Running Bear's April 2022 Coffee Shop

[Texas Hobo]

Good afternoon, all! Surely a chamber of commerce day here in H-Town. Snow is only knee deep.
Thanks to all for the like on the T.J. Reilly build. I'm going to leave it as is for a while and see how if works in that spot.

Troy - Sorry to hear the news about your Mom.
Guy - Are those collector or limited edition cars?
Willie - Bungalow looks good.
Dave - Nice photo, sorta causes a double take.
Boris - Good looking car. N Scale?
Patrick - The only time I ever get stopped by a train is when I'm running late or in a hurry.

Everyone, enjoy the rest of the day

STAY SAFE

LATER

 

[moermusic]

Good afternoon, all! Surely a chamber of commerce day here in H-Town. Snow is only knee deep.
Thanks to all for the like on the T.J. Reilly build. I'm going to leave it as is for a while and see how if works in that spot.

Troy - Sorry to hear the news about your Mom.
Guy - Are those collector or limited edition cars?
Willie - Bungalow looks good.
Dave - Nice photo, sorta causes a double take.
Boris - Good looking car. N Scale?
Patrick - The only time I ever get stopped by a train is when I'm running late or in a hurry.

Everyone, enjoy the rest of the day

STAY SAFE

LATER

walk early, in slo motion = never an impedment of any kind

 

[Patrick]

Afternoon all,

Kind of know when the trains run through, but the one this morning was just a bit longer and slower than than usual.

Got the sprinkler system charged and partially tested. My sprinkler guy will be here later this next week to do the annual backflow test and replace a couple of sprinkler heads that I knew last year needed to be replaced. System is otherwise solid for now.

 

[CambriaArea51]

Evening, another blah day, cloudy, rain, snow, and cold. But it is warm in the train room. Coffee Flo I missed my morning cup.

 

[bnsf971]

 

[McLeod]

Good Afternoon.

Guy- Nice tank cars. Are you working on the layout Sunday?

Curt - Probably not. The wife will be home Why? Is that the day the four horsemen will come knocking on my door?

Guy: That's got to be the Canadian price, right? In any event, they look nice. Thinking out loud, there should be someone in the North Country that's the equivalent to some of our discounters?

Joe - That is Canadian prices, and they must think I'm far north Canadian. I'm only on the Alaska Highway, and not in Inuvik. - If there is a discounter, I would like to know who. Mind you, I do like Hobby Wholesale. I just wish they'd change their name to something less misleading.

Guy - Are those collector or limited edition cars?

Hughie - I believe the cars are listed as 'Limited Run'.

Have a great afternoon!

 

[PRR Modeler]

Guy- No 4 horsemen. You said you were done with your wife's chores so I figured you would be doing train stuff on Sunday.

 

[Boris]

oe- It looks like an Eastern Ohio house also. Nice looking B&O box

Curt: You're right, it does. My cousin, went to University of Dayton. (Late 1960s), used to ride out there in the fall, to visit, using my Pass. If I used #3, the Penn Texas, the landscape from about Dennison, to Dayton was a daylight ride. My impression, looking out the window, was each small town I passed through looked the same. Houses, business district, and industry. The larger cities, of course looked like all large cities everywhere.
Moral of the story, we are much more alike than not.

Thank you. I generally buy three or four Kadee box cars, mostly Eastern railroads, that would plausibly end up on my layout. I have pretty much replaced my Blue Box fleet with them.

Looks like the Tower, was worth all the aggravation. Looks great where you have placed it.

Troy: Sorry to hear about your Mom's setback. Hopefully, they get it under control.

Louis: I hardly use my Kindle Fire, which is unfortunate, because I do not read enough.

Well, the weather changed again, it's now in the 40s and rather breezy. We had a short shower around 1630, then It cleared up. I did get the Reading Main completed and powered. To celebrate, I ran the RDC-2 end to end and return. The crossover works smoothly, and there are no noticable dead spots. I started wiring drop wires to the ladder switches this evening, then did some running and switching. I think I figured out how to get the "Dell Connect app to work with my computer and phone.

"Builders Photo" PRR BM70n rebuild outside the Passenger Car Shop at Altoona. You may recognize this as the AHM-Rivarossi 1930s Series Mail Car from back in the 60s and 70s. 60' Mail Apartment, 10' Baggage section. Used to run between Pittsburgh and St. Louis in the '60s.

