Running Bear's December 2025 Coffee Shop

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howdi coffee friends

i have a question. i saw on some of the railroad pictures from the US/Canada that there are tiles marked with yellow or white.
i guess thats for the drivers so they know where to stop with cars and loads? so if i would like to replicate this on my layout i just have to find the spots, where trains still can pass each other, thats the whole mystery? Or do those tiles have a deeper meaning and need more planing to find the correct spot?

wish you all a great (cold) day.

cheers
Marco
 
Morning all,

21° and clear this morning, high of 45° later. Surprising that with less than .1" of snow, idiots in Wichita managed a 10 car pileup yesterday. Although to be fair, anyone with sense knows to stay off the main elevated roadways as they seem to have their own weather sometimes.

off today and I'll be back later.
 
howdi coffee friends

i have a question. i saw on some of the railroad pictures from the US/Canada that there are tiles marked with yellow or white.
i guess thats for the drivers so they know where to stop with cars and loads? so if i would like to replicate this on my layout i just have to find the spots, where trains still can pass each other, thats the whole mystery? Or do those tiles have a deeper meaning and need more planing to find the correct spot?

wish you all a great (cold) day.

cheers
Marco
I'm not quite understanding the question. Where are these tiles located?
 


It's almost 9:30pm here in Yokohama. We git checked in for our one night at the Hilton (thanks Hilton points) and went to find a late lunch. My son wanted Kanagawa style curry so he found a place on the map and we wandered around looking for it for a short while. We found it. It's called Go!Go! Curry or something like that. It was pretty good. It's thicker and very dark and quite tasty.

My son then wanted to go to the harbor to see this pier that juts out into the harbor call Osanbashi pier. It's a major shipping pier and cruise liners dock there up to a certain size. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ōsanbashi_Pier

We took the Minatomirai Line which is a private subway that seems to have been a spin of from Tokyu Railway. The trains are own by the Minatomirai Railway Company but the trains are manned by Tokyu employees but the stations are manned by Minatomirai Railway Co employees except at the. main Yokohama Station, where Tokyu runs their ground operations for them. We took this line to the pier and back.

The pier has this building with a grass roof and the whole non walk way part was lit up with blue lights or blue and white lights and in some places bunches of fake pastel flowers with lights inside. It was very cool. The "Hall" at the end that probably serves the cruise passengers etc had a long gentle sloping walkway (wide -- probably 50 or 70 feet) hat went down to a opening into the building and the sides were stepped like a stadium kind of. They had this really cool and weird light show playing on the whole surface (maybe 200ft - 300ft long by the 30-50ft wide at the top, widening a little as it went down) with music. It's hard to describe. These videos is not mine but shows some of the light show. I'm sure there are better ones:


The whole harbor was synched in to the show at a certain point and lights all along the waterfront, nearby buildings, and a ferris wheel also went on and synched with the music. Also some big searchlight type projecting lights at the top of several of the buildings all shone beams or pulsed beams out over the pier at certain points as well.

This video shows one side of the harbor with the lights on building synched together and with the music on the pier:

(This is not the show we saw as it's 4 year old video but it shows the effect -- but they have added more rights along the waterfront itself and probably on more buildings -- our music was more upbeat and the lights more "energetic")


Actually I just found this video and this is more like what we saw. It is the whole thing -- projection mapping on the ground I mentioned above plus all the lights on the buildings


After we were done there we went backon the same line to the main Yokohama station and my wanted to get some shoes so we went to ABC-Mart (not the same one as in Hawaii) and he got the shoes and we went back to the hotel, tired and ready for the new day. Tomorrow we move to Tokyo and my sone has a few things planned for us.

Here are a few random still shots I took in Yokohama. My son has the better phone camera so I am letting him take most of the photos and he'll pass them on to me later.

Our hotel is by the Nissan World HQ. In fact we learned once we got to the hotel that the main way to get to the station from the hotel is a walkway that. passes right through the buildings second floor and a raised walkway on both sides.

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This is that Minatomirai Line train we took to the pier.

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Someone is getting married. A photographer had the whole space set up with flash and stuff but it was mostly in the dark and I got this cool silhouete image. It was cooler in real life

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We passed by this church on the way to the pier. I read the sign on the way back. "Church of Christ in Japan -- Reformed and Presbyterian"

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I'll put up some more pics after I get the better ones from my son.
 
