Running Bear's February 2022 Coffee Shop

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Hello all! Checking in now before leaving for another night of the Dracula overnight shift at work. Gotta leave in about an hour. Last night went pretty well but I was dragging pretty bad by the last hour or so. Didn't sleep as long today as I'd hoped so I'm hoping tonight goes well. So much work to get done and they of course didn't bother to schedule enough people overnight to really accomplish all that needs done. I'll be so glad when I don't work there anymore. Less than a month to go!

Weather has been very warm the last few days. Supposed to start getting cold again tonight and a chance of snow and sleet tomorrow night and Thursday. Hoping the roads won't be too bad coming home Thursday morning from work.

Hope you all have had a great day!
 


Well I figure a post before bed wouldn't hurt. Sent my DB150 out to Digitrax today. Now begins the wait game. In the meantime I've begun sorting through all the little projects I have at hand. Brought out the Chessie paint tonight. Gave my Athearn locomotives a go. They definitely need a service. Given it's been quite some time since they have had any real rail time. One of my new proto 2000 GP7s is giving me fits! I changed out the axle gears for obvious reasons. Cleaned the rest of the running gears. Lubricated them. Made sure they were free rolling. Gauged out the wheels. They still run like crap. They have no slow speed control. Shoot they won't even move unless I give a good deal of throttle. Then ofcourse they run wide open. They seem to bind up at low throttle. No idea what's going on with them. In the layout planning realm. Why is all the track gone? Is there a shortage of that too? When you find it though. It's really expensive!!! Perhaps I should pass on sectional track and go full on flex track. I can score it at the LHS for $4.99 a piece. Used to be $3.99. Changing of the times I suppose. The LHS has plenty of those in stock. I have had good results with it on my current layout. Most warped areas are my turnouts and sectional areas anyways. Well at least the ones that give me fits. That's all I have for now. I'll stop by again when I get a chance. Hope everyone has a good night.
 
Morning All

Despite my early (non) start yesterday, had a reasonable day, The GP-18 axle change that went well, till it developed a short somewhere when I tried to run it ???? Several hours later, still hadn't found the cause (more head scratching) swapped out the board, checked connections, even pulled the motor out, nope, nothing, so no idea, put it all back together before deciding I really need to do stuff I know how to do, and........now working ???????????????????????

Also decided I needed to fit some lights to my Gresley Teak Sleeper Coach, been needing to do that for month's now, no tweaking of the interior yet, still searching for some items that have disappeared into thin air to make it look respectable, also need to fix the roof on this one, so that's gone into my "Painting" line along with most of the hoppers and the Conrail Loco.

gresley.jpg
 
Morning All

Despite my early (non) start yesterday, had a reasonable day, The GP-18 axle change that went well, till it developed a short somewhere when I tried to run it ???? Several hours later, still hadn't found the cause (more head scratching) swapped out the board, checked connections, even pulled the motor out, nope, nothing, so no idea, put it all back together before deciding I really need to do stuff I know how to do, and........now working ???????????????????????
If the axle halves are gauged too narrow, they can touch inside the gear, and short.
 
Morning all,

4° and clear this morning high today of 21°. Supposed to snow overnight and into tomorrow. Expected accumulation of less than 1".

Not much new going on this am. I had a brain fart overnight, so it will be a busy day. Going to see if I can create a better system for backups from some of my no longer used hardware.

BBL
 


Strangely warm this morning for Virginia in Feb. Should be up to 70 this afternoon. Should be back to normal tomorrow with rain and 30 degrees.
This a good thing because I have to finish up putting the new air filter in my Honda Goldwing. Whole thing takes about 10 of dissemble then put it all back together. Got the filter in last night and just ran out of enthusiasm. I'm sure I'll have bolts and washers left over.

Between bouts with the motorcycle, I'm starting to set the railroad up for another op session on 5 March. I have the auto rack facility installed now so it will be open for business by then.
 
Good Morning gang.

60° heading to 37° , overcast (bleh) but at least the bright morning sun is not blinding me at my desk.

DR. visit went as expected, another inner ear infection. Antibiotics again. I seem to get this every 8-10 months. Doc keeps referring to having tubes put into my ears to keep them open. I keep saying nope. 3 of the boys had them when they were babies, nope, not me!

Justin. Are the bearings on each side of the axle gears loose? If its tight it can cause high power draw. Easy to mess up on Proto and Athearn drives.

BBL
 
If the axle halves are gauged too narrow, they can touch inside the gear, and short.
Yeah that's what I thought too, but still had the short after I took them back out. It's difficult to get the gauge right without the right tools, my B2B is for OO scale, but seems to work ok. Problem I find is that no one makes a tool that will fit over the gear, so the wheel flanges are equidistant from the center of the axle, or if there is I haven't found it.
The NMRA gauge and other B2B's do the job but when you have a center gear on the axle it makes sense for it to be that, in the center, otherwise you could well end up replacing the gear because it has too much wear on one side of the teeth
 
Good Morning All, again. Cloudy and 22°, the freezing drizzle moved north into Oklahoma but it was enough to deposit a layer of ice on everything outside. This was expected to happen, although not as early as it did. I did move a two-day supply of firewood inside yesterday to keep it dry. Being retired, it's always great to get up in the morning and not have to be somewhere!:) I had a few lengthy but safe drives to work in my life.

