Running Bear's Coffee Shoppe LIX

[new guy]

Afternoon All,

It was a little like Christmas today. I received my order from Micro-Mark and the T/O's I ordered came in. I did a fitting and decided how I am going to do the turnouts for the coal mine (picture). Since I got the needed car cards in I finished filling those out, mounted and labeled boxes. I was talking about removing my coal trestle on a non-PRR modeling site and a suggestion was to keep the trestle but add a oil side of the business since I model the transition era. The more I think of that the more I like the idea. If I remove 2 small stand alone buildings it will work.

Karl- My phone is hit and miss for notifications.

Garry- Great mill area. No, you did not offend me. After 21 years in the Navy and 13 years in EMS I have a pretty thick skin. I also know you and others are trying to help and not being butt heads. When someone is that way to me they meet the Senior Chief!

WJLI26- I hate it when reality intrudes on our MRR dreams and plans. LOL.

Chet- Amazing videos. The farm equipment animations are works of art.

LASM/Burlington Bob- Sounds like fun watching the grandkids playing sports.

I hope everyone has a good night.

LOOKING GOOD! I like what you are doing. I'll not be doing much posting for a while, got some work to do and I did not want y'all to think I done keeled over!

I don't have to say it. Y'all KNOW it!

 

[rhoward]

Hi Chet!

Pete was a member of the NMRA Master Builders award

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I believe this is referring to R. P. Ellis, MMR? I am the current Superintendent of my Division in the NMRA and am also working the Achievement Program or AP. AFAIK there is no such thing as "The NMRA Master Builders Award". There are several Master Builder Certificates though. I have earned Master Builder Scenery and am currently working on Master Builder Structures. But that doesn't make me a member of anything.....

I believe the Museum has the listing incorrect as if I am right they are talking about R. P. "Pete" Ellis, MMR which stands for Master Model Railroader. That is the highest honor that can be earned in the NMRA! Most likely whoever wrote that is not familiar with MMR. Would hope that it can be corrected on the website, as R. P. Ellis is Master Model Railroader #263 and should be honored correctly as such!

Thanks,
Ray (needing two more certificates to reach Master Model Railroader) Howard

 

[montanan]

I was referring to what the club had posted. I knew Pete for years and was totally amazed at what he was able to accomplish during the time period that he built the layout. So many of the structures we scratched built because most of the kits we have today were not available back then. Many structures were built to fit into the scenery he created. I had noticed some awards he had on display but never paid much attention to them. I was too busy operating on the layout.

You may want to contact the club and advise them. I have been out of contact with the club for years.

 

[Flip]

Chet- Thanks for the links.

Curt- Don't know if you where ever a "C O B" but I do know you are "C O C" [ chief of construction.] Good luck,take your time

Phil

 

[BigE]

Went to our middle granddaughter's volley ball game last night. Their name is the Bombers but I call them the Clock Cleaners! She's #3, in the seventh grade and loves volley ball and we love her!View attachment 55297

I LOVE playing volleyball!!!! Until the late 80s I had been a serious player since intermurals in college.
About the time I quit playing regularly (new wife with kids), I was border-line semi-pro playing on a men's AAA power league team. We took 2nd place in the state of GA. At that level it's getting close to Olympic level play. I probably have a half-dozen trophies upstairs from those days. Before moving up to AAA I was captaining a co-ed team. We were always taking 1st or 2nd place. It started getting boring. I started becoming one of the "hitters" and hurt a few people - unintentionally of course. One game I started serving. I finished the game still serving. Made for a super boring match for everyone. That's when I decided I needed to move up for another level of play.
Golly mercy!! One-on-one blocking against a REAL POWER HITTER was an eye opener for me!!! I went home with bruised forearms more than once.
It was ALL good and I miss it dearly.
E.

 

[rhoward]

I was referring to what the club had posted. I knew Pete for years and was totally amazed at what he was able to accomplish during the time period that he built the layout. So many of the structures we scratched built because most of the kits we have today were not available back then. Many structures were built to fit into the scenery he created. I had noticed some awards he had on display but never paid much attention to them. I was too busy operating on the layout.

You may want to contact the club and advise them. I have been out of contact with the club for years.

Chet, sent off an email to them about it.... I did realize you were quoting the website, BTW. Neat site and sounds like a great "Club" and Museum.

Ray

 

[BigE]

I think I want to get this gun paid off and stick back some cash and go back to playing with trains.
I ain't used to this "work" thing.
Personally I think we're making serious "wicked good" progress in the less than two weeks I've worked for this guy. Today he decided we're going to skim-coat the kitchen I stripped the wall paper off of.
Probably a matter of getting used to working with each other as well.
Besides that, I scored two new/used pieces of decent furniture I'd like to have. A grandfather clock (nothing super high dollar) and a nice shelf wall hanging thing I can my shot glasses back in. Don't know where I'll put either but both are too good to pass up.
Wonder if he wants to dump one his HUGE flat screen TVs? Don't know where I'd put it really.
E

 

[Flip]

Well we had one number. HEY- SHERRELL- Was the Cal. winner YOU ?? Hope so.

Goodnight all.
Phil

 

[GarryCBQ]

Good evening ..

Curt ... That looks like it will work. That would be a ladder track which is a series of turnouts facing the same way. It is sued for freight yards.

Regarding Volleyball ... I think I have mentioned one of our daughters did very well in that sport. As a player in high school, she was on a team that was 4th in the state of MI... Later she became a high school volleyball coach and was named HS Coach of the Year in MI. Now, one of the kids she coached is a top player on one of the better teams with a major university.

Happy Model Railroading.

