.14 and that is a two-pack - - I got free delivery!

Perhaps someone will find this useful; - - no need to comment either yay or nay.

Steve J

 

[bnsf971]

Good afternoon.
I successfully enrolled in al the insurances I wanted to have.

 

[CHRISTIAΝ]

You could have the loop you like so much and two small switching yards opposite each other giving you too small stations,or a station and a works yard.it will keep it simple and pretty much stress free.

I stole a track plan from Poppingham (N scale layout) without any remorse or regret.

 

[santafewillie]

Please forgive and delete if inappropriate:

I know I have lots and lots of small parts and stuff already and I'm new to this game. Home Depot has these:

Stanley SortMaster Junior 14-Compartment Small Parts Organizer STST14022 - The Home Depot

Secure your tools and supplies with the Stanley (R) SortMaster Junior. 8 removable dividers let you customize the box for small parts or large hand tools. Design allows storage of hammers and angled tools

www.homedepot.com

for $16.14 and that is a two-pack - - I got free delivery!

Perhaps someone will find this useful; - - no need to comment either yay or nay.

Steve J

I think that those would work out great for tools and I am probably getting a pair just for that purpose. Thanks for the tip.
For storing detail parts and other small paraphernalia, I use these.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

I stole a track plan from Poppingham (N scale layout) without any remorse or regret.

View attachment 135758

View attachment 135759

I would be quite sure there's no copyright for that design. Might be if you moved one of the stub sidings to the right about 1/4".

 

[TLOC]

Please forgive and delete if inappropriate:

I know I have lots and lots of small parts and stuff already and I'm new to this game. Home Depot has these:

Stanley SortMaster Junior 14-Compartment Small Parts Organizer STST14022 - The Home Depot

Secure your tools and supplies with the Stanley (R) SortMaster Junior. 8 removable dividers let you customize the box for small parts or large hand tools. Design allows storage of hammers and angled tools

www.homedepot.com

for $16.14 and that is a two-pack - - I got free delivery!

Perhaps someone will find this useful; - - no need to comment either yay or nay.

Steve J

Thanks SteveJ,

I have one in Wisconsin. I ordered 2 for Paradise

TomO

 

[Boris]

Good afternoon, Y'all. Another cloudy, gloomy day at the Jersey Shore. Temperature has been dropping since midnight, and will drop into the 20s by tomorrow morning. Mild by Alberta standards, but you wouldn't know it listening to the NBC4 mid day news...

Surprisingly, many trees have not dropped their leaves yet. Public Works is making their first pass through the neighborhood, they will make another after December 5, which is theoretically the last day to have the leaves out at the curb. Don't think they will all be down by then unless the weather changes. Looks like I may be missing the truck this season.

The Wife and I ran our errands early, and were back home before much of the community was awake. Tomorrow, we vacuum and dust etc. in preparation for Thanksgiving. Wednesday, she has to pick up dinner rolls and fresh vegetables, milk and soda. I may stop at the liquor store, as I no longer keep beer and Bourbon around all year. Both sons will be here with family. Family Dog will also visit, which means Molly the Cat is exiled to our bedroom for the duration. No big deal for Molly, she spends much of her time there. It will temporarily crimp her nocturnal marauding.

Spent some time working on the layout, I am determined to have the remaining modules in position with working track, by the New Year. Then, I can concentrate on scenery.

 

[Patrick]

Afternoon all,

Seems I had the wrong rights set on the public works drive. Took me 2 hours once I was aware there was an issue and 4 hours to actually correct it directory by directory....But they can work again. so far so good...Leave early the next 3 days as I have 3 8-hour days instead of my usual 9. They are giving us 16 hours of Holiday for Thursday and Friday, so I only have to work 24. So 3 8 hour days...yeah!!!

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Well spoken Patrick,,,, I think.

 

[Bruette]

Person hospitalized after being hit by Amtrak train in Middle River

A man was hit by an Amtrak train Monday afternoon in Baltimore County.

www.wmar2news.com

Sad, but true.

 

[PNKFLOYD]

After reviewing my phone pictures from the show yesterday and deleting the blurry ones, I found two scenes on the On30
I have not shown you since they were completed.
Here is the hobo camp and a shot across the logging pond to the saw mill.

 

[Greg@mnrr]

Bright, cold day here in this part of Wisconsin. Terrible what happen in Waukesha at the Christmas Parade late yesterday afternoon. Now it stands at five killed and 48 injured, some in serious condition, mostly children. I live in Waukesha County and went to college in Waukesha at UW and I know the city very well. The streets in downtown Waukesha are narrow and many are "One Way".

Plan for the basement ended today when Cathy asked if I can fix the broken clothes rack in one of the closets. The nail that held the pole bracket is in the wood support as tight as one could pound the nail in. It's a #10 nail and I might be able to get under the head since there's a little room under the head. The shelf above the pole is warped and we need to remove everything off the shelve to flip the shelf over and then reload the shelf and remount the shelf bracket. Fun, fun, and more fun!

