Running Bear's April 2023 Coffee Shop

[Texas Hobo]

Good morning, all! A nice day here, wind out of the north which means lower humidity. On today's agenda, mowing and edging.

I did get to run some trains yesterday, but I think some track cleaning may be in order. In a couple of spots locos seemed lose signals. Maybe this afternoon I get to clean track, at least drag the cleaning car around.

Last night the wife and I were sitting talking and cuddling. I said, "Babe you know, come September we'll be married 57 years. After all these years, is there anything you would change about me?" I thought the PowerPoint Presentation was a little over the top.

STAY SAFE
LATER

 

[Smudge617]

Last night the wife and I were sitting talking and cuddling. I said, "Babe you know, come September we'll be married 57 years. After all these years, is there anything you would change about me?" I thought the PowerPoint Presentation was a little over the top.

 

[Boris]

Yo: 70° and sunny. Rain predicted for tonight. Clearing tomorrow. The forums been moving quickly, and I can't keep up with all the posts. Not much going on here.

 

[NorthBrit]

The forums been moving quickly, and I can't keep up with all the posts.

Yes! I was on page 58. Took the trash out and we are on page 62 or maybe 63.

David

 

[migalyto]

Last night the wife and I were sitting talking and cuddling. I said, "Babe you know, come September we'll be married 57 years. After all these years, is there anything you would change about me?" I thought the PowerPoint Presentation was a little over the top.

Wow!! 57 years congratulations.

 

[troyphoto]

Had a brain fart on the drive for errands this morning.... What if I switched my Train Area with my desk area? The Writing and Hobby desks make a U shape, that could easily move into the current train space. And the gaming table is also in the Train Area. Better use of that space.

I'd be using a roughly 6x8 area for trains that is currently only occupied by the treadmill. I think I can tuck it into the old train area where it won't interfere with anything, and still be accessible for my walks to nowhere.

Pros:
1. I don't have to worry about blocking the Main Elect Panel access
2. I pick up more space for both the Trains and for the Gaming area because each section would be better utilized

Cons:
It's the FIRST thing visitors see when entering the basement... but right now, they're seeing the treadmill.
I lose the ability to look past my computer monitor to see the screensaver on the TV... which I really don't do very often. It will become a 90° turn of the head to do the same.

Instead of keeping my layout in a folded 10x10 area, I'd have a 16x8 area. And one end would be accessible from either side, where it buts up against the TV area. I can see a folded dogbone with 48" wide ends of the bone and a 36" wide peninsula in the middle (basically the shape of a 3)

Since I'm planning a tear-out and rebuild, this may be the way. Hmmmm....

 

[Bruette]

I failed to mention the Orioles scored the winning run on a fielder's choice.
And Tyler Wells pitched seven scoreless innings! He was one of my Mom's favorites.

 

[Texas Hobo]

Wow!! 57 years congratulations.

Not till September.

 

[Jaz avalley]

Good evening gang and those with newborn kittens.

Been a busy day, finally got all SWMBOs stuff off the trailer so I can go to HD tomorrow and get mulch (postponed from today), added an extra board to the bottom of the fence so the French Bulldog granddog can be secured inside the back yard on visits. It made it to 90 ° this afternoon, I was a sweatin! Also got 3 loads of laundry washed, so SWMBO is having a folding party right now. Tomorrow HD, then cutting the grass before the p.m. thunderstorms hit.

The kid came home from college for the weekend (the A/c broke in his dorm) So I will get some assistance with the yard tomorrow, and also with moving my club modules across the basement so more benchwork can be created.

Tony, I keep checking our basement pit where the woodstove chimney exit the basement. 2 years ago at the peak of Covid one of the neighborhood ferels deposited 5 kittens in the "pit" and we were suddenly parents. 2 weeks of round the clock bottle feedings, the weaning and we found good homes for all. The dogs and our cat took it all in stride. Like you, I couldn't see the alone out there.
View attachment 166987View attachment 166988
This picture of one of the kittens and our late dog Bud always has be a favorite of mine.
The smaller of the 2 black kittens now lives next door to us. We get updates occasionally on the rest, all doing great!

View attachment 166992
Thinking of selling all my HO stuff for something bigger, if I can get SWMBO to go along with it.

Sorry to disappoint you….I don’t think the model comes with the bikini clad lass on top..

 

[Jaz avalley]

Hello Happy Members !
Today is a very happy day for me. I tried these two deadly weapons and suddenly The Love of My Life said to me: "Do it!".

View attachment 167017

Then I started building a bigger benchwork for my layout. For the moment it's not completely finished but it's progressing well.

View attachment 167018

Yeah chocolates have a positive effect on me too lol

 

[Jaz avalley]

Wow!! 57 years congratulations.

