Running Bear's Coffee Shop LVIII

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Afternoon All,

There were postings about it on Facebook. I watched the national news and it was not mentioned there. Did some errands today and ended up at Wally World. The place was packed but checkout was rapid. Tomorrow we are driving to south Orlando to the HD dealer. My son asked for motorcycle lessons for Christmas. My daughter and SIL both have motorcycles. We also decorated the tree today.

Montanan- Beautiful river. I am always so heavy handed with the pigments.

Chessie- I am sure we have all have made similar type of mistakes and afterwards asked ourselves "Why the heck did I do that?"...edited for language!

Garry- Great pictures and story. I bet driving in the area is a pain.

MILW113- You are acquiring quite a collection. You're going to need a rail car to store it all.

I hope everybody has a good night.
 
WJLI26 said:
Chet: Prototype rail height was deceiving. For instance PRR used 155 lb stick rail, on heavy traffic - high speed main lines, and in at least one case, an electrified branch with frequent coal trains. The Leigh Valley, used 136 lb Lackawanna, which was as tall as the heavier PRR Rail. Some 125 lb RE and 140 lb appeared identical. Same with the 100 lb and 118 lb rail used on some main lines in the South. So Code 70 is appropriate for more than just branch lines, and industrial districts.

I first tried code 70 back in the '80s. The Model Railroad Shop in Dunnellen, NJ was a convenient stop back then, and they handled the full Shinohara (Lambert) Code 70 line, as well as Micro Engineering weathered flex. Back then, Shinohara still made a #5 switch, in Code 70. Now they offer a #4, a #6, and larger switches, but no #5. ME rail is a PIA to curve, and there is an instructional video that shows an easier way to do it. I may actually try some Shinohara flex rail when the time comes. I still have several sections of benchwork to fabricate before I can visualize the complete layout.

When I was hand laying my turnouts I was building them in place. I guess you could call them a number 5. They weren't as tight as a number 4 but tighter than a number 6. Some are probable an eight or a 10 but that was quite a while ago. In more recent times I have used at least a number 6 on the main line, but in industrial areas, a number 4 actually worked a bit better saving space, but I haven't had any problems at all with derailments.

In this photo you can see how nice the code 70 looks. I think the guy on the right may have had lunch in the local saloon.

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montanan said:
WJLI26 said:
Chet: Prototype rail height was deceiving. For instance PRR used 155 lb stick rail, on heavy traffic - high speed main lines, and in at least one case, an electrified branch with frequent coal trains. The Leigh Valley, used 136 lb Lackawanna, which was as tall as the heavier PRR Rail. Some 125 lb RE and 140 lb appeared identical. Same with the 100 lb and 118 lb rail used on some main lines in the South. So Code 70 is appropriate for more than just branch lines, and industrial districts.

I first tried code 70 back in the '80s. The Model Railroad Shop in Dunnellen, NJ was a convenient stop back then, and they handled the full Shinohara (Lambert) Code 70 line, as well as Micro Engineering weathered flex. Back then, Shinohara still made a #5 switch, in Code 70. Now they offer a #4, a #6, and larger switches, but no #5. ME rail is a PIA to curve, and there is an instructional video that shows an easier way to do it. I may actually try some Shinohara flex rail when the time comes. I still have several sections of benchwork to fabricate before I can visualize the complete layout.

When I was hand laying my turnouts I was building them in place. I guess you could call them a number 5. They weren't as tight as a number 4 but tighter than a number 6. Some are probable an eight or a 10 but that was quite a while ago. In more recent times I have used at least a number 6 on the main line, but in industrial areas, a number 4 actually worked a bit better saving space, but I haven't had any problems at all with derailments.

In this photo you can see how nice the code 70 looks. I think the guy on the right may have had lunch in the local saloon.

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Yes, it certainly appears that way, doesn't it. On my last layout, my industrial extension was all code 70 rail. There were a couple of Shinohara #4 switches serving a steel casting foundry. Worked fine. Just that #5s have a bit more tolerance for 60' flat cars and mill gonds. Compared to code 70, code 83 looks a little clunky, Code 100, real clunky.

Speaking of curvature, I was researching PRR switchers on prr.railfan.net/ and looked at diagrams for ALCo S1 and S2 locomotives. They had a minimum track radius of 50'. Baldwin DS44-1000, and VO1000 locos had a minimum radius of 70'. If I did my math correctly, that translates to 7" and 10" respectively in HO.
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Wifey checked her E-mail and the wheels were sent yesterday, grrrr, oh well got the holder done. It ain't pretty but it should do.
WIN_20151208_222127.JPGIt's assembled but not fastened together yet, I'm thinking of trimming the 1x4's down to 1x3's.
Could not get the brackets with the slots in em so I slotted the wood, the butterflies will allow me to tighten it down and the foam will hold em snug enough to work on em but not so tight it will damage em.
WIN_20151208_222143.JPGI'll be using the high-speed foam covers from the boxes the BLI loco's come in, cut it to size and badda bing!
 
WJLI26 said:
Good morning. 44° and sunny this morning.

David: Thanks for the suggestions. I have not reached that point yet. Uni-track is preformed sectional track, which works very well, for testing to see if an idea works, but not necessarily the ideal way to build a permanent layout. The other downside, is that track components are limited. I'm still planning on using my cache of Micro Engineering Code 70 flex, once I come up with a suitable plan.
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Joe: I think using the Micro Engineering Code 70 flex is a good idea. Many years back, before the name change, I bought Rail Craft weathered
code 70 & 55 and really enjoy the looks of both of them especially with my earlier light weight equipment. I'll have to agree with you about code 70 looking more prototypical, especially if you make it rusty looking or it weathered.

