Running Bear's January 2023 Coffee Shop

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I'm sure that the "Green Movement" has figured in somehow?
We all should be marching on City Hall and on to the TOP over this Gas Heating fiasco!
All I see/hear - at the moment- is crickets?
Just looked at my recent gas bill. Simplified 60¢ per therm, (X therms used x 60¢ = gas bill variable charges), in December, 2022. In December 2021, the charge was 40¢ per therm. That's a 50 % increase.

According to the Washington Post, the Administration is going to push for everyone to convert to Heat Pumps. Had them in PA years ago, don't work well in winter, and have electric backup...like the grid can't handle what demand we have now, let alone charging stations for E - cars.

No outcry for that either...is everyone afraid of the radical Green Movement ?
 
Usually those pancake motors make it a couple of laps around the layout before they go *poof*. It's probably older than you are, so getting a replacement motor that's any good will be--difficult.
If he is talking about the pictured GP30, it should have a conventional drive train, possibly shrouded with weights, (Spectrum), I have 4 of them , none of which have pancake motors. Replacement motors are available (Micro Mark).
 
If he is talking about the pictured GP30, it should have a conventional drive train, possibly shrouded with weights, (Spectrum), I have 4 of them , none of which have pancake motors. Replacement motors are available (Micro Mark).
Joe, that one is a Bachmann/Lionel version from the mid-1970s, with single-truck drive using the infamous pancake motor.
Newer, all-wheel-drive versions almost all have a single air horn on each side of the cab on the roof.
 


Heat Pumps. Had them in PA years ago, don't work well in winter,

Were you doing air exchange on the heat pump? That is obviously not as efficient in winter. Also you need a well insulated house for maxiumum efficiency as they are best at keeping a temperature and if not well insulated they have to continually run to maintain the temperatures.

Mandates to convert everyone to a heat pump is stupid. Heat pumps can work very well when used with a water-water exchange system that is properly sized and engineered. And with a well insulated house. But that is very expensive (ask me how I know) and not within the means of most people with existing homes or building new affordable homes.
 
The saga of the laptop sleeve continues:

The Postal Service has identified a problem with the processing of this item at 4:56 pm on January 9, 2023 in YBOR CITY FL DISTRIBUTION CENTER. The local facility has been alerted and is taking steps to correct the problem.​

 
The saga of the laptop sleeve continues:

The Postal Service has identified a problem with the processing of this item at 4:56 pm on January 9, 2023 in YBOR CITY FL DISTRIBUTION CENTER. The local facility has been alerted and is taking steps to correct the problem.​

Let me guess, directions to you house include the phrases” it’s a short spell after the hard road ends”, “ take a left after old man Johnson’s place” , and “ you can’t get there from here “ .
 
Let me guess, directions to you house include the phrases” it’s a short spell after the hard road ends”, “ take a left after old man Johnson’s place” , and “ you can’t get there from here “ .
Since it took a Christmas card almost 3 weeks to get here from there, I'm not ruling anything out.
My guess, though, is either it's just a shipping label and no package, or it's extremely underpaid for postage.
 
Let me guess, directions to you house include the phrases” it’s a short spell after the hard road ends”, “ take a left after old man Johnson’s place” , and “ you can’t get there from here “ .
That would be better than my house, my mailbox is 1.25 miles away. Easy enough, just turn left and go to the first house 1.25 miles north!
Strangely enough, our post office uses a contract delivery service for packages just before Christmas, and they deliver to my porch. Saves me a 25 mile round trip to town to pick them up!
 
Were you doing air exchange on the heat pump? That is obviously not as efficient in winter. Also you need a well insulated house for maxiumum efficiency as they are best at keeping a temperature and if not well insulated they have to continually run to maintain the temperatures.

Mandates to convert everyone to a heat pump is stupid. Heat pumps can work very well when used with a water-water exchange system that is properly sized and engineered. And with a well insulated house. But that is very expensive (ask me how I know) and not within the means of most people with existing homes or building new affordable homes.
It was an air exchange system. House insulation "exceedd" R-21 walls, R 30 ceiling, but there were obvious holes that were hard to detect. That was 1979. Sudden cold snap over Christmas 1984, caused frozen pipes in kitchen and laundry/furnace room. Electric back-up couldn't handle cold. Neighbor, a HVAC guy replaced his with an oil system. (No gas). No intention of ever considering one again.
 


Some good news to report. The pinched nerve in my neck from yesterday morning, disappeared this afternoon.

Is the rain out in CA affecting any of you guys??? David, Sherrel, Dave (PV).
Willie: You just reminded me that Second Son, is out in San Diego, on Navy Department Business, his visits are well timed, aren't they? Plan is for him to be there the full week. :rolleyes: Have to text him and see how things are going.
 
Good evening. 34° and clear. Was able to see 4 planets through the light haze, before the moon rise. Now, it's reported to be clear. Going down to 28°.
The CT Scan was routine, except for the IV with the contrast dye. That felt a little weird. Registration was routine, they had everything, and they were ready for me. In by 1315, finished by 1345, on the road by 1400. Worst part was fasting due to the dye.

