Running Bear's February 2023 Coffee Shop

[TLOC]

Well, howdy there internet peeps. And those who know what "The push of pike" means.

I didn't... now I know

Took the Sis in Law and her roomie out for Mexican last night. SIL's bday. Wife and her sis talked most about their middle sibbling (also a sis) who might be moving back from San Antonio. That sis's live in boyfriend left his job as a jet mechanic, and is interviewing up here in West Lafayette, home of Purdue Univ.'s aviation program. So, even if this position isn't with the univ. it's in GE's umbrella of support around the university.

IF they do move back here to Indiana, wife and local sis are both plotting how much they can get middle sis involved in Mom care. She'll be two hours away IF the move happens, but the girls are ready to bring the other sis in. Whether she wants to help or not.

Also, the two started discussing our daughter (turning 30 this year) and her live in... we're waiting on someone to pop the question. BUT, that didn't stop the girls from planning the daughter's wedding at the planned family gathering here at our condo's clubhouse this summer.

I texted daughter to warn her. All she said was "Well, I hope we're engaged by then..."

Part of the daughter/wedding issue is our daughter has a large budget and thought mom and dad were going to cover it. We keep reminding her that the wedding money went into the down payment on her condo. We dropped enough that she was over the 20% down she needed, and closing costs. Back then it sounded great to her. Now she's been watching too many TV shows and wants what she sees on TV.

As for me, I just nod and say "Yes, dear" to whatever the wife says.

BUT, what about this push of Pike?
View attachment 162178

Well, my favorite game company is coming out with 13.5mm (about 1:120 scale) Pike and Shotte figures for their game system of the same name. They're targeting the 30 Years War, or the English Civil War from the 1600s.

Growing up in the American Education System, I know NOTHING (insert Sgt Schultz voice) about those two conflicts. BUT, the game looks like it's going to join my growing pile of shame.

I know the game is between popular scales in model railroading but is close to TT scale... Does anyone know if they make the scale to run on Nscale track, or is it an entirely new system to convert over? Cause I'd love to set up some gaming scenes on the railroad. Converting several hundred $$ in track and turnouts to TT scale, if I can find any, not to mention converting the limited rolling stock and engines...

Oh, well, probably a pipe dream. If I can find the STLs to 3d Print, I can downscale to Nscale easily. It's just more figures to paint up.

When the son decided he needed a house finally we told him since he wasn’t married we would give him what we spent on his sister’s wedding. But if he gets married, he’ll get a gift, just not a huge one. He had 25% down already he had saved but our contribution pushed him over 40% allowing him to still buy a dump in the Austin real estate market but a bigger and nicer dump. 4 years later he made a killing selling it after he fixed it up with some labor from me. He hasn’t looked back since.

 

[TLOC]

Good Morning All. Mostly cloudy and 40°. The thunderstorms predicted for yesterday never materialized, another ace[?] for the NWS. It did get colder though. Mid 40's today, low 50's tomorrow and 70's and 80's most of next week. Windy again today although no alerts have been issued.

Weekly grocery/beer trek to town is today. I believe that we're going to Wally World on this week's trip for hair dye or something. Maybe the Vitamin Shop as well. Yard and garden is still too wet to do any realistic work outside despite it being 78° yesterday, today won't be any better with the stiff cold wind from the north. Nothing really pressing anyway except tree pruning before it warms up enough to get the sap flowing.

Thanks for the comments and reactions regarding yesterday's postings.

Out in the train shed yesterday, I took a look at another Logan Valley structure, this one is the Gateway Market.
View attachment 162170View attachment 162173
Chimney caps are needed on two chimneys. Not bad for an 1800 mile journey with the Post Office.
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No biggie, a few pieces of .040" x .060" styrene painted gray took care of that.
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Then I shifted my attention back to the Ethanol refinery. I had decided to put the four fermentation tanks and their building on a styrene base, both for ease of handling and full alignment. First was to paint their bases.
View attachment 162175View attachment 162176
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OK, it looks like the short piping and walkways work.
View attachment 162179
Then the long walkways and pipes.View attachment 162180View attachment 162181
Oooops! Walther's didn't quite engineer these things quite right. Or maybe I'm missing something. I'll have to explore further today.

Chrιstιaη - Overall the number of structures on my layout is about 350±. Very few are actual houses. There are 12 separate towns, both large and small, and since I like switching, there are 70 industries to switch. Each town has 6-8 industries. One town has none and is all small businesses. Of my remaining blank space, I am currently adding my largest industry, the Ethanol refinery; I have a like-sized area on the lower deck beneath it that is undetermined right now. What I do with some of the other area is also undetermined. For sure there will be another grain elevator and a railcar re-builder. Keeps me busy.
Tom O - That's some expensive trees, but they sure look good.

