Running Bear's January 2023 Coffee Shop

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Today I got a bad news from my favorite online shop (Hattons):
"Due to an ongoing cyber incident at Royal Mail, we cannot ship orders internationally using this service".
So my two N scale cars are stuck across the Channel...WTF! :mad: :mad: :mad:

 
I think I'm in the clear for train fun for a while. This past weekend, I went thrift store shopping with my wife. She loves that, and I don't. However, I've lost almost 70 pounds n the past year or so, and really need some jeans that fit, so I went along. Turned out great! We found this really nice consignment shop in the trendy part of town and also hit a really big VOA thrift store. I ended up with 3 new-to-me pairs of jeans, and a really nice shirt, all for less than $40.

Then, yesterday, I went and tidied up our guest house, and took inventory of a bunch of stuff we're going to sell. We're probably going to rent it out to a friend who's falling on hard times, and need to clear out some stuff we've been storing in there. That didn't take too long, and we've been talking about mopping our floor in the main house, so that