Running Bear's April 2023 Coffee Shop

[TLOC]

Good morning to all wary of politics that has me confused. Nothing this week IMO has even approached a political line crossing and now we have constant reminders not to discuss politics, religion and sex. If someone has gotten overly sensitive to the Fox Media Entertainment/News division settlement for the admitted lies they spread they need to take a chill pill. That is not political that is actually a rare honest reporting from the media and always has been allowed here. Politically I don’t care who you voted for, I am just happy you exercised your right to vote…

In modeling news I am packaging up some of an unfinished weathering project for a client who overstepped his bounds with me. His daughter after school can pick them up. Then Terry and I will head out to early morning breakfast and I can move to other projects at the bench.

I have a friend pushing me to attend op sessions. I can handle 2-3 a month, he goes to 2-3 a week. I might be able to handle one a week. I like going to them but too much of a good thing… I did ask about attending one at 7pm this evening but got a no room for me response. My friend said no there is room and he can pick me up. Explained I was told no and will pass on this one.

enjoy your day

 

[PNKFLOYD]

Tomorrow is my last vacation day. It's sped by, and while I've gotten a ton of stuff done, still more to do.

Patrick- I have found that life (pronounced wife) adds things to the "to-do" list much faster than the list is reduced.

 

[Patrick]

Patrick- I have found that life (pronounced wife) adds things to the "to-do" list much faster than the list is reduced.

So very true...And what she doesn't add for herself, the kids get her to add stuff as well.

 

[troyphoto]

Good morning.

Here's your morning earworm/palate cleanser.

 

[McLeod]

Good Morning!

With spring upon us, there don't seem to be much time for anything involving the train hobby lately.
When I was younger, I could make my wife happy by means other than fencing a garden plot and building flower trestles. Those days are past, I suppose. Today, building a garden trestles seems to be the only action that will put a smile on her face.

I did take a break yesterday.
It was a dark, cold and overcast day. That didn't stop me from taking a short stroll through the CN yard with the dog. I managed to get a few photos:

I've collected quite a few photos of ex-CityRail locomotives acquired by CN, all with different road numbers. I'm not sure what happened to CityRail, or if CN picked up the whole fleet, but, CN has quite a few of these locomotives.

My dog, a St.Bernard/Black Lab cross, is filled with pure hunting instinct. Unleashed, she will not stay with me on our forest walks. She always heads out on her own hunts to find and chase the deer. - I'm trying to break that habit.
So, I've purchased an electric shock collar to help me train her to stay with me.
My friend showed me one yesterday, and on a high setting, that shock nearly put me on my butt. I won't use such a high setting on the dog, but, I need her to come on command. If not, there's risk that she will be shot by a land-owner.

Anyway, time to get on with the day.

Tony - I hope you can find a way to manage a spay on those cats. I once found a black garbage bag in the forest that held the corpses of kittens that someone had killed. Personally, I'd rather spend the money on spay than do something like that. There are people walking around that will do such a thing, though, without having a second thought. I can't ever remember when I've put money before life.


Have a great day everyone. I need to make tracks.

 

[Chrιstιαη]

A real scam story. WTF !
A few days ago, I ordered a small piece of furniture ($35) on Amazon. I later found out it was a fake Chinese online store working with Amazon. They kept my money but they sent absolutely nothing ! All the data about this online store are bogus. I can't do nothing about that because it doesn't exist. Amazon doesn't care to solve my problem because it's not the seller. Now I'm in deep...

 

[ctclibby]

A real scam story. WTF !
A few days ago, I ordered a small piece of furniture ($35) on Amazon. I later found out it was a fake Chinese online store working with Amazon. They kept my money but they sent absolutely nothing ! All the data about this online store are bogus. I can't do nothing about that because it doesn't exist. Amazon doesn't care to solve my problem because it's not the seller. Now I'm in deep...

You paid via V/MC right? Call your bank with the evidence you have gathered.

Later

 

[JeffH]

I fell for something like that, Christian.

It was for a pair of reading glasses. They shipped to an address in the same postal zip code. Because it was coming from a different country, the shipping process included several different couriers, so it was almost impossible to track through the US postal service. They could prove it was delivered, but it wasn't to my address... It took a while, but in the end, it was PAyPal that got me my money back, not Amazon. Amazon sucks at helping you with scams.

 

[troyphoto]

Well howdy there internet peeps

It's Troy again...

Confession time... one of the reasons work on my layout has collapsed (me, not the layout) is that I'm in overwhelm since I pulled the third leg from the layout.

that severely restricted the town scenes I had planned.

Right now, I'm at the stage where I might rip all of the trackwork that I've got layed (about 25% at most of the original planned for what's left). Then drop the table down, and plan a second level above. That would give me my "rural rocky valleys" on the lower, and some town-switching scenes above. Might do an external helix around a mountain, and have a steep grade along the back wall to connect the two levels.