Everybody have a great day.

Thanks Willie on the trees. The thing is I don’t feel I am gouging but I really got into figuring the costs yestetday and the new pricing is justified. Still, I wouldn’t pay someone to make trees for me. I got the order confirmed at midnight.

The Ethanol plant especially the stairway and fermentation details look great.nso glad they worked out for you. You did a good job saving those tanks

 

[Smudge617]

Really going off OO scale, Hornby have announced their "new" pre order releases, one is a new LNER Mallard, which I was considering, till I saw the price, £320 or $384, which is a lot for a Loco, but that's not what's annoyed me, the kicker is that it's £320 for a 8 pin DCC Ready, locomotive, you don't even get sound, bugger that.

 

[Chrιstιaη]

Chrιstιaη - Overall the number of structures on my layout is about 350±. Very few are actual houses. There are 12 separate towns, both large and small, and since I like switching, there are 70 industries to switch. Each town has 6-8 industries. One town has none and is all small businesses. Of my remaining blank space, I am currently adding my largest industry, the Ethanol refinery; I have a like-sized area on the lower deck beneath it that is undetermined right now. What I do with some of the other area is also undetermined. For sure there will be another grain elevator and a railcar re-builder. Keeps me busy.

Thank you very much Willie !

 

[CGW121]

Well we have to vacate our house for the next few days, as our son needs it for a film he is making. So we go to an Air b+b for the next few days. He is paying for it so no problem. Be a nice mini vacation.
Mike

 

[kbkchooch]

Really going off OO scale, Hornby have announced their "new" pre order releases, one is a new LNER Mallard, which I was considering, till I saw the price, £320 or $384, which is a lot for a Loco, but that's not what's annoyed me, the kicker is that it's £320 for a 8 pin DCC Ready, locomotive, you don't even get sound, bugger that.

A bit salty for sure. The last new steamer I bought was a BLI T1 with DCC sound and smoke and they can still be had for @$430.00

 

[Smudge617]

A bit salty for sure. The last new steamer I bought was a BLI T1 with DCC sound and smoke and they can still be had for @$430.00

True, but you get sound, lights and smoke, I get a 8pin socket, no smoke, sound or lights so...

 

[PNKFLOYD]

You might try printing your own signs on paper and gluing them to pieces of styrere. Warning signs should be available to copy and paste all over the Internet. I always spray the signs that I print with dull coat to keep them from fading. Oil company logos can be taken from their own websites. You might have to resize.

I have also printed signs on paper, taped a piece of thin gift wrap tissue over the printed area and run the paper back through the printer to print on the tissue paper. WAIT 24 HOURS TO SPRAY INK JET PRINT WITH CLEAR COAT OR IT WILL SMEAR!
Cut out the sign and apply a very thin coat of tacky glue to secure to the model or sign board.
If you have access to a color copier, you can reduce or enlarge printed signs you find.
Logos on business cards are great to copy.

 

[kbkchooch]

True, but you get sound, lights and smoke, I get a 8pin socket, no smoke, sound or lights so...

Yes, mine was salty too, but I got the pepper for just a lil bit more!

 

[TLOC]

After almost 9 years I believe my Ipadpro has passed away

All I get is the Apple popping up, flashes for 10 seconds and disappears

Started Monday. when we were at Best Buy Terry ssked if I needed a new one, said no. That was yesterday. Until today it would come on, but not now

It has been a constant companion and I will miss it. I will go to the Apple Store and see what they say. But in the past 60 minutes we have gone from dry pavement to at least 1” of light blowing snow

typing this on the cell phone is not fun

 

[BigGRacing]

Really going off OO scale, Hornby have announced their "new" pre order releases, one is a new LNER Mallard, which I was considering, till I saw the price, £320 or $384, which is a lot for a Loco, but that's not what's annoyed me, the kicker is that it's £320 for a 8 pin DCC Ready, locomotive, you don't even get sound, bugger that.

It brings up that old discussion Smudge; great hobby but with huge prices! There will be many that wont spend that much for sure and the others will counter that many still are buying.

 

[Smudge617]

It brings up that old discussion Smudge; great hobby but with huge prices! There will be many that wont spend that much for sure and the others will counter that many still are buying.

The thing is I'm seriously thinking about dumping most of my OO scale stuff, bar maybe a few steamers and the odd diesel and keep enough passenger and freight cars to make up two or three rakes and sell the rest off. I can get more for my money by buying imported HO than OO

 

[BigGRacing]

The thing is I'm seriously thinking about dumping most of my OO scale stuff, bar maybe a few steamers and the odd diesel and keep enough passenger and freight cars to make up two or three rakes and sell the rest off. I can get more for my money by buying imported HO than OO

You cant keep some of your stuff for a nice display cabinet like some people have on their walls?

