Running Bear's April 2022 Coffee Shop

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Good Evening!
After being tricked into thinking it's Spring today, with a high of 47F, we are about to get nailed with another snow storm. The temperature is dropping rapidly.

I hope this deer got a good rest today, because tomorrow, she's laying down through a blizzard:
View attachment 144602
If I don't have to shovel too long, I'll be playing in the train room.

Dave B - I am sooo enjoying the layout photos that you post.
Curt - Another excellent photo of your work, as well. That looks like a 'Just-Plug' street lamp. I have a similar one that I'm going to try.
James - I thought all you American modellers got your stuff cheap. Guess I've been corrected.
Willie - You have a fine family. Thanks for posting. Nice looking 'Chia pet' cake.
Jaz avalley - Very handsome looking dogs. I'm betting you didn't have problems with chicken thieves when they were circling the ranch.

Have a great evening everyone. I'm going to let the tender sounds of a blizzard outside put me to sleep, instead of a sheep herd.


That is not always the case. In this situation.....some of you here can correct me if I am wrong. As I understand it Micro Engineering has gone through some changes and may be out of business? So these switches have been hard to get, so the supply and demand created this new high cost I suppose. I think normally this switch would have sold around 30 bucks.

I did find this note that may be correct.

Saturday, November 6, 2021 9:59 PM
"The December MR has an add looking for a buyer for Micro Engineering. It says that their tooling is worth $500,000."


As I understood it the website was hacked at one time then their domain user name had expired etc. So they lost that and then regained it. But any how that is all I know. Maybe someone else can add to this?
 
My cousin was a big time racehorse jockey. One of the first horses he rode bowed a tendon and would no longer be able to race. My uncle had a lot of land and took the horse. The horse was a lot of work. Anyone who takes in these horses are exceptionally good people.
George

View attachment 144649
I would not call Terry a saint. But putting up with being married for 46 years and together for 5 before that may qualify. I can be tougher to handle then those damn horses!

She definitely qualifies as exceptional and I have been very lucky to be with her

TomO
 
A few days ago, I said I bought a radiation detector. Today it was reported some possible connections between the World War II Manhattan Project and a high school in NJ. In my home town of Pawling NY this happened In December 1972, a chemical explosion in a building at the United Nuclear Corp. complex adjacent to Nuclear Lake in Pawling resulted in an unknown amount of radioactive plutonium dust dispersing throughout the structure and surrounding shoreline and woods.
I know people who went fishing in the lake and knew nothing of the accident. Now you know why I bought a radiation detector.
George

View attachment 144604


Well that's one lake I have never fished......

:cool:
 


Good morning Crew from gloomy So. Central Wisconsin. We might hit 49f degrees today along with 1/4” of rain.

2 full days so far staying out of the train room. I really have a lack of ambition for modeling but 2 days away from the train room while still being home is very rare. Tried some Retail Therapy last night but I ended up emptying all online shopping carts.

I guess I wrote too much on Terry’s horses last night for a couple of you. But, I am very proud of her and her Rescue efforts. When the opportunity is right again, I will again write about her.

Maybe a grocery run this morning but nothing is planned.

Enjoy your day
TomO
 
Those Aluminum rims? If so get steel. Had those on the Edge and the tire pressure thingie would come on all of the time forcing me to check the pressure. Yup, that one is low so fill it. After I got steel rims I have not had an issue.

I have Alloy wheels on mine and have the same problem, especially if I don't use the car for a few days, that's when it's down to the garage and pump some air.

My daughter's ex works for Pirelli, as a engineer designing and testing new tyres for Land Rover, Mercedes, Ford, Tesla and a few other manufactures, and I asked him why this happens with alloy wheels and not steel, the answer, believe it or not was.....rust.

It seems that because the air we pump into our tyres contains moisture, when tyre heats up and cools down, as we drive moisture then works it's way between the tyre and the rim causing the rust which then allows air to escape in miniscule amounts round the area the tyre is sitting on when stationary, hence if you use it daily you only notice it after some months, if at all, but leave it sitting for a week or more, (especially if your tyres were fitted some time before), very noticeable.

Steel rims don't have that problem as the coating on the rim is more resistant to moisture/rust than alloys, (alloys are powder coated, steel are painted.)