Yeah I was so busy laughing I missed 57! Nice going. we have made mid 30s and we are both alive, I call that a win, laughs

 

[Jaz avalley]

Had a brain fart on the drive for errands this morning.... What if I switched my Train Area with my desk area? The Writing and Hobby desks make a U shape, that could easily move into the current train space. And the gaming table is also in the Train Area. Better use of that space.

I'd be using a roughly 6x8 area for trains that is currently only occupied by the treadmill. I think I can tuck it into the old train area where it won't interfere with anything, and still be accessible for my walks to nowhere.

Pros:
1. I don't have to worry about blocking the Main Elect Panel access
2. I pick up more space for both the Trains and for the Gaming area because each section would be better utilized

Cons:
It's the FIRST thing visitors see when entering the basement... but right now, they're seeing the treadmill.
I lose the ability to look past my computer monitor to see the screensaver on the TV... which I really don't do very often. It will become a 90° turn of the head to do the same.

Instead of keeping my layout in a folded 10x10 area, I'd have a 16x8 area. And one end would be accessible from either side, where it buts up against the TV area. I can see a folded dogbone with 48" wide ends of the bone and a 36" wide peninsula in the middle (basically the shape of a 3)

Since I'm planning a tear-out and rebuild, this may be the way. Hmmmm....

That a much bigger area, 10x10=100 16x8=128 sounds good to me

 

[Sirfoldalot]

Welp! California has still not fallen into the ocean. It's a lovey 84f degrees out and perfectly clear with mostly calm.

Mike, the "power point" was a classic - I'm going to have to remember that one!

 

[santafewillie]

Mike, the "power point" was a classic - I'm going to have to remember that one!

Wake up Sherrel! That was Hughie.

 

[westtexjohn]

We upgraded our 2004 Suburban with a 2019 Pathfinder. We need this to pull our little camper seen in the background. Camping season is upon us. This should take me through a few years of retirement quite nicely.View attachment 167015

Each to their own. Strictly my opinion is I would rather have a 2004 Suburban pulling a trailer than any Pathfinder. Pulling a trailer will put that CVT transmission in an early grave. I hope you prove me wrong. And I don't know what shape your 2004 is in. Fact is, I'm just not crazy about any of the new cars.......over priced and under built.

 

[CambriaArea51]

Troy, 4% grade sounds like a good reason to buy more engines for helper service.

 

[migalyto]

Troy, 4% grade sounds like a good reason to buy more engines for helper service.

Yes! Some big 6 axle power!

 

[migalyto]

Wake up Sherrel! That was Hughie.

I must be asleep too Willie, I missed it earlier too!

 

[kbkchooch]

Caveats: Yes, I know 4% is a steep grade. But I envision the upper deck with smaller curve radii than the lower deck which has 18" radius throughout. So smaller train length to do the back and forth between levels would need to happen anyway.

Don't forget, curves add resistance, in effect, making it more difficult for a train to climb a grade. The tighter the curve, the more rolling resistance.

4% in N Scale isn't THAT bad - obviously NOT ideal but doable.

From the looks of your "plan" I don't understand why it needs to be that steep?? Unless I am misreading something, your purple/pink line (the 4%) could be dropped to 2% or even 2.5% and still by plenty to get you to the next level up and have clearance.

Scale really doesn't matter, weather it be G, O, S, HO or N. 4% is tough. Not only the grade, but the transition from grade to level has to be gradual to keep couplers in line with each other.

Had a brain fart on the drive for errands this morning....

It's only a brain fart if the idea stinks. I call this an epiphany.

Since I'm planning a tear-out and rebuild, this may be the way. Hmmmm....

Sounds like a plan!

Speaking of grades, I finally have 1/2 of the layouts subroadbed installed. The grade is pretty light at an average of 1%

Here is where the .9 % was measured.

plus an overview of what I have so far. The other half of the layout will be beyond the bridge at the laundry room door.

BBL, taking SWMBO out to dinner!

 

[NYC_George]

I'm looking at a tear out and redo... but, I don't have room for a helix. So, either I have two separate lines on two separate decks, or I connect them with a grade.

The back wall incline gives me 20-ish feet of room to raise the grade. A 4% grade = 4 inch of rise over 8 feet... So one pass from end to end gets me about 10 inches of rise (counting some curves to meander through the layout. Another two inches of rise by winding around a mountain at one end.

If I double back behind the backdrop, I can get another 8-10, and have 16-inch spacing between the decks. That's the only way I see to make connecting the layout decks work.

What happens with steep grades is the cars pushing down the hill will derail the train. To much pressure builds I tried a 3" grade and that's what happened.
Swal