Good morning. I was out shoveling at 6:10 this morning as the predicted 1” and possibly 2 might have been 1/2”. But the Northside of the house has the driveway so I first started with the leaf blower. Too slow, so grabbed the shovel, did the driveway, then the apron between the curb and sidewalk and the 310’ of sidewalk on my corner lot.

I’m being picked up in 35 minutes. Heading to a layout build session. 2 of us were asked to bring our impact drills so the final piece of this puzzle on the concrete wall is getting done today. It’s a 70’ wall and will hold 3 decks. The 3 crews of 2 all with impact drills will make for a noisy session. Every hole to be drilled every 16” is marked per the owner. Mine is a DeWalt driver and is corded so there will be no loss of power while drilling. Tapcons are the fasteners

Be well
 
Good morning.

23°F here with a light dusting of dry snow overnight. Right on time. Just enough to cover everything, but not enough to shovel.

I'm thinking of installing my old platform lighting I used when Michaelstadt was in business. Now that Schwarzberg is operating, it's been a bit dark on the platform at night. We don't want anyone falling off of the platform at night. I hate working upside down under the layout, but there is plenty of room to do so.

I check my enthusiasm level after lunch and see if it's going to happen.

Have a safe day everyone. Servus!
 
Good Morning All. Whoa! It's clear and 24° out there, quite cold for this time of year. A lot colder than the weather geeks had predicted. Warm up begins today with the high forecast to be 50°, yesterday it never got above 38°. Tomorrow in the low-60's then we repeat the cycle. But, no snow to shovel!

As I posted yesterday, it was a pretty much wasted day, made worse because I didn't think to bring my BP medications along with me to jury duty. The whole day ended up out of sync especially when I didn't have lunch until 2:00. Wife had to keep the fire going in the heater, but she didn't bring in any firewood. Not a real issue with her keeping it going, as she had to do that for years as a stay at home Mom. But since I overstocked on Sunday, I only had to make two trips yesterday to catch up. I am though, beginning to think about a plan for the future. At 73 years old and having cut and stacked firewood for 45 years, I am having to think about an alternative heating scheme. Yes, we have several small 1500 watt electric space heaters that we use occasionally to avoid using the wood-burner for those simple overnight only times; but they really aren't adequate enough for whole house heating. One option besides a heat pump is using an existing 240v 30a A/C circuit for a 240v heater which will put out 7200 watts. 1500 watts is the maximum for a 120v circuit regardless of wire size. A central heat pump will require ducts and wiring, making it much more expensive and labor intensive to install.
So much for that, it's food for future thought.

Regarding my jury duty yesterday: The summons called for a business casual dress code. It appears that in my county, I am not the only male who considers blue jeans as business casual. Most of the other males wore them, some even wearing overalls! And flannel shirts also seem to qualify as they were abundant. Cell phones were permitted as long as you turned the sound off. A couple of guys had to be reminded to take their tractor hats off upon entering. There was a sign outside specifying that and a Sheriff's deputy inside to remind those who didn't see the sign.

Hoping to get back into a somewhat more normal routine today, after the holidays and everything else. Next week is a medical week with a routine yearly visit to the EN&T doctor on Monday, a pre-op session at the hospital on Wednesday and the heart ablation surgery on Thursday. Plus I begin the week on Sunday with a birthday party for my granddaughter who turns 11.

Out in the train shed yesterday, I remained in the figures mode and ran some more trains. I added figures to the recent Downtown Deco Addams Ave part 3 kit.
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Mike - Yes, there are times that time seems to go faster as you get older. But there are also many instances where it seems to go slower...like when you are recovering from aches and pains.
Boogietrain - I don't have to wait until December to play Trans Siberian Orchestra or any other holiday related music. It comes up on the random mode on my iPod which has 6000 songs on it. Heck, I also play Monster Mash or Addams Family Theme frequently out of the Halloween season.
Chad - Regarding the toilet seat cleaning station picture that you posted: The sign has English as the most prominent language on it. What does that tell you? Maybe it's because the Japanese people already know what they're for?

Bassist Rick Savage of Def Leppard is 65 today.
Everyone have a great Tuesday.
 
@santafewillie hmm cant find a picture right now. but i think i remember that i have seen marked tiles of railroad tracks. right before a turnout. but maybe i just mix something up. but i had in mind that there are on some railroads markings so the workers know where to stop with the cars so that another train can pass without touching them.

but yeah maybe i mix up something, or did see it just on a modelrailroad layout where the user did it for him self. iam not shure xD
 
Good morning, Everyone!