There is an answer, but few garages have the equipment to do it, and that is not to use air, but Nitrogen, as Nitrogen does not react with water, (it actually dissolves water) there is no chemical reaction inside your tyre/rim to cause rust.

If you don't believe me? You can Google it.:)
 
Good Wisconsin morning to all.

Baseball, maybe one of the reasons I stopped watching it and other sports is I really don’t have anyone to discuss it with. mikeinhubcity, Louis thank you very much for a discussion without venom!

Hockey last night. I skipped the 2nd period of the Hawks /Flames game. 2 empty netters for the Flames at the end of the game. They won 5-2.

Basketball, NBA style. The Denver/SF game was a demonstration of how the game is played today, a lane to the basket is open, your teammates are trailing 20’ behind you, yes pull up for a 3. It’s amazing how good the Warriors can shot the 3-ball but any of the 90’s teams could beat them just with defense. Different game I know, but when Denver lost the lead and then their cool it was worth watching. Overpaid children getting paid to play a team game screaming at teammates. The coach did zip to even address that. Denver, a team going no where fast and I image I wasn’t the only one thinking this is not a team capable of fighting for a championship.

I have watched more sports including some golf this past weekend and Monday then I may have combined all this year. I wanted to avoid the train room a bit and the TV, well it helped.

Terry has since Sunday been out in the stables constantly. The horses from Texas and Oklahoma seemed to have settled in pretty well. The 3 rescue horses from Eastern Wisconsin showed around noon and while in decent shape compared to the group of 5 a few weeks ago still need help. The 5 as I had mentioned previously didn’t make it. As with those 5 horses these 3 are also from a farm that the owner passed and these 3 were left in the barn. The farrier came by last night to fix the shoes/hooves. That always help the animal’s attitude. Our Vet has been given permissions from the county these 3 horses came from to handle them as she feels fit. The northern counties the previous horses have come from send a Veterinarian to confer on decisions regarding the medical and euthanasia. Very expensive and wasteful IMO. Tax payers have to pay for all that travel and overnight lodging fees. Wasteful especially when Terry has a Vet that she pays and is excellent. Yes, some of this rescue stuff is deductible. That is not while Terry and her Crew of now 5 does it. While the Vet is #6 and lives and has her practice on the property I don’t count her as part of the Crew any longer.

I really don’t know what I want to accomplish in the train room today or this week. I believe the modelers bloc is quite extensive. Usually, I know what I want to do. I know what should be done but I don’t even feel like being in there. My weathering project is on a standstill and thankfully I have no current client orders for weathering. I hope this passes. It’s not nice enough to be outside very much and won’t be able to till this weekend. It would help me if I could sit out on the deck but the weather patterns are not favorable.

Enjoy your day
TomO

TomO

I understand the modeling block.......I tend to do things in moderations and rotations. Therefore, I have so many other hobbies for rotation. MRR is always a mainstay for me but will take a back seat for my love for the outdoors for fishing, hunting, foraging for mushrooms and minor gardening. I used to golf when I lived in Florida but that didn't stay with me. I didn't see any personal benefits for me or reap any personal satisfaction from it. Not to mention it's too damn hot in Florida for that kinda thing year-round. So, I took up Diving when I lived there and became a NAUI Dive Master and instructor for 17 years. I volunteered to a local community to train youth divers for about ten years. I was also on the Manatee County Search and Rescue Team for 10 years as well. Those days are over now, although I do go dive now and then for my own leisure. I don't know I tend to do things that give me satisfaction, results or I benefit from. Granted MRR doesn't give a physical reward but gives me peace of mind, relaxation and brings back old memories of the past etc.

Anyways I hope you get out of the rut or block.
 