 

[HO Scale MILW]

Good morning. Ohio happened, it was an accident. 12 months from now we will know the cause. A caboose on that train would not have prevented the accident. Equipment failure. detection failure, personnel faolure ( I hope not) but what will come out of this?

More automation and less personnel.

Weather, So. Central Wisconsin is supposed to be getting slammed with the monster snow storm. First it was midnight, then they said 3AM, I just checked the radar. It’s coming but right now the leading edge is about 90 miles southeast of us around Dubuque, Iowa. If I had a school aged kid I’d be pissed that school today for the 3rd Thursday in a row has been closed or switched to virtual

Not much of any snow here, and yes, the weather people are always wrong! First they said maybe 2-8 inches, then 8-12 inches, now showing 6-8 inches in the far SE corner, and hardly anything 40 miles NW of that!

 

[NYC_George]

Weather, So. Central Wisconsin is supposed to be getting slammed with the monster snow storm.

Do what you can do to keep it up there in Wisconsin.
Swal

 

[Boris]

I feel sorry for those people in Ohio and what they have to go through now. I see it was a 150-car train. I also see no cause of the accident yet.
I want to know what caused the accident. How fast was the 150-car train going. What was the single indication it was running on?
Were there any speed restrictions in place at the time? A 150 car train is way too long especially if there are empty mixed in. When you apply the brakes on a train you have to wait for the air blow to stop before releasing the brakes otherwise you get a herky / jerky motion back in the train. That's a long blow for a 150 cars. When I was working a hostler in Croton Harmon they told me were setting you up as an engineer in Selfirk NY tomorrow. I said, no your not. I'm bidding back to Brewster tomorrow. A whole lot easier running a 8 car passenger train then a 100 car freight train. There's a good chance that one of the 100 cars is have is having braking or other issues going on. When trains ran with a caboose the cupola was there for a reason. It gave the brakeman a chance to view the whole train on a turn looking for any car trouble that may be going on, but in reality, he's most likely sound asleep.

Some employees from Northern Southern said,
“What people see on the ground is a really big amount of pressure on moving as fast as possible, as lean as possible, and generating as much profit as possible.”
Norfolk Southern alone has lost 40 per cent of its workforce in recent years,

In 1975 the law cut the crew size from 5 to 3, Big mistake.
Swal

SWAL: Preliminary indication was a bearing failure. NTSB clowns are being unusually tight lipped.

Long trains are a part of Precision Scheduling, which is nothing but a cost cutting move to keep the Private Capital / Hedge Funds / Pension Fund Administrators happy. They have no regard for their workforce, as we again saw during the last contract negotiations. All they care about is the profit margin.

 

[HO Scale MILW]

Personally it seems like large train derailments are happening more frequently now. I'm sure that has something to do with railroads not doing all they can to keep their tracks and rolling stock in ship shape, and I'm sure it has something to do with worker shortages and threatening strikes through the railroad industry. Whatever it is though, it is a shame that people are being affected by this.

 

[Boris]

I'm not sure that I agree with the "controlled release" of the chemicals either,

Believe the Governor ordered this based on the advice of his Emergency Management Staff. Bad Idea! Believe most of the remaining environmental consequences resulted from the "Controlled release" From experience, Vinyl Chloride is touchy. When civil authority gets involved, things don't go as well. They lack the expertise, but wield the power...

For someone on the outside, trying to contact the "right" person on the railroad is almost impossible...When one does get through, frequently it's to a call center at the other end of the system.

Crews normally don't ignore detectors, and with PTC, alarm activation, also drops signals and stops the train....

Truthfully, I don't know enough about this occurrence to comment further... most of my former contacts are now retired...

 

[Jaz avalley]

Centrica who owns British Gas the biggest electricity provider has just revealed their profits tripled this year……well surprise surprise

 

[chadbag]

Centrica who owns British Gas the biggest electricity provider has just revealed their profits tripled this year……well surprise surprise

Which is a natural consequence of margin pricing. If you base your sales price as a percentage of cost, and costs go up, the same percentage will yield more "profit".

Here is a simplified example:

Say you base your sales price at 50% over cost. A widget costs you 10 units of currency. I'll use $ since it is easier for me to type.

So your sales price is $15 based on $10 cost. $5 profit. The next year the cost goes up to $20. So now your price is $30 and the profit $10. You doubled the profit as a number without changing any of the calculations. With inflation, the unit of currency, $ in this case, is worth less, so while the number is twice as big, the value is not likely to be twice as much the second year as the smaller amount from the previous year. Ie, the $10 profit the second year is not worth as much as a $10 profit would have been the first year.