Running Bear's Coffee Shop XLVI

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Alan you are absolutely right! It as you that warned me, forgive me. You were right on the money too!
The sad part is I can't blame my age for my bad memory or too much fun in my youth. When I was young my Nanny would tell me over and over "boy you would forget your head if it were not attached!
When I was working I had to keep a notebook with me at all times, I would go through at last 1 a month. I should keep a notebook next to my desk now!

Great pictures of really cool trolleys, thanks for posting them! I would love to hear more about your over head wire system too. Is that review still available? I would like to read that too. Is that an online publication?
 
Model Railroad News in a paper publication, though you may be able to find the article on line. if you can't I may still have a copy of my draft around here that I could e-mail you privately. If I do that I have just one warning: You may not upload it anywhere. Officially MRN owns the article after they publish it, and copyright law being what it, is I prefer to err on the side of caution!

My own traction layout is in the bench work stage at the moment but the overhead wire system I will use can be found here:

http://www.trolleyville.com/school.shtml Lesson 1 is what you want!

Traction layouts get wire last for understandable reasons, but the instructions at Trolleyville are pretty easy to follow!
 
By Montanan;

Burlington Bob must be nuts to work out in that cold, but I guess people will do just about anything for money.
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I've been told that I wasn't quite right before! The key words are "just about anything".:)


That's a great view from your house..............I bet it looks a whole lot better in the summer, though!
 


Yes it does. Even early fall looks better. I have had to work in temps like that, but I had to do it for free to get out to the highway. I'm getting too old for this. Is it April yet ???

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Alan ... That is quite an impressive group of traction models. .... I like the look of Peter Witt trolleys, but the Bachmann mechanism is too flimsy. Electrical pick up from the trucks is a problem too with the little bronze contacts sometimes failing to make a connection. I have heard of installing a Bowser mechanism inside the Bachmann Pete Witt cars, but have not seen it. .... I like the look of Peter Witt cars instead of PCC.
 
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I have a Stewart U25b shell, an Atlas RS3 frame and trucks, a. Bowser motor and flywheels, and a TCS motor decoder. I'll put it all in a blender, and see what comes out.
 
I remember, as a child, being fascinated by the "end of tracks" of trolley lines. Maybe because of being laid down the centre of streets, there were no stops to prevent the trams overshooting and rolling off.
One in particular, in the city, was at the end of a "Y" turnaround and the road a few yards on, then plunged down a long steep hill. There were marks in the asphalt pavement that showed some had misjudged the stopping distance or maybe had squeezed in another tram onto the short bottom of the Y.
 
Afternoon All,

Had a reverse loop power issue today in one 2 ft section. I finally figured out it was a loose joiner. I don't solder the side that goes on turnouts for easier removal. This is the first time I have had a issue with it on the layout (4 years). I compressed them and that fixed the problem. I received my Polaroid Cube on Friday and I have to say I am impressed with it. I shot a video with it today which I am posting. I am embarrassed by my wavy track. I can't seem to lay straight track for anything!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-T4OCqhQPI&list=UUNYo_L0PLbmO2iF1bhAFQ3A

Alan- Very nice collection of Trolleys. The brass one almost looks like a very old PRR switcher (I believe around 1900) that actually had rubber tires on it!

Montana- Beautiful scenery. I have never lived in the mountains, so they always remind me of vacation.

I hope everyone has a good day.
 
Good afternoon folks.

It's still cold....

Anywho, I started unpacking my Walthers brewery kit. Man is that thing big! I'm pretty excited to build a kit since I haven't done that for almost two years. It reminds me that building structure kits is my favorite part of this thing they call model railroading. The brewery should make a nice anchor on the right side of Mankato. The real brewery was a few miles northwest of downtown but I 'd have to build it somewhere out in my back yard for it to be correct! Now I just have to figure out what parts get spray painted and what parts are hand painted. Exciting times my friends!