I've been inspired by Gerry Leone's new layout (Trains.com or MRR Video + paid channel). But I don't have the real estate for a real helix. That's why I'm debating an "external helix" and a long grade along the back to connect the two levels.

But I still need a good folded dogbone layout for the lower section. That's the one I want to go rural, Pacific Northwest with.

Particulars:
N-Scale
Roughly 10 ft long by 10.5 ft long (along the back walls). The ends of the bone are 4 ft wide.
At least one level needs a continuous run, preferably for passenger rail. (that's why the dogbone has 4 ft ends).
The current layout height is 44 inches. Thinking of two levels around the 34 and 50-inch heights.

I learned that I need to keep good access to that Electrical Panel in the background of the second pic...

Does anyone have any inspirational layouts they can direct me to?

 

[migalyto]

Actually Mike, I meant these Cubs:

That cub looks like he is a scrapper already!

 

[ctclibby]

Well howdy there internet peeps

It's Troy again...

Confession time... one of the reasons work on my layout has collapsed (me, not the layout) is that I'm in overwhelm since I pulled the third leg from the layout.

that severely restricted the town scenes I had planned.

Right now, I'm at the stage where I might rip all of the trackwork that I've got layed (about 25% at most of the original planned for what's left). Then drop the table down, and plan a second level above. That would give me my "rural rocky valleys" on the lower, and some town-switching scenes above. Might do an external helix around a mountain, and have a steep grade along the back wall to connect the two levels.

I've been inspired by Gerry Leone's new layout (Trains.com or MRR Video + paid channel). But I don't have the real estate for a real helix. That's why I'm debating an "external helix" and a long grade along the back to connect the two levels.

But I still need a good folded dogbone layout for the lower section. That's the one I want to go rural, Pacific Northwest with.

Particulars:
N-Scale
Roughly 10 ft long by 10.5 ft long (along the back walls). The ends of the bone are 4 ft wide.
At least one level needs a continuous run, preferably for passenger rail. (that's why the dogbone has 4 ft ends).
The current layout height is 44 inches. Thinking of two levels around the 34 and 50-inch heights.

I learned that I need to keep good access to that Electrical Panel in the background of the second pic...

Does anyone have any inspirational layouts they can direct me to?

View attachment 166965
View attachment 166966

Troy: With N scale you would have a bunch more room for track and scenery if you decide on that 2nd level. From bottom to top ( or V~V ) for a 16" rise @ 2% grade would be about 800" of track and that could be a big space waster. I don't know what type and lengths of cars/engines or complete trains you run, so a small diameter helix might work. That would at least contain that wasted space in a blob in one place. I work in HO so my helix inside diameter is big enough to get inside of it for maintenance and such. Don't know if you can do that with N. Keep in mind that your separation of the levels in the helix has to be tall enough so you can get your 1:1 hand in to fix stuff; unless you can get to almost the whole thing from the outside with single or double track main.

As far as what others have done for their layouts, I suspect that there are tons of them out in the Ether.

Later

 

[chadbag]

A real scam story. WTF !
A few days ago, I ordered a small piece of furniture ($35) on Amazon. I later found out it was a fake Chinese online store working with Amazon. They kept my money but they sent absolutely nothing ! All the data about this online store are bogus. I can't do nothing about that because it doesn't exist. Amazon doesn't care to solve my problem because it's not the seller. Now I'm in deep...

If it was legitimately bought through the Amazon website, Amazon will step in if the seller doesn't make good. They want you to work with the seller first. As others have mentioned, bring it up through your credit card bank if all else fails.

 

[santafewillie]

Good Morning All. Clear and 52°, a bit more chilly than the last few days. The NWS maintained their usual accuracy yesterday, as no rain appeared here. Good and bad, good in that I didn't have to deal with it, bad in that the garden really needed it. Last rain here was April 2. But the wind died down and I was able to use the overhead sprinkler to water everything. Now that that is done, I can work again on getting the ants to move out and away.

Yesterday's weekly grocery trek went well, somewhat record time. My wife went to Target and the Vitamin Shop while I went to Kroger. No other stops were on the agenda. Cost of chicken seemed to have gone down as did some produce. Gasoline at the places that we passed has stabilized; however at $3.59/gal, it is 40¢ higher than 6 weeks ago. Supper last night was at our favorite Italian restaurant 12 miles away. The good news is no reflux last night or this morning! Slept over 8 hours last night so I am off to a late start here this morning and I am already 2 1/2 pages behind just in this thread!

Today is weedeater day on the SFW estate. I hate that thing! Especially since I don't wear jeans from March through November, just shorts.

