Running Bear's April 2022 Coffee Shop

[Snowman]

Snowman, I think you planted a seed, well done!
My Mom gave me a train set when I was 11. I lost interest in my teens. When I had kids I ran trains under my Christmas trees.
Nearly 40 years after that first train set I became a year round avid model train fan.

You are right--that's just how it gets started: Some combination of Dad, Uncle, Brother...and Christmas.
In my case dad's own interest caught me up while still in diapers, and while it had largely waned for him by the time the train-stuff came back out of storage after a couple of family moves, it certainly hadn't for me--I "inherited" the whole shebang, and led my nephew around early on as HIS interest grew...etc.
There's very little of what we have or had that isn't still in a box or in storage somewhere, if not in plain sight. Along with the Christmas tree Lionel...and the AFX slot cars and track.

 

[Snowman]

I used to race online with the NASCAR sims from Papyrus/Sierra. Had a lot of fun back in those days. I tried Grand Prix Legends but I was terrible at it. Never could get the hang of the road courses.

I imagine we crossed paths somewhere then, perhaps at high-noon...with scowls on our faces and tire irons drawn....
NASCAR was a lot more popular than GPL was certainly. 10-1 or more, I would guess. But road-racing sims have really evolved, and, just as real-railroad men sometimes taking interest in models, real-racers are to be found in the sims. Sometimes openly, and sometimes hiding right in plain sight (like Dale Jr. used to do and maybe still does). Which is pretty cool I think.

 

[OBTC 1909]

I imagine we crossed paths somewhere then, perhaps at high-noon...with scowls on our faces and tire irons drawn....
NASCAR was a lot more popular than GPL was certainly. 10-1 or more, I would guess. But road-racing sims have really evolved, and, just as with real-railroad men sometimes taking interest in models, real-racers are to be found in the sims. Sometimes openly, and sometimes hiding right in plain sight (like Dale Jr. used to do and maybe still does). Which is pretty cool I think.

GPL was a great sim, I was just terrible at it. I managed to get a few wins on the NASCAR ovals but they were few and far between. I didn't have the high dollar racing wheel, just a Microsoft wheel and pedals. Still managed a win at Daytona and a couple others. Lots of fun!

 

[IronBeltKen]

Good evening Shop Dwellers!

Easter weekend came and went, with the usual scenario: Going to the "foot-washing" Mass on Thursday night, Good Friday service on Friday afternoon, cleaning house for company on Saturday, going to the Easter Vigil Mass, and spending Easter Sunday helping with the food preparations, then hosting Easter dinner for the kids and grandson. Over-indulged like I always do, and felt sick the rest of the day.

But it's all good. I took a vacation day today, and spent most of the day in the trainroom re-railing much of the rolling stock I had stowed in boxes before the last track cleaning effort. I also did some minor repairs on structures, and test-ran each of the six trains staged for the April 30 open house. A few more tasks still need to be done before the event, but the lion's share of the prep work has been completed.

Steve - good to see you'll finally be getting that long-needed vacation after these previous 10 days!

James - glad to see that you were finally able to obtain the elusive Micro Engineering 5e LH turnout, even though you had to pay thru the nose for it. And as soon as I read the opening line that you got your first steam loco in recent memory, I guessed it had to be #4014 - after seeing your growing collection of UP heritage units.

Good Night - and have a Pleasant Tomorrow!

 

[NYC_George]

I noticed a lot of member's attended church on Easter Sunday. I hope you all have a church somewhere on your layout. This was the first structure on the layout. In 1997 my wife had a heart attack and painted the church while she was home healing.

 

[Smudge617]

I miss typed it was 59 plus shipping see my edited post.....

Oops sorry, mind you, how much was the shipping?

 

[McLeod]

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:

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.

 

[NYC_George]

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

 

[Snowman]

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

Zoikes! However, and on the plus side, if you grow extra arms you'll be able to re-rail several cars or trains at the same time.
On the downside...you'll need to add extra sleeves to all your shirts....

 

[Boris]

Good evening. Hope everyone had a good Easter. I gave up trying to catch up after P-29. I just missed too much.
Family was here for Easter, Oldest Son had to leave on Easter Sunday, so we had the dinner on the Vigil.Youngest son will be here until Wednesday.
Grand Daughter gave us all a cold. She had to go to the quick care place on Friday. Rapid test negative, sinus/ear infection. Thank you my dear...

Finished the track work and wiring in the yard. It is currently in service, pending scenery and back drop work.

Track to the right, is the Reading Pit track. locomotives serviced by P-Truck. track to the extreme left is the running track, with a lead to the PRR mechanical facility...still under design. Have to fix those wires in the foreground. did better with the rest. 4 tracks to the right are the Reading "Lutz" Yard. five tracks to the right are the PRR "Stoney Creek" yard. Average track capacity is 7 50' cars.

I finished the "virtual" property assessment this morning, using my smart phone. Never imagined that that little device would do so much.

Currently, we are being lashed by wind driven rain coming from the Northeast. Should be gone by tomorrow. Currently 45°, was 33° this morning with a frost.

Have a good night.

 

[MikeInHubCity]

Mike, I would have not pulled Kershaw. I understand why they did, but I still would not have done it. He had only thrown 82 pitches. Nothing wrong with throwing 100 pitches.
Over 218,00 games in MLB history, only 23 perfect games!