 

[IronBeltKen]

Good evening Shop Dwellers!

Terry - I've notched-up the once again for you and Marie!

Troy - sorry to hear about your Mom's diagnosis.

. . .
IB Ken - That is a good plan for your track cleaning project. I am unable to do that because all of my rolling stock boxes are packed in old printer paper boxes and are in the train shed attic! Thankfully , the train shed is relatively dust-free and deep cleaning is not necessary.
Lucky you on the weather.
. . .

Willie - since my layout is in a garage with a door that opens directly outside, tree pollen poses a major problem - plus the fact that the aisle from the side door to the laundry room is like a passageway, so dust always seems to be kicked up. If I'd had the garage converted to a rec room when we first moved in, there would probably be less of a dust problem; but we're likely going to have to sell this place within the next 10-15yrs when we become too old to handle the upkeep, so it will be easier to sell with a functional garage than an awkwardly-placed rec room...

. . .
Ken: That's a lot of track cleaning power to deploy at once. Guess that's what it takes.
. . .

Joe - That's the consist that the La Mesa MRR Club in San Diego uses to clean their track. The CMX car loosens the grunge, while the rollers on the Centerline cars mop up the residue.

* * *
Just another boring online work day spent in "Maytag Repairman" mode. But after clocking-off I got started on removing whatever rolling stock I have on the layout, and placing them in their assigned [numbered] boxes. Filled 5 boxes so far; I have an Excel spreadsheet that I sort either by Road# or Box#, to make it easier to retrieve a specific car when I intend to use it.

Good Night - and have a Pleasant Tomorrow!

 

[Iron Horseman]

I love my kindle! I also love real books. The kindle makes research easy. No need to go back and forth to the book shelves or return the books when I'm finished. I can use my latest kindle as a laptop. It works great with Microsoft office

I actually enjoy walking through the stacks when doing research. Sometimes I forget how cramped my legs get sitting there reading books, and I need the stretch. My latest shelf addition I put in Labor Day 2020. They aren't sorted yet. Fiction mixed in with everything else, but it got 40 or so boxes up off the floor.

 

[Iron Horseman]

"Builders Photo" PRR BM70n rebuild outside the Passenger Car Shop at Altoona. You may recognize this as the AHM-Rivarossi 1930s Series Mail Car from back in the 60s and 70s. 60' Mail Apartment, 10' Baggage section. Used to run between Pittsburgh and St. Louis in the '60s.

Hmmm the trucks look a tad "to far" toward the end of the car. Guess I'm just so used to vestibules on passenger cars.

 

[Jaz avalley]

Ahhh, (walks in, stomps the rainwater off shoes) was kinda cool waiting outside.

Hey at least you found it promptly, I was at the old place, oblivious until I tried chatting…then realised you had all deserted the place and gone to the new coffee shop…..looks around sees a nice seat by the window, sits down checks the menu, looks out the window and sees there is a railway track outside, yeah

 

[Jaz avalley]

I love my kindle! I also love real books. The kindle makes research easy. No need to go back and forth to the book shelves or return the books when I'm finished. I can use my latest kindle as a laptop. It works great with Microsoft office.

Troy I'm sorry to hear about your Mom.
I hoping your readers are not the scamming type.

Nothing beats a good book, just a few of our bookshelves,these made the list as tidy when photographed lol, him horror - me shudders, him sci fit me too plus sci fantasy, me mills and boons - oi who moaned - me cookery, both gardening,me antique woodwork and building control from around 1930s via my dad, I had some 1890s book, however they have literally been stolen, probably by carers luckily I had checked them out and they were not valuable or of great sentimental value, one so common you could be it for under 10 pound, but I have now moved all books carefully, when the books were taken so was a 40 year bottle of asbach brandy I bought for my dad and we never opened it we discussed it many times, a Christian ing a birthday Xmas, now that bottle of brandy if I had had security cameras then and I found the culprit I would have bloody (excuse my language) done for the thief! There was many great memories with that bottle and a replacement bottle (no longer the same shape) would just not cut it.
I have since ensured items of value or sentimentality are carefully positioned or in glass locked units, sighs. I trust no one nowadays workmen are followed, even my own kids are monitored, one took an old bottle of booze - but I had the lass laugh that old bottle of melon liquor from Tunisia was well over 30 years old and it had gone off I only kept it as a momento from our honeymoon, I bet when he tried drinking it he more than gagged, a;though next to it was an empty bottle of a nice Russian vodka, still that’s on my ban list now anyway, and we had barely touched it not being vodka drinkers, he tried denying it said he bought and I looked him straight in the eye and said ok you try and buy another….doh! alcohol is also now in a locked cabinet! if he touches 3 untouched bottles from my mother in law now deceased and his father finds out he may wish to locate to another planet!