We just got home before the cold rain began. I'd rather work in snow then rain at near freezing temperatures.
There's a reason the rest of the Midwest is happy to not be OH, but we don't talk about that.
I once spent three days in Akron Ohio. It was sunny and pleasant every day. The locals told me it was unusual. Normally if it is not raining it is grey and overcast.
I was out shoveling at 6:10 this morning as the predicted 1” and possibly 2 might have been 1/2”. But the Northside of the house has the driveway so I first started with the leaf blower. Too slow, so grabbed the shovel, did the driveway, then the apron between the curb and sidewalk and the 310’ of sidewalk on my corner lot.

I’m being picked up in 35 minutes. Heading to a layout build session. 2 of us were asked to bring our impact drills so the final piece of this puzzle on the concrete wall is getting done today. It’s a 70’ wall and will hold 3 decks. The 3 crews of 2 all with impact drills will make for a noisy session. Every hole to be drilled every 16” is marked per the owner. Mine is a DeWalt driver and is corded so there will be no loss of power while drilling.
Thay is some serious work, well done! I'm a corded tool guy; the downside is no breaks to change or charge batteries.

Now I'm going to enjoy two little pieces for fruitcake, one dark, one regular, and another hot cup of coffee. I have to have two pieces of fruitcake; I'm trying to decide which I like better. That is my story, and I am sticking to it!

Enjoy your day Everyone!
 
Chad - Regarding the toilet seat cleaning station picture that you posted: The sign has English as the most prominent language on it. What does that tell you? Maybe it's because the Japanese people already know what they're for?
At least they had a sign. Many I’ve seen, don’t.

But I think you’re right. That sort of thing is not common in the western world. It’s a good idea though.

Japanese public bathrooms are interesting. I’ll see if I can sneak a few pics.
 


Good morning all!

I was on earlier but got sidetracked with doing the driveway and getting my daughter to school. We never received the forecasted 2-4"
yesterday. It was maybe an inch but still enough to have to do the end of the driveway after the city plows came thru and di a final clean
up from Saturdays and yesterdays snowfall.

A cold damp slightly foggy morning. Currently 18F with a high of only 22F. might see our first 0° temps of the season tonight and dip
into the negatives Thurs morning. Then a warming trend of more normal Dec temps for this area.

I think this was the first year in about 12 or so since I gotten back into model railroading that I didn't spend anything on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Didn't see any good enough sales or incentives to make me purchase anything plus i have reached the point where I don't need much more rolling stock or locos. I figured we would see a huge blow-out sale from several of the vendors. even Scaletrains that usually have pretty good deals on Black Friday had almost no sale at all. I guess with all that's going on they are all doing well still.

Usual household chores today. Laundry, dishwasher etc.....

Not much else going on here.

Have a safe day everyone!
 
Welp, howdy there internet peeps and those waiting on their next jury summons.

It's Troy Again

Dismissed en-masse after two hours of doing laps and waiting, and chatting with other poor souls trapped in the purgatory of the courthouse.

Let's file this one under Dumb-arsed criminals. Judge and her bailiff came down and filled us in on the case since we were being released.

Seems there was ONE trial to happen today. Supposedly a gent built a thing that goes boom! and was plotting to use it.

Defendant had to enter through the same metal detector line as the rest of us. There was a backlog at the sole station, so he's chatting with someone in the"jury line".

AND ADMITS HE MADE THE DEVICE and wished he'd gotten to use it.

He did not realize the gent behind him was a bailiff in one of the other courts. Who then pulled the recipient of the confession aside, and they got a sheriff deputy involved to take their statements. That went to the prosecution who asked for a minor delay while statement were being processed. Judge delayed until the statements were presented to the parties and court.

Defense immediately asked for a continuance of the trial.

My interpretation: Defense attorney was about to ride their client's ass about keeping their mouth shut, and then calling the prosecutor to see how big of penalty his client was now facing for a plea deal.

the nice judge lady told us she'd ask the jury office to mark us all as "showed and waited" or whatever so we go to the bottom of the list for the next two years. Since we weren't seated as a jury, there is no "Get out of Jury Duty" card for us. But, she says we should be last ones called for the next two years.
 
Good morning gang!

They WERE predicting a little snow, then changing to sleet then rain. We got a few dozen flakes, a little sleet, then buckets of rain!
Local schools, 2 hours late because of more ice in the northern part of the county. Just a cold nasty day.

2 years, 1 month and 28 days til I can stay in bed on days like this! I can't wait!!!
 