 

[tootnkumin]

At my other club, RMCQ, which I have had the shortest association with and has the all NCE DCC setup, they have now a members forum on their website. The layout includes an upper deck which will allow for almost the same area as the lower deck. The lower deck is double main all the way around. Apart from some necessary modification to one end of a leaving/entering of a port/intermodal trackage, that level is set in stone.
I joined when the framework and plywood decks of both levels were mostly built, all legs and deck supports of lumber for both levels (3"x 1.5" mostly) and a fair amount of track in place on the lower deck. My impression was that the second level was impractically high. I'm 5'10+" (before I became bow-legged) and I would be looking virtually straight at any trains on that level. I mentioned it to one of the members I knew, who had come from my other, longer membership club and was told that's what was decided by the membership vote. I've always thought it would become a problem. There are a good number shorter than me. Well, now they're getting into the laying of trackwork part.

I see someone has started a thread on the forum proposing the lowering of most of the top deck by 3", a now massive undertaking. The proposal includes building the frame for the reconstructed deck from steel. (my view is that it needs to come down at least 4"). I don't think it will get off the ground, even though it's what it should have been in the first place. As it stands (literally)I think it will be a waste of space to many. I have also become somewhat disenchanted with the way the current lower level is used, and has become, because of the double main line, a follow the leader, semi race track, on which you dare not stop, especially as some members like to sit at one end on stools and chat, while their trains do their own thing. As I also have a radio Cab and really enjoy and appreciate the freedom that gives, it's rather strange that this club has adopted a "bring your own" aerial stance. Maybe that'll change, don't feel much like waiting for it though. Seem to be content to have the members that want wireless to use their phones and WIFI. I find that too touchy-feely.

My old club's layout, which at the time of my joining the above one and looked as though it would never budge from DC, is now much more attractive to operate on, especially thanks to the determined efforts of 2 or 3 members who wouldn't give up on DCC for it, even though we still only get 1 day and a night each month, dedicated, all layout DCC operation. By their efforts (and becoming committee members) have instigated and brought about that change and trackage improvements that have made the layout much more usable. I wish my situation would allow me to engage more.

Membership comes due in the middle of the year at the RMCQ, I'll be re-evaluating it when I see what happens. It could have been a great layout, ample opportunity for some good grades, but even with this upper deck modification, they're only talking about a 1% grade to match the totally unchangeable part to match up with the modified proposal. MeeeHHH!

 

[bnsf971]

Good morning. It's clear and 29.

 

[bnsf971]

The club I currently belong to is going through a massive redesign/reconstruction of the layout. Over 2/3 was torn down without the membership voting to do that. At least, not specifically. Most of what was torn down needed to go, as someone in the past thought it was a good idea to have the upper level top out at 80" from the floor. Not only did everybody have to carry a ladder around with them to operate their trains, it neccessitated a nearly 6% grade to connect it to the lower level.
Unfortunately, there hasn't been a train run on the remainder of the layout in almost a year and a half. Rebuilding is going excruciatingly slowly...

 

[santafewillie]

Good Morning All.
It's 40 degrees and clear here in North Central Texas this morning. Expect temps in the mid-60's again today and tomorrow. Again yesterday it was too nice outside for me to spend a lot of time in the train shed. I did do some track ballasting before sunrise and will do some more today. I assembled some ground cover supplies and roughly set up some structures to see how it all fits into my vision. Last night I printed off some background structures supplied by a member here, Tomkat.
http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?29507-Background-Flats-You-can-use

Eric - As long as you are getting paid, things can't be too bad.
Chet - Neat thresher. There's a similar one in 1:1 sitting in a field about 1/4 mile south of me. Been there for the entire 35 years I have lived here. If I remember my camera, I'll take a picture of it when I go for my walk today.
Toot - Sounds like an opportunity wasted by some hard-headers. Too bad.
CS3 - That's interesting that their instructions said to cut from side to side when the photo on their website shows the opposite. I am assuming that you are using the Xuron brand.

That's it for now, off to the train shed.
Willie

 

[logandsawman]

Good Morning, 12 above and snowing. Warmest day we have had in a week, seems rather mild. More later.

 

[BigE]

Eric - As long as you are getting paid, things can't be too bad.

Yeah, he pays me every day - in cash.
The mornings are starting to hurt. I'm too old and out of shape for this much physical labor.
Wrastling around with that 14' ladder yesterday put the zap on me.
How I got nailed as the wall paper stripper and master sanding operator .... well sure I know. I'm the cheap $10/hr hired help so I get the nasty work he doesn't want to do. I'd do the same if things were reversed so I don't b..tch much.


Oh yay!! He just called and said he slept in and will be late. NO PROBLEM!!!

As for last night's powerball... once again, I didn't hit a single number at all.
Probably the end of my lottery playing - all two tickets.
E.

 

[montanan]

Good morning. Maybe we'll be sending some warmer weather to you Dave. 34 degrees this morning.

Didn't win the lottery last night, but then I didn't bother buying a ticket either.

 

[BigE]

Note to self: do NOT turn the heaters off when you're gone.
It was dam cold in here when I came in yesterday evening. About 62° when I walked in.
E.

 

[GarryCBQ]

Good morning ....

Chet ... The thresher is interesting. The layout at the museum loos great. Glad it was preserved.

I'll show more of my steel mill. It is based on the Walthers steel mill kits. I modified each of mine. First in the steel mill process is the coke oven which bakes coal at a high temperature to make coke.

 

[kbkchooch]

Had to go back to work, no winning ticket, drat!

 

[logandsawman]

Garry--nice looking mill!