When my mealtimes are interrupted, I tend to over eat, then under eat. Hope to be back on track tomorrow. Next Monday, I do the Carotid Echo, then the following Tuesday, I see the surgeon.

When I finished Lunch/Dinner, I went to the train room and ran another transfer run. Tomorrow, some yard switching, and industrial switching.

Looks like the Dawgs from Georgia are putting a whipping on TCU. 38-7 GA at Halftime. Go Dawgs! Of course, TCU may pull off a miraculous comeback, like that NFL team from Dallas often pulls off. As Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over 'till it's over".

No other sports of consequence tonight. Coaches and assistants from non playoff NFL teams are dropping like flies. 'Nova plays DePaul tomorrow night, (CBS SN on cable), Neither team is setting the world on fire this season. No wonder Coach Wright retired at the end of last years playoff run. Nova will be lucky to get an invite this year, even if the field is expanded to 80 teams.

CR C30-7 # 6601 lead WB through Frankford JC (CARU or CAPI) off Delair Br - 2-27-86 - Michael ...jpg

CR 6601, C-30-7 leads WB off Delair Branch at Frankford Junction, PA, on 02/27/1986, with either CARU (Camden - Rutherford), or CAPI, (Camden - Conway). Not sure if train was routed via NEC to Highline to reverse direction, or the direct route, via Former Zoo Secondary, now upgraded to Reverse Signaled Main track to former Reading. Note portable, non telemetary marker on front of engine. That may indicate that train will run to the Highline where power will run around train, and reverse at Zoo Via Main Line and A&S. This was a time consuming move that required operation over Amtrak territory.
 
Have been watching the TCU vs Georgia College Football Championship game.
I am a fairly avid fan of college football, but with 2 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter, Ga leads TCU 52 to 7.
I am going to check the fridge for a snack!
This is the first time since Jan. 1st that I felt like eating anything but soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. I have had a chest cold with a hacking, gurgling cough. Today, I walked to my doctor's office and got a shot and prescriptions. I am starting to cough less severely....finally!

Wishing everyone a pleasant evening.
 
Some good news to report. The pinched nerve in my neck from yesterday morning, disappeared this afternoon.

Is the rain out in CA affecting any of you guys??? David, Sherrel, Dave (PV).
Willie, up here where I'm at, on a ridge, water is not a problem yet. The wind is down right scary as I still have 2 digger pines on the south side of our house where we sleep. The wind comes out of the s/se and the 50-55 mph gusts have had us sleeping in the north bedroom. Lots of local flooding and all the small reservoirs are already spilling. Sacramento gets all the news highlights and being the "city of trees" they are deserving of that now with all the trees on the ground. 6 years ago it was the same way, big rain, big wind and dont forget the spillway failure at the Oroville reservoir. This is CA. It happens every several years. Must be climate change because at one time the central valley & death valley were seas. Except for a break thursday, it looks like rain for the next 10 days with our wet month yet to come. I'm guessing David is experiencing similar effects. I also got the tree off the house after 2 days with no real damage with the help of 4 neighbors. AND all of this while doing a kitchen remodel (wasnt my idea), I wanted to wait til spring but I lost.
 
Louis- I knew a guy that had two 2-8-8-4's in HO. They were huge. I can only imagine in "O" scale. Joe can correct me if I'm wrong, but the Pennsy didn't use Berkshire (2-8-4) and instead used Mountain's (4-8-2). Of course, you can never say never about the Pennsy.
Curt, the Lionel O scale B&O EM-1 is over 32" long.

I could not tell you about the PRR Berkshire. I can say Lionel's traditional O gauge ready to run sets are not known for realism or accuracy. I have it simple because I like it. It was one of the third set I bought.

I would like to have this one:

PENNSYLVANIA LEGACY K-4 LOCOMOTIVE WITH LONG HAUL TENDER Lionel: 6-84115​

1673341070437.png



I would settle for this one:

PENNSYLVANIA LIONCHIEF PLUS 2.0 BABY K4 #5409 Lionel: 2132120​

1673341285336.png

I need to stop buying stuff. At least until I get some bench work done.
 
Some good news to report. The pinched nerve in my neck from yesterday morning, disappeared this afternoon.

Is the rain out in CA affecting any of you guys??? David, Sherrel, Dave (PV).

Willie: Thanks for asking, I've been up all night till about 6:30 this evening emptying gallon & a quart ice cream pails of water ! The Madera County Sheriff's department just downgraded the storm travel and flash flood warning to an advisory.
Where my home is located on acreage in the foothills at 1,875 Elevation I have no chance of a flood but across tcawith o lane county road my neighbor has about 200 acres with seasonal small creek that gets run-off water from property a mile up the road and there was so much wdown. ff water coming down it sounded and was a raging torrent. There were very high winds also that tore the plastic cooler cover off and possibly responsible for a portion of a bedroom ceiling sheetrock to break loose and come down from blowing patches away allowing water leaks.
I've twice also had to recover the majority of a 15' long double stack firewood pile that the high winds manage blow off the pile even though it was fairly well weighted down! So yes it's caused some damage.
 


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