Good foul-mood morning! Wet snow all day yesterday, and it's still snowing this morning.
I only need to go out and shovel the shaded back patio. I do that so the snow can be piled up on the base of my fruit trees (apple, cherry, and plum). That piled up snow gives the trees a slow-release watering as the snow melts.
Out my back window, 10 minutes ago:
DSCF1843.JPG


Yesterday, I painted 5 Caboose Industries switch throws as an experiment. It is necessary to work the gears to break the paint before it sets.
I painted them a rust colour in enamel. Going to give them a dark acrylic wash after the enamel sets properly.
The experimental part is to see if they'll still work good with all that paint applied.
Throws_04-20-2022.JPG


Although I didn't show it, my shadow was having a good laugh at my wife's expense yesterday. - She spent $80.00 for new sheers in the front room window. They needed to be made 14" shorter in length, so she made a mistake and sewed them 24" shorter. Plus, they were patterned sheers, and she sewed them so the pattern was upside down. - Needless to say, I was going down to the store to spend another $80.00 for new sheers for the front room. 🤣

Have a great day everyone!
 
Good Morning All. Happy 4/20 Day if you're in one of those states. Cloudy, windy and 66°, apparently sprinkled overnight, my weather rock was wet but I couldn't detect anything in the rain gauge. Weather Underground station around the corner shows 0.04", hardly enough to call rain. Expecting these 20-25 mph winds from the south to continue 24/7 until sometime Sunday; cloudy, humid and temperatures in the upper 80's to go along with them. We may see the sun for a bit late every afternoon. Overnight lows in the upper 60's.

Busy day yesterday off the estate. I went to the tire store and had two new tractor tires installed on their rims, while another employee rotated the tires on our limo. Then it was a somewhat frustrating visit to our credit union. After having previously called our bank and two of their other branches looking for a notary who could do a Medallion signature guarantee, I called the credit union. They had just such a person there so I stopped in with some paperwork required for the distribution of the IRA's that my brother left me. But no! She was not bonded to notarize over a certain amount and was unable to help. None of their notaries at any of their 20 or so branches are bonded high enough. So back home and on the phone. She had recommended a couple of financial advisors locally, but they only did it for their clients. Then I found one at another bank in town, but he had left for the day.

Today, I will resume the elusive search for a notary, reinstall the two wheels on the tractor and mow. First thing this morning though, before it warms up is to pick some lettuce and spinach for another week's worth of salads. I am concerned with the upcoming warm days that those plants will bolt to seed early this year.

Thanks to all who liked of commented on the post yesterday; Steve J, Dave B, Karl, Hughie, Jaz, Joe, Smudge, Tom O, Sherrel, Chad, Louis, Curt, Tom, IB Ken, Moermusic, Rick, Gary, Guy, George, Patrick, OB Ken.

I did some time in the train shed yesterday. While the Seymour block is on hold, I picked another very small project on the slowly shrinking to do list. Years ago I painted and built a laser-cut wood barn which I believe came from Northeastern or Branchline.
I added some detailing to the inside as well as a light.
IMG_0694.JPG

IMG_0698.JPG

It has a bare cupola on top.
IMG_0695.JPG

I always felt that it needed a wind vane. Over the ensuing years, I saved a couple of them for eventual use.
IMG_0700.JPG

IMG_0703.JPG

I picked the first. After filing an additional groove in the bottom to fit the ridge, I got this
IMG_0707.JPG

Painting and a dab of gap-filling super glue got me this.
IMG_0709.JPG

Another project off the list. Weathering this structure is still on the list, but it will wait until I get out the powders and do a whole slew of items.