 

[Jaz avalley]

Afternoon all,

Kind of know when the trains run through, but the one this morning was just a bit longer and slower than than usual.

Got the sprinkler system charged and partially tested. My sprinkler guy will be here later this next week to do the annual backflow test and replace a couple of sprinkler heads that I knew last year needed to be replaced. System is otherwise solid for now.

When you finally retire I suspect they will need a team to replace you.

 

[Jaz avalley]

Oy vey... what a day...

So far, nothing new in the book situation. That will take a while to play out.

But learned that my 80yo mother has developed congestive heart failure.

Unfortunately, she was on high doses of BP meds before this. Adding meds to that puts her into a loopy state. Her primary care doc detected a high heart rate a week ago and added another BP med to bring the heart rate down. She was supposed to go back on Monday next week for a follow-up. We were hoping to get her off the meds since we know how loopy she gets (brain fog, not always aware of her surroundings)

The staff at her Sr Apartments noticed she was off mentally, and fearing a stroke, they called the medics.

Good thing, though it wasn't a stroke. The hospital said CHF. Did an MRI of her head looking for blood clots. Haven't heard back yet on that.

So, we get one mother stable, then the other one goes haywire.

So sad to here this,nothing good or clever to say,all you can do is care,brownie points for the staff.

 

[Jaz avalley]

Real thing and my modelled version

 

[troyphoto]

Thanks for the well wishes for mom. Going to see her today. Still in hospital, and probably will be for several days.

Hoping they can get her stable enough to clear her brain fog. No word yet on CT scan (or was it MRI?)

When it comes to books, I used to be a collector of books. Not valuable books, just ones I wanted to read. Now my tablet overflows with ebooks. Many unread.

I find that my time to read has dwindled. too much scrolling on social media. too much-watching videos of trains or games or movie clips on YouTube.

What I am getting into is Audio Books. I've been listening to podcasts while I walk. A couple of current event pods keep me going through the walking times. But, when I sit down to hobby (usually painting toy soldiers, but eventually train stuff), an audiobook fits right in.

Here's the latest book I just started that way:

Sicily '43

Check out this great listen on Audible.com. On July 10, 1943, the largest amphibious invasion ever mounted took place, larger even than the Normandy invasion 11 months later: 160,000 American, British, and Canadian troops came ashore or were parachuted onto Sicily, signaling the start of the...

www.audible.com

And, with the new bionic ears (hearing aids) that are blue-tooth to my phone, I don't get ear fatigue near as bad as when using headphones or earbuds

 

[CambriaArea51]

Good morning....Coffee Flo and wake Mel up. Sunny but cool day high of 45. Someday the temp will catch up to the calendar.

 

[Sirfoldalot]

After reading everything that is going on, I went and looked both directions up and down the street to see if the 4 Horsemen were rounding the corner?

I'll just add a tidbit to the fray for the moment! Drove the Spousal Unit and #2 daughter from Okinawa, (visiting G-maw and still hanging by a thread) and my BIL (who has bone cancer) to the airport for #2 to go home. Her reservation was cancelled while we were enroute because the Marines failed to approve her return ticket and never paid for it. After spending almost 2 hours on the phone with the Marine travel folks and the airline folks she missed the flight after righting everything up! So we returned home and she will try and work everything out again this morning.
Now --- the Spousal Unit and her sister are supposed to leave on their Tahiti trip this evening from LAX, and Kath (#2) will ride to the airport. with them if she can "shake up" the Marines and everyone gets on the same page?
It has been a rather hecktic week - my "execution day' (heart shock treatment) has now been set for MAY THE 11th to coexist with everything else going on.
I have REALLY ENJOYED reading the past two days of pictures and posts by EVERYONE. Don't want to take the space to acknowledge each one of you, but they are ALL great. JAMES - FYI - I miss JEROME too!