That's all I have.:D
 


Curt- As usual , well done. Enjoyed the trip.

Alan-- Tried to send you a pm. Have an E with bunch of SP o-6-o engines from different shops. If interested, would need your E to send it.

Flip
 
Garry, I am a closet trolley fan too! I used to have a beautiful kitbashed replica of a Hagerstown & Frederick car #171, until it got stolen off of my one club display that replicated Thurmont MD. This is where the H&F used to hand off passengers to the Western Maryland. Here's an old photo of the scene, with a dummy Bachmann brill trolley standing in for the one that was stolen. I still have the scratchbuilt poles, plus a hoard of Suydam single and dual arm poles. Someday, I'll get my Bowser trolleys back out.

The H&F will rise again!

Eastbound freight passing Thurmont.jpg

Here's the real 71, leaving Thurmont, with a WM RPO in the backround

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GarryCBQ said:
Alan ... That is quite an impressive group of traction models. .... I like the look of Peter Witt trolleys, but the Bachmann mechanism is too flimsy. Electrical pick up from the trucks is a problem too with the little bronze contacts sometimes failing to make a connection. I have heard of installing a Bowser mechanism inside the Bachmann Pete Witt cars, but have not seen it. .... I like the look of Peter Witt cars instead of PCC.
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And from PRR Modeler: "Alan- Very nice collection of Trolleys. The brass one almost looks like a very old PRR switcher (I believe around 1900) that actually had rubber tires on it!

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed the photos. The Pacific electric cars, the big Sacramento Northern car, and the red Chicago Surface Lines car are all old brass models that have been upgraded with can motors, DCC, and given updated trolley poles. All were painted and lettered by me.

I have not had any issues with my lone Peter Witt car, though it doesn't have a lot of time on it either. I have not heard of anyone putting the Bowswer PCC mechnism under a Witt car, though Bowser does make components and I suppose it would be possible. You can see what is available here: http://www.customtraxx.com/

From the home page, click on "Our current catalog, then click on "V - Other Traction Products" The correct side frames are probably going to be the key! I don't know that the PCC car floor would adapt to the Witt body so you would probably end up doing some surgery!
 
Evening, all!
Never got above minus 6f today. Sun was out just to tease us. The wind left no doubt about the cold.
Nice video, Curt! Cab rides are FUN, aren't they!?! I didn't think your track was all that bad.

I am moving closer to hosting a "real" ops session. Up til now I've had the grandson and a friend's 2 boys over to run through the planned session a number of times, and had friends over to run shake-down sessions. That pointed out track, rolling stock and other issues that I've tried to address. So lately I've been running the heck out of the system and the planned sequence of trains. At one time I had Spooner Yard so jammed nothing could move. That forced me to adjust the sequence order.
The 6 friends who'll be coming ( I hope before February): The guy who installs decoders for me, and his father.They are the Prez and Vice Prez of the not-so-local Barron County MRR Club. A retired C&NW Engineer and a retired C&NW Conductor. They're both good buddies and last toured the layout about 3 years age. They BOTH operated 1:1 trains on the ROW I model, now a ATV/ snowmobile trail.( these are the 2 guys who KNOW what they're looking at). And 2 buddies who aren't into trains but really want to participate in this after visiting a couple months back. Can't say no to that kind of enthusiasm!
It's going to be cold all week, so I should be able to get a lot more Murphys located. Seems it'll run great with no problems for weeks and then some quirk shows up where there was none!

Looks like the Packers play dallas next Sunday. Glad detroit got beat. they kinda play a little... how can I put it?,,,,,,cheap.

That's about it and here's another vid of train chasin"!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8bI5EGlHSE

Terry in NW Wisconsin
 


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Good Morning! Today is Mon 1/5/15.

High of 18 with snow later. Trying to stay warm today.

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Temperature in TIPTON IN



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IN MEMORIAM - JEFFREY WIMBERLY​
 
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