Guy - I meant to answer this a few days ago when you asked about painting ground throws. I paint them. Before I do any ballasting, but after the track is fastened down with nails; I spray everything (rails, ties, and surrounding 1/2" of ground) including the ground throws with Model Master Light Earth in the rattle can. I do about 2' at a time and immediately wipe off the tops of the rails before it dries. Generally the ground throws have to be flipped to get all sides if I don't remember to center them first! No big deal to me if I miss a bit, they are not all uniformly rusted in the real world. After the paint dries and before I ballast, I then go through and brush paint random ties with 3-5 different shades of brown and gray. Yes, sometimes I do get switches stuck if I don't operate them during the drying process, but part of the method is to spray lightly around them to begin with. This is just my method, others may do things differently.
Since I like the Model Master color, I use it as an undercoating for all of my ground. For that I sprayed a 4" square piece of cardboard and took it to my local Home Depot and had them hit it with a spectrometer and they can match it up and make a gallon for me. Lots cheaper than purchasing 100's of rattle cans! While I don't usually do it, one can sprinkle ground cover directly on the wet paint, but I find that to be a bit uneven.
Smudge - Thanks for the comment.
Jaz - If I ever get a bunch of free time after the layout is more complete, I may attempt to scratch-build that church. It really wouldn't be that hard, maybe time consuming though. It is 104 years old and as I posted, it is a traditional style church, not a glass and steel style modern one.
Greg - Why the heck would you change your age on FB to begin with??? Every time I read of any Coffee Shop members with incidents with FB, I am glad that it never became part of my life. My wife occasionally shows me stuff from her page, and I cannot maneuver through all the other shit on the page.
I am extremely happy that all of my neighbors are over a quarter mile away, even though we all coexist well. All except one who is incarcerated again.
Tom O - I have two friends who raise horses. One who I have lost touch with, realized that he was stuck with doing it until he passes, since he had never invested or paid into SS. He always leased land so he doesn't have any assets except for his breeding stock. The other couple never made any money, but inherited land that they were able to eventually sell to an investor. He still transports horses for others, and she now makes money researching and testifying in animal abuse cases. The wife worked at H&R Block with my wife for many years. I can see where boarding other people's horses can pay for the hobby.
Many kudos to your wife for her rescue efforts.

Can't really comment on all of the baseball posts since I never cared for or followed that sport!
Everybody have a great day.
 
Morning all,

Nothing new going on here. Supposed to be in the 80's today. Once again the winds are howling outside. The older I get, it seems the stronger the winds get.

Ran some trains for a bit. Still have to fix the rail on the outer loop. Just didn't work on the scenery.

And 4 hours later finally get this sent.
 


Good afternoon all

39° and light rain. Temps above freezing all night. Flo - I'll take the 20 oz coffee, black. Thank you!

Got down to the train room, did a little painting on the hydrocal

Toot - Quite by accident (ie Sound of Music reference)

Tom O - animal rescue efforts very interesting.

Willie - the weather vane is a nice touch

Guy - here are more shots of my layout progress from last night:

IMG_2089.JPG


(above) I can't believe I totally missed the area in the foreground when I had the can of paint out. The building pads really show up.

IMG_2092.JPG


(above) Different view, there will be a bridge where the pen is laying, the 1 x 2 is in there as a place holder, slides right out

IMG_2091.JPG


This last shot shows the whole process, the old diorama on the bottom left (Wyoming module), screen attached with glue gun, paper towels, and some completed hydrocal on the right. Will be a river painted in blue, should make the whole scene come together.

More later, Dave LASM
 
You don't drill through the cork roadbed to place your feeders?
Curt: The feeders were soldered at another location, and placed without consideration of possible problems. In the course of drilling the holes for the feeders, It became apparent that the cross support section was under where the wires were going, so the ugly, visible wire. There are ways of fixing this! without moving the wires...(I hope). Since then, I have made adjustments to avoid similar problems.

Nice night scene photos of your engine terminal. Great work.

George: Cool Pix. Rockingham Park. That's a name from the past. Is it still operating? My first wife, was blessed with Night Command, a gelding with lineage back to Man of War. She rode him at Devon and other competitive venues, when his racing days were over. Her father's family worked for the Riddles.

Mets and Nationals both swept doubleheaders yesterday. Still early in the season, plenty of time for the Amazins to choke. deGrom is already on the IR, so all it takes is another "super Pitcher" to go down. Washington is also doing surprisingly well, meanwhile the Orioles, are firmly established in last place. I would have liked to see Kershaw go for the perfect game, but in the modern era, pitchers are pampered. If Cy Young pitched today, there would never be a Cy Young Award.

The cold(s) and the accompanying sneezing and coughing are continuing. Tomorrow will be 7 days after exposure, and I feel better,the wife, not better yet. We both slept well last night. :(

Second son is driving back to NC this afternoon. He has learned to avoid I-95 - I-64 and instead drives Hwy 13 to hwy 17, avoiding Baltimore ,DC and Richmond traffic. Suddenly quiet and uncrowded at the Badenov Estate.

After I finish this, I'm going down to the train room, and begin work on a RDG passenger station adjacent to the Reading Yard. (RDC service). One track with covered platform. Just the bare minimum.