Onward with the Fedex saga. While I have had many packages mis-delivered to me, and some of mine sent to the neighbors, in all cases we know what belongs to who and we respond accordingly. No porch pirates around here. Smith & Wesson takes care of that and they know it.

Nothing new to report from the train shed. Entering the last 16' of layout cleaning. Yesterday I doubled up on the ROW through town as it's a really visible part in this segment. Looking south.

Looking north.

Arghh! The middle shot didn't turn out to be good, I'll do another one.
Headed south on the business side of the tracks is a 6' mostly undeveloped area, before picking up with a residential section and then a rural area.

Tony - I need a feral cat or two. Our last one who actually lasted three years before dying two years ago, was a "mouser supreme". Around here coyotes usually get them or they get hit by cars and the vultures clean up. Once I see one, I feed them in hopes that they will hang out in the barn that always has an open door. I've spotted one several times recently, but judging from it's well kept appearance, I think that it might actually belong to a neighbor.

Beause they are feral, catching and containing them for the nearly 30 mile return trip might prove interesting.

Ain't that the truth???
Karl

Half day at work today, then off to HD to get 30 bags of mulch.

Sounds like a work detail coming up!

Have a great Friday everyone.

 

[CGW121]

Wife got a call from an Indian dude saying he was form the border patrol> Needless to say she did not talk long. She is back to her old feisty self!
Mike CGW

 

[migalyto]

Wife got a call from an Indian dude saying he was form the border patrol> Needless to say she did not talk long. She is back to her old feisty self!
Mike CGW

She didn't try to keep him on the hook and mess with him for a while?

 

[JeffH]

She didn't try to keep him on the hook and mess with him for a while?

If you all want to laugh, have a listen to Tom Mabe "Revenge on the telemarketers."

He made several CDs of himself messing with telemarketers. He was a writer for comics, and is really quick on his feet. Some of his stuff is hysterical. Search for one about carpet cleaning, or prepaid funerals.

 

[JeffH]

NSFW

 

[ctclibby]

Good Morning All!

39F @ 75% and raining.

Supposed to get to 52F around noon with the rain stopping bout 1100. Burning is in order in an hour or so and it looks like all day. Rain is to hit again around 1400 so good! Planning a bigger burn pile just for that.

Spam Calls: What a can-o-worms. IF you get someone that understands English you can have fun with them wasting their time. Sooner or later they will realize what you are up to and just hang up. We have Verizone for cell and I found a button to report spam calls. Have been doing that and it seems that the call volume has been going down over the months. Most of the calls come in from a 'borrowed' number as you probably know. Works with those spam text's too. I do not report anything that has our local area code and the few exchanges we have as once it is blocked there is no way to 'turn it back on'. Heck, I have even gotten a call from MY number. I talk to myself anyway, but with my phone? Geesh.

Feral Cats: These guys are usually a mouses bane. Trick to get and keep them is food. Grab them while head is in dish, then stuff them in a small room with food, water and cat box for a week or so. After that, they are yours. Note that you will get the strangest yells and such with different voices. It does take awhile to get them used to human handling but it can be done. They already dump outside, so once you get them outa that room, cat box can go away.

Track plan is progressing as I do play with that early in the am and sometimes steal some time during the day. Progress? Maybe.

Later

 

[wombat457]

Good morning and happy Friday gang!

Tony, Feral outdoor cats are useful. especially for keeping the neighborhood rodents in check. So you don't get overrun each year see if there is a group nearby that will do TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) at no or little cost. My Ex's parents had a herd of cats in their neighborhood til that was what they did. Slowly the population dropped over the last 10 years and now they have 2 outdoor cats. Population controlled, everyone gets to live out their lives.

Half day at work today, then off to HD to get 30 bags of mulch.

That is my aim at some point - have them spade and//or neutered. Your right about them keeping the rodents in check, unfortunately that includes our domesticated Chipmunks who would come around every year and pretty much live on our porch during the day. Now the cats are here, the Chippies have gone

Feral Cats: These guys are usually a mouses bane. Trick to get and keep them is food. Grab them while head is in dish, then stuff them in a small room with food, water and cat box for a week or so. After that, they are yours. Note that you will get the strangest yells and such with different voices. It does take awhile to get them used to human handling but it can be done. They already dump outside, so once you get them outa that room, cat box can go away.

That's a good idea IF you want to keep them as "pets", but we don't to. They are feral and outside cats and both they and I are happy for that to continue for a few reasons - 1. I am allergic to cat fur so when they shed I'm going to be a mess; 2. My Parrot has already submitted his objection to the idea which was co signed by our Parakeet

All we need to do is get them fixed so they can stay but not have any more kittens to carry on the family name.

 

[Chrιstιαη]

You paid via V/MC right? Call your bank with the evidence you have gathered

Right ! I really don't know how I can prove it.