The reason for pulling him after 21 up, 21 down was a multi-pronged causation. Coming off the elbow injury at the end of last season & given his past elbow, shoulder & back injury history over the past 7 years & the fact that he did not have access to the training staff f it e the the lockout. Other reasons were the fact that he did not pick up a ball from Oct 2021 until sometime in January, the short spring training & the fact that he told Doc, after the 6th inning, that he was good for about another inning & about 75-80 total pitches.

 

[Patrick]

Morning all,

A bit stiff after my marathon work session yesterday. Did take the oldest granddaughter fishing for a bit yesterday. She finally caught a fish, but I really have to put bigger hooks as it was a small bluegill that swallowed the hook. Too small to do anything keep it wise.

Supposed to be a bit warmer today with rain. Going to try to get into the trains later today.

BBL

 

[kbkchooch]

Good morning gang

37 and clearing, slow warming this week, with temp in the 70s by Friday
Yahoo!

BBL

 

[Bruette]

Kershaw made $26.5 million last year. He better have his own personal doctors, trainers and other staff. He knows his history as well as anybody.
I saw the interview with him after the game. He said the right things, but he wanted to keep going.
I saw another source that said it was only 80 pitches.
I understand the Dodgers point, I just don't agree with it.
Fans pay big to see baseball and we were cheated out of a chance of seeing a rare event.

 

[OBTC 1909]

Good morning all! 32 degrees heading for sunny and 53. Had a freeze warning overnight and I'm hoping it's the last freeze of the season. Hoping to get started with garden work this weekend and don't want to plant stuff and then have another freeze.

Nothing much going on. Hope you all have a great day!

 

[D&J RailRoad]

I've been planning a motorcycle trip to Detroit the weekend after next, but the weather doesn't seem to be cooperating. Snow and cold continue to pour in from up north. May have to make it a truck trip.

 

[TLOC]

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

 

[MilwRoader_Steve]

Good morning all,

Quiet restful day. Took the kids back home to the North Loop Minneapolis and had a late breakfast with my dau. Snow all morning, but no acccum, PTL. Came home and did basically ... nothing. Watched two Netflix movies which, surprisingly, I quite enjoyed! Usuallt they off er such junk. First, "Eye in the Sky" with Helen Mirren and a host of other well knowns. Well done! Every now and then you back out and think: "All these government super-people all watching a vid feed," and then you realize that you yourself are absolutely enmeshed in it as well!

Second movie was "The Cleaner" with Samuel Jackson. Another good movie that ropes you in. Both recommended. Light salad for dinner and then we watched the last two episodes of the most recent "Shetland" series. Really like that show, but Duncan is an idiot. I could see that coming, and called it to the Better Half.

Decided to have a work-from-home day. Meetings tonight, so will def be working then. And some admin/computer work to do which can be done here in my slovenlies.

May run a train today. Yesterday, even the thought that there might be a derail was too nerve-wracking. A little less fragile today, I think.

Like Tom - a bit on unsteady ground. Not sure what to do next. I have thought about getting another model kit and setting up a modeling station with paints and tools so that I can Build a couple structures while recuperating from the knee surgery. I have a coaling tower and want to get a grain elevator.

Cheers all! -----Steve J

 

[McLeod]

Good Morning!
The winds howled all night; snow is supposed to fall all day long, and it's 32F. Not a very pleasant spring day. Aside from walking the dog, I don't want to go out for anything.

Like Tom - a bit on unsteady ground. Not sure what to do next.

Steve - I'm thinking ahead, and will be in the same boat after I get the tracks wired and tested.
I suppose I'll try ballasting next what track I have next. Then I'll g on a nature walk and try to find a suitable natural ground cover to apply over the entire board.
I'm asking the same questions as you, though. What now, what next, and how!!. All I can say is give it a try; I'm thinking we are going to make mistakes somewhere along the line.

Personally, I'm looking at a lot of photos, because I don't seem to be a patient reader.

Have a great day everyone! I'll have a difficult time with that, under the whim of current weather conditions.

 

[Smudge617]

Good morning all,

Quiet restful day. Took the kids back home to the North Loop Minneapolis and had a late breakfast with my dau. Snow all morning, but no acccum, PTL. Came home and did basically ... nothing. Watched two Netflix movies which, surprisingly, I quite enjoyed! Usuallt they off er such junk. First, "Eye in the Sky" with Helen Mirren and a host of other well knowns. Well done! Every now and then you back out and think: "All these government super-people all watching a vid feed," and then you realize that you yourself are absolutely enmeshed in it as well!

Second movie was "The Cleaner" with Samuel Jackson. Another good movie that ropes you in. Both recommended. Light salad for dinner and then we watched the last two episodes of the most recent "Shetland" series. Really like that show, but Duncan is an idiot. I could see that coming, and called it to the Better Half.

Decided to have a work-from-home day. Meetings tonight, so will def be working then. And some admin/computer work to do which can be done here in my slovenlies.

May run a train today. Yesterday, even the thought that there might be a derail was too nerve-wracking. A little less fragile today, I think.

Like Tom - a bit on unsteady ground. Not sure what to do next. I have thought about getting another model kit and setting up a modeling station with paints and tools so that I can Build a couple structures while recuperating from the knee surgery. I have a coaling tower and want to get a grain elevator.

Cheers all! -----Steve J

Having something to do while recovering from any surgery is a great way to pass the time, and gives your mind something else to work on. My BIL has had knee surgery on both knees, my sister, who is a former nurse, made sure that he had lots to occupy himself, as he loves to make stained glass, she pretty much moved his entire workshop into the house for 6 months including the furnace, (thankfully they have a large conservatory) he made some fantastic pieces for family and friends as she made sure there were plenty of "orders" for him to fulfill when he came home.