New RMC arrived today, two useful articles, one using colorizing software, the other photo stacking to create depth. Might help with the background.

Lite Power Move - at UNION.jpg

Lite Power move East on # 2 at "Union" (Rahway,NJ). Photo by Paul D DeLuca. Power originated at South Amboy enroute to the Meadows, from where the units will work West on the two Westbound Mail Trains out of South Karney. Replacement power from Harrisburg on EB Mail to Meadows then lite to South Amboy for the weekday fleet between South Amboy and Bay Head.
 
Good foul-mood morning! Wet snow all day yesterday, and it's still snowing this morning.
I only need to go out and shovel the shaded back patio. I do that so the snow can be piled up on the base of my fruit trees (apple, cherry, and plum). That piled up snow gives the trees a slow-release watering as the snow melts.
Out my back window, 10 minutes ago:
View attachment 144658

Yesterday, I painted 5 Caboose Industries switch throws as an experiment. It is necessary to work the gears to break the paint before it sets.
I painted them a rust colour in enamel. Going to give them a dark acrylic wash after the enamel sets properly.
The experimental part is to see if they'll still work good with all that paint applied.
View attachment 144659

Although I didn't show it, my shadow was having a good laugh at my wife's expense yesterday. - She spent $80.00 for new sheers in the front room window. They needed to be made 14" shorter in length, so she made a mistake and sewed them 24" shorter. Plus, they were patterned sheers, and she sewed them so the pattern was upside down. - Needless to say, I was going down to the store to spend another $80.00 for new sheers for the front room. 🤣

Have a great day everyone!
Hi Guy

What is up with the big farm tractor parked next to your fence in the back yard?
 
Greg - Why the heck would you change your age on FB to begin with??? Every time I read of any Coffee Shop members with incidents with FB, I am glad that it never became part of my life.

Willie: I just didn't like my age or an age close to the real one out there in cyberland. so I accidently gave myself a birthdate which made me under 13 years of age. I'm finding Facebook very difficult to deal with to actually cancel its almost like a vacation timeshare.
 
Hi Guy

What is up with the big farm tractor parked next to your fence in the back yard?
Dave B - The tractor is a 1995 Massey Ferguson 399 with FWA. It is the last vestige of a company I once owned that mowed and brushed oil leases and county road right-of-ways.
Everything from the company was liquidated, except that tractor. It sat idle on a farm for roughly 15 years, and then was given to a friend who intended to repair it and use her to enter into business himself. Long story short; he ended up in a divorce situation, and the tractor wound up in my backyard. - Now I have to repair it myself, and one day I'll send her to the auction. It only has 2600 hours on it.

Also, What Karl said!!!
 
Afternoon All,

Another lousy night of sleep. This morning I cleaned all my diesel loco wheels the placed them in a covered carrying case until the track has been cleaned. Tomorrow, I have my semiannual doctor's visit. I received my lab test results today and my A1c is up, but cholesterol is down 80 pts 😲 so my doc will probably be after me (A1c). Friday I'll probably start cleaning steamer wheels.

Thank you for the photo likes yesterday.

Willie- Very nice barn roof effects.

IB Ken- I definitely feel your TT pain. When you do the geared motor for the bridge, I will be very interested in seeing how you accomplish it (with lots of pictures).

Gary- Neat video and compassion for those in need.

Guy- I'm interested in your ground throw results.

TomO- You and your wife are doing good things.

Dave- Great progress. It looks like you're faster than me.

Joe- I wasn't criticizing, just surprised. Neat photo under the wires and dwarf signals.

I hope everyone has a good night.
 
Dave B - The tractor is a 1995 Massey Ferguson 399 with FWA. It is the last vestige of a company I once owned that mowed and brushed oil leases and county road right-of-ways.
Everything from the company was liquidated, except that tractor. It sat idle on a farm for roughly 15 years, and then was given to a friend who intended to repair it and use her to enter into business himself. Long story short; he ended up in a divorce situation, and the tractor wound up in my backyard. - Now I have to repair it myself, and one day I'll send her to the auction. It only has 2600 hours on it.

Also, What Karl said!!!
Are those Metric hours?
 


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