We have a handi-man type contractor coming the week after Thanksgiving to install 6 undereave vents to help prevent ice dams and repair our front door that sticks in the cold winter. A roofing company quoted $2,400 for four vents and this guy for everything wants his minium charge of $200. A real difference in costs. We get some real huge snow drifts on the roof and they cause the dams. A roof snow rake is no fun to use.

Willie: That a great way to organize small parts and tools. Wish my modeling work area was that organized.

My small parts organizer is from one of the big box stores and has 18 compartments in various sizes. I used a Brothers' label maker to label the drawers. The label maker broke and a replacement is $40.00.

Been watching some great model railroading videos of large railroad empires. I can't imagine the time it took and the expense to build these huge layouts.

Ordered some Rix CTC switch indicators for my fascia mount mini-toggle switches that control the Tortoise machine turnouts. The rule is when the toggle in up position it is in the normal route of travel and down position is the diverting route. But, people forget and we then have derailment problems. The plates will dress up the fascia as well as help the operators.

I like model railroads with CTC panels and operating signals along the mainline. Imagine all that wiring!!! I use some signal circuits that turn LED's red after a train passes and then turns to yellow and then back to green. The indicators lamps are mounted in Tomar signals and the time it takes to chnage colors is adjustable. A smooth way to have operating signals at little cost.

That's about all for now.

Greg

##################


A LOGAN VALLEY box car visiting the Omro junk yard on the CM&N Railroad.-Greg

 

[PRR Modeler]

Afternoon All,

Made it back from the port 45 minutes longer than usual. The toll road was down to one lane for a 40 ft. section causing a 5-mile backup. Every time I go to the port and daughter's family is involved there's always a road disaster. Last time going to pick them up it took an additional 90 minutes because the road was shut down and traffic was routed through alternate roads. Can't wait to see what happens Friday. Tomorrow I'm driving Dad to VA to get his hearing aids--man does he need them. Luckily son did the cleaning job without me . Hopefully I'll get the trees planted tomorrow on the layout.

Greg- Nice scene.

Joe- Sounds like a fun time.

Christian- That layout has almost anything you might want from a layout.

Terry-.

Willie- I was in second grade in El Paso when a classmate that had gone to the office came back crying. The class prayed for his family and the country (try doing that now in school). Hard to believe that was 58 years ago. I still remember the funeral procession. I believe our country changed that day and not for the better. Nice how to on the T/O repair.

Jaz- Great layout shots.

Mikey- WOW. A lot of work went into those great layouts. Nice scenes.

Troy- Enjoy your vacation. My wife echos TomO's comment about Bourbon St. My wife recommends "Cemetery Bus Tour-NO Ghost Adventures", Not very scary but has a lot of historical info. Otherwise, she says it's a typical large city (dirty and not well maintained).

I hope everyone has a good night.

 

[CambriaArea51]

Afternoon... Mask mandates in the county south of me. Covid on the rise.

Jaz- Might be awhile before you see those shoes. BTW how are you doing with the ankle.

 

[OBTC 1909]

I like model railroads with CTC panels and operating signals along the mainline. Imagine all that wiring!!! I use some signal circuits that turn LED's red after a train passes and then turns to yellow and then back to green. The indicators lamps are mounted in Tomar signals and the time it takes to chnage colors is adjustable. A smooth way to have operating signals at little cost.

I made something similar a few years ago using an Arduino and a Model Power 3 head signal. It worked pretty well in testing, but I never had a full layout to put it on. Here's a very short video of it in operation: Arduino signal system

 

[bnsf971]

 

[Jaz avalley]

Afternoon... Mask mandates in the county south of me. Covid on the rise.

Jaz- Might be awhile before you see those shoes. BTW how are you doing with the ankle.

Out of cast,now on crutches,ankle is mostly ok,knee is not happy,if I go out of straight line it sulks for hours,as you say a long time before I will be back in fancy heels,at moment one brace and one Solomon walking boot cos the brace lifts me up high and dumps my weight on the good leg which is then pushed the boot is almost the same height minimalising the stress,but I forget not to twist….which can cause serious cussing…and some whimpering…

 

[CambriaArea51]

Out of cast,now on crutches,ankle is mostly ok,knee is not happy,if I go out of straight line it sulks for hours,as you say a long time before I will be back in fancy heels,at moment one brace and one Solomon walking boot cos the brace lifts me up high and dumps my weight on the good leg which is then pushed the boot is almost the same height minimalising the stress,but I forget not to twist….which can cause serious cussing…and some whimpering…

I know how it is with the knee, had both of mine repaired for torn meniscus. Still have some pain in the right knee if I'm on it too much. Doctor said I'll probably need knee replacement in 10 years.