Flex track offers many more advantages over sectional and I'm not even sure about you doing the track planning using sectional other than you can keep a smooth curve to follow, as flex allows you to be so much more creative.


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Good morning, 33°. I'm actually up before sunrise, this morning. Lot of pain from arthritis, right now, until the meds kick in.

David: First of all, I like your scene with the hand car. The broken weathered tie ends really make the scene. Of course, it helps when the track is hand laid.

Building a model railroad is all about compromise. I have attempted to use both published plans and planning software in the past without much success. At best they are approximations.

I find that using sectional track useful in planning out what I want, and seeing if the idea is viable. It also gives me the ability to run trains before I have track down. Once I migrate to flex, I will have to re-plot the curves. But that is really a minor technicality, especially as once I'm set on the plan, I will build and add scenery, one module at a time.
 
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Guess I'll get the coffee going this morning. Starting the day off with overcast skies and 50 degrees.

Here another photo of a project that is over 20 years old. Jeeze, most of my stuff is old, just like me.

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Good Morning All. Clear and 42 degrees here this morning. It's warmer in Montana than it is here, what's up with that???
montanan - Another great picture of another great scene.
David - Nice work on that track and the rest of the scene.
new guy - I like your holder. It is more sophisticated than mine which is just a U-shaped piece of packing foam that doesn't allow for clamping. Depending on the thickness of the foam on the bottom, you will probably go down to 1" x 2" for the sides to allow more room for your hands. My sides are only 1.75".
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Well today is another trek to the big city of Denton 25 miles away, to pick up a chimney rain cap that I ordered for our wood-burning stove (my only source of heat); get a haircut, visit the vitamin store and of course the beer store! Too bad the LHS there is now closed or I would have included it on the trip.
Willie
 


Good morning .....

Joe ... I'm wondering about what you called adventures you has with the PC movable bridge.

Curt ... You mentioned traffic would have been a problem. It was a long detour from here to the other side of the lakes. A trip that normally was 30 minutes took about 75 minutes instead. Meanwhile, there was hardly any traffic on the highway here.

Chet ..... I like your BL2 photo. The scene with the auto shop is outstanding.

Willie ... Looks like you have plenty of room for your layout.
 
G'day all! Got the wheels in the mail moments ago. I'll be busy for a while, have a great day out there!
images69GWMLBD.jpgI just might be able to model this, a little superglue and a bag of a hundred people, maybe two bags, and a.. what the heck kinda loco IS under there, would it matter?
 
Good morning, America! It's 40° and sunny with temperatures headed to the mid to upper 50's today and to the lower 60's tomorrow! I'm loving it!

Willie, our son and daughter-in-law lived in Denton for about five years. My wife and I really liked Denton and the surrounding area. We especially miss Babe's and Beth Marie's!
 
Good morning troops! Another beautiful day in the State of Commiefornia where it was a scorcher of 91 degrees yesterday.
I was helping my neighbor build a patio cover and it was hot. We will be on this job for the next several days. I was not able to hold out any longer than about 3 hours. Sure don't have it left in me anymore. Climbing up a ladder and using scaffolding for painting got old in a hurry. On a good note .. I am feeling better and stronger with each passing day .. so happy to be off that chemo.

Chet Your photos and modeling just simply are marvelous! (except for that BL-2, they just don't make enough lipstick to cover up that pig .. lol)

Curt Your tunnel and bridge addition really worked out well as far as giving you a very nice photo opt. Those Pennsy locos really make a statement .. as the Pennsy always did.

David The trackside photo with the handcar is great. It's simple, but very eye catching and the "trackside" shot makes the details really stand out.

GarryIf I did not compliment you on the stock trailer, I do so now .. OUTSTANDING!

Everyone Else Keep on railing! Not trying to exclude anyone .. just cannot remember all that I should acknowledge.

Better run .. have more Christmas lights to place outside, and a patio cover to build. Too much all at once with party's to attend ... and right now I am looking for the Advil bottle!
 
Sherrel ... Thanks .... I still have not ordered the tractor for the trailer.

Daivd in CA.... I like the hand car and the old looking track .. Nice !
 


GarryCBQ said:
NG ... Is that a people mover ? :D
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LOL! Sure looks like it's moving some people! That shot must have been taken in 'Gottalottapoor' or some such exotic location.

Ya couldn't get away with such common sense (yet dangerous) practices here! Talk about personal responsibility! THAT is the ultimate! 'Personally' holding on for your very LIFE!


No matter how happy I may be to be taking this next step, the addition of metal wheels alone will of course not be the total fix, some kind of lubricating element will be needed even after I get into metal trucks, which seems inevitable. 'Gun oil' (big shock) is my most available solution in the short term. I seem to have enough of THAT! Weight is also very important in my estimation. Those little 1/4? gram lead weights with the sticky backing look neat and easy to apply. Boxcars would be easy, just remove the shell and put em on the deck. Tankers though, it would be hard to hide em on, I was thinking just drill a hole or cut the lid off and glue it back on to put sand or caulk or glue or something in the tankers to bring em up to weight.
 
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