 

[santafewillie]

Good Morning All. Clear and 49°. It appears to have sprinkled around midnight last night. Nothing actually in the rain gauge, but everything is damp and the neighboring Weather Underground station reports 0.06". Pretty nice week coming up despite the rain Monday. Another cold front coming Thursday, but the high will still be near 70°.

Spent a major pert of the day yesterday in the garden, making the final preparations for a marathon two-day planting session this weekend, following the new moon last night and prior to the rain Monday. NWS still has it pegged at 100% chance of an inch or so. That would work out perfectly for me. I ended up with more tomato plants than I had intended to get, nearly 100. But I ran out of preserved tomato products early from last year, so it's no real issue. Something to do inside with the A/C while it's 100° outside.

Thanks for all of the kind comments and positive reactions to my progress on the bungalow yesterday; Troy, Rick, Tom O, James, Guy, Steve J, Moermusic, IB Ken, Dave B, Chad, George, Joe, Louis, Curt, Hughie, Mikey, Patrick, Tom, OB Ken, Sherrel.

While I did spend some time in the train shed yesterday, I did no modeling. I just felt like running trains and contemplating my next project, even though I still have about a half hour of work left to do on the bungalow. I only ran the trains from end to end without doing any switching. Well, except to run them onto passing sidings to let others pass. Happy to note there were no issues like derailing or hesitation. Noted several cars that needed weathering, but with over 600 to do it wouldn't make sense to start a list. I have actually made a bit of a start, as almost all of them have been dull-coated already.
That allows me to go back into the archives to search for something that I haven't shown before - hard to do.
It's Spring time, how about a few critters in the yard over the years.

Ken (D&J) - Enjoy the show. Hope that you get a chance to walk around.
Patrick - Over 40 years ago when I went to work in a suburb of Dallas, there was a Frisco (SLSF) line next door that curved from S to NE that intersected with an at grade triangle about 1/2 mile N. That triangle intersected with an MKT line that ran north/south and a Cotton Belt (SSW) line that ran east/west. All three were main lines at the time and were quite busy. What a mess that was for many years. It wasn't unusual for trains to just be stopped for 20 or more minutes at a time blocking the road out front of the factory. The Frisco line also would block the two frontage roads along nearby IH35E as well as a major east/west road there. The SSW guys would stop short of the frontage roads if they had to wait. To avoid getting a ticket from the local police department, the Frisco engineers would back the train up a couple hundred yards, wait and then go forward and wait. It still blocked our road, but since the train was moving, they technically avoided the ticket. The triangle still exists, the frontage roads have been elevated, and both SSW and MKT (which both eventually merged with UP) stopped using their tracks on a regular basis. It is still a very busy BNSF line but at least they don't stop any more. There was a back way out if I was in a hurry to get home and no one was blocking our driveway! That triangle occupies just a half acre of land and was at the time a great place to railfan.
James - Thanks for that post yesterday. Since I have been on this forum (11 years tomorrow), I have known him to take a sabbatical before.
Guy - Great looking tankers. Horrible price but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
Dave B - Tough beginning for your day yesterday. I dislike ii when routines are busted. I thought that I ditched routines when I retired, but soon found myself in a new and different one that bothers me when it doesn't go as planned! Believe it or not, sleeping late bothers me!
I have gotten used to extra parts in Walther's kits over the last 12-15 years as they use the same sprues in multiple kits. This one also has extra windows like many others. About a year ago, I had one with an extra storefront included. I recently added three modular walls from DPM to make an extra structure.
Troy - Even though you're a professed atheist, I offer prayers and positive thoughts to your mom.
Curt - I already painted that bungalow. It was a beige plastic color to begin with. That blue color is similar to the color on the front of the box though.
IB Ken - I fully understand the garage thingy. I knew that but didn't realize that you still opened the door.

It's Saturday, I have to remind myself of the day of the week it is any more!
Everybody have a great day and an awesome weekend.