That rain Monday night was enough at some time to add water to my pond out back of the train shed. It has been bone-dry empty since last spring and is now about 75% full.
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Thanks as always for the comments and reactions regarding yesterday's post; Karl, Smudge, Paul, Sherrel, Chad, James, Gary, Patrick, Hughie, Joe, Tom, Louis, Curt, Tom O, OB Ken, Justin, Guy, George.

Another mundane day in the train shed yesterday. But I would rather have a bad day in the train shed than a good day at work anytime. I did get a lot of smallish areas covered with ground foam between previously completed scenes. I also spent about a half hour with the shop-vac and a broom tidying up the floor. A somewhat unpleasant task because I have to wear hearing protection when I operate that monster. So I don't really have any new pictures today and I'll dig something out of the archives.
How about a before and after sequence of the Maultown Industrial District that graces a turn-around peninsula on the upper deck.
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It's not all complete yet but it's on the project list.

Paul - Best wishes on your recovery. Regarding the hardware store, I actually intend to add a couple more figures, female this time. I am a big believer in using figures to "set the scene".
Karl - I was considering removing the dog from the front of the hardware store, but after looking at the picture posted yesterday, I have decided to leave it.
Troy -
Who wants to volunteer to be a character.
Regarding your next book, I'll volunteer Sherrel's name. You'll have to add curmudgeon to your list of characters though. Seriously though, feel free to add me as a train-playing, gardening, horny old bastard from the boonies.
Patrick -
Willie: Don't blame me! Guy didn't shut the door in Canada!!!
You know, Guy likes this stuff, he wouldn't intentionally let it get away!;)
Curt - Driving those new tractors is easy, technically they can be considered "self-driving" once the operator sets everything correctly. At least that's what the operators that I have talked to indicate.
The color that I used on the sidewalk was Polly Scale Concrete. About a year ago, I discovered an unopened bottle that I purchased over ten years ago.
IMG_0447.JPG

Steve J - Man, that 1 1/2" clearance on a curve is living dangerously. Overhang will get you when least expected.
OB Ken - That insurance thing still seems fishy to me. Will they be pro-rating your payment to match the coverage???

As I am writing this, it has started sleeting. So what's the difference between sleet and freezing rain? Sleet is rain that freezes before it hits the ground and looks like small ice pellets, while freezing rain freezes after it hits the ground and forms a sheet of ice. Decidedly more dangerous but neither is desirable.
Everyone have a great day and stay warm and safe.
 
Sherrel- Glad to see you posting. Would an angled foam pad in bed that elevates your chest and head help with your breathing?
Tks, CURT - The breathing issue is a result of the signals from the heart saying that it is not getting O2 as needed - causing hyperventilation.
At this time the meds slowing down the heart seem to be working and the breathing is normal - PTL!
 
Good morning Crew. Yesterday’s ice event had some interesting segments within it. 1/2” hail that the TV weather guy said while it did some car, sidings and roof damages there was so much it helped traction on the roads. We had thunder sleet that shook the house a few times and the house is dug 60’ into a hill with 10’ of dirt on top of the roof. The rainstorm with thunder was kind of exciting. You literally could see the snow washing away only to return with the late afternoon snowfall. I definitely am looking forward to the trip to Austin from 3/15 to 4/15, I could use the natural light and warmth. Currently 7f degrees but the feeling is -9. It still is Winter.

I finished weathering a Reefer yesterday. I wasn’t 100% satisfied but the comments I was getting online as I weathered it at HO Shelf Modelers seemed to indicate I was wrong. So, I put it online for sale. Almost an hour later and it is on the way to New York.

I have a check up appointment at the surgeon‘s office who operated 2.5 weeks ago on me. I feel good and that is what he will ask me and then say all looks good. That will be it with him. On the way home I come close to the LHS and I feel a stop just might happen!

Next doctor appointment is the Endocrinologist on March 3rd. I am thinking this maybe a good meeting. The Continous Glucose Monitor (GCM) I am wearing has really made apparent how what I eat effects the blood glucose levels. Too bad it is only temporary as the Insurance company will not pay for it as I am not insulin dependent. I am on a 14 weeks program that has changed many things for the better in my life.

Be safe but enjoy your day
TomO

the sample from Railpictures.net
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The weathered model, just 2 of many pictures of thisto be deleted. I will pick one picture to save but the car is gone
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133F417D-598B-48B8-9628-EF682B32A3AE.jpeg
 


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