One more jury story: I have to mention politics, but will refrain from making political statements:

One of the potential jurors looked like he was gearing up to use the old Rush Limbaugh endorsed tactic of "Look as CONSERVATIVE as possible, so the defense won't want you!"

Dude showed up with his red hat with four GIANT letters that are very well known in US politics. He had on a flannel shirt, and flannel coat. I think I saw a political T-shirt under his flannel that was unbuttoned about half-way down. But my line of sight to it was obscured by the book he was carrying.

He was carrying a Bible that was about 4 inches thick. I think he brought his wife or side-chick in with him. He'd occasionally open the book and pull out some commemorative thing and they'd discuss whatever it was. But he was obviously waiting to get called or dismissed as part of the jury pool.

He never paused to crack the book open to actually read it.

I was doing laps of the first floor where the waiting area was. He and his girl were wandering aimlessly, and rarely talking after about the first 30 minutes. I figured that would be a good time to sit and crack the book open, maybe have a bit of study together. Never saw him do that. I had kind of zeroed in on him thinking his tactics were fairly obvious. So I kept watching to see if I could confirm it.

I wanted to go chat with him, and ask if that was his motive. Dress conservative, carry the props, to make himself unappealing to a defense counsel? But, I really didn't want to discuss politics there. So I avoided that conversation.

However, if I had talked to him, I would have told him about the time I reported to jury pool carrying a Rush Limbaugh book. The blue one with his face and name really large on the cover. They won't pick me because of that. Right?

The attorneys are wise to such pathetic attempts to dodge.

They care about: Do you qualify, or do you not?

The attorneys don't really care about your politics. Despite carrying El-Rushbo into the courthouse back then, I got seated on that jury and served 8 days.

This time I stuck with my N-Scale magazine, and Model Railroad Craftsman magazine for reading materials. That will be about as impactful as any political or religious book. As in, not at all.

Pity this one didn't go to trial, the case of bomb-mouth sounded like it would have been an interesting experience.
 
Good Morning All!
30F @ 83% snow off and on. Have accumulated about 3" so far. Supposed to have more through Friday, then snow/rain mix.

Not much today, HoneyDu list is not empty, but waiting for warmer temps ( think Spring ) to get those parts done. Well, unless it gets to 45F sometime.

Track plan is continuing, have been fuss'n with a Passenger Station - Ya, you know me - making it too complicated. I finally figured out that there just is not room for cutting a sleeper out of the train using the Station Switcher. So, junked all of that and started to KISS. Might have space for a RiP track. Now which ever comes in ( East or West bound ) will need to cut that car out as part of the stop and leave it somewhere handy; not fouling anything of which the Switcher can deal with. No way to turn the complete car around, so swivel seats are mandatory. I have a pix of the Ellensburg NP Station that just needs to be modeled, but it is huge, so need to consolidate that and make it fit. It currently looks to need about 6' for HO Scale and I have 3'ish. Knew I could not run 8/10 car 'North Coast Limited' or 'Empire Builders'.... well I guess I could, trains would have to do multiple stops depending on passenger locations. Hmm, they do that in Libby now.... It is amazing what you can not do with #8 turnouts and keep things compressed!

L8r
 
Afternoon all,

Afternoon off, kinda. Wife had a cataract procedure this morning, and now we're home.

Paid the first half of the property taxes on the house this morning. I get to keep and earn a few pennies on the second half before they get it. Could pay it in full, but why?

Unlike Karl, I'm intending to work 3 years and a couple weeks longer (he's only a couple of weeks older). My plan is to hit 67, draw full Social Security and bank every penny of it, while continuing working for the city. I figure that's an additional $100+ thousand to add to my nest egg.
All of it currently untaxable by the state, and hoping it becomes non-taxed before I start drawing (I know, good luck with that).

David (NorthBrit): I'm too busy now on my time off, let alone when I retire.
 


I'm back from the dermatologist for a photodynamic therapy session. Face covered in activating gel, then 1 hour under the blue light to fry any precancerous cells on my face. They told me that the areas I feel pain were problem areas. Fortunately it's only from the left temple up to about my hair line, but I'm expecting my whole facial epidermis to slough off in a week or two. I also need to stay in the dark for 48 hours. Perfect timing😕 since we're flying down to the Bay Area Saturday for my BIL's celebration of life. I found the Blue Lizard sunscreen, on Amazon, that the dermatologist said to use. He said BL is the only stuff that actually works.

Better a little discomfort and inconvenience now than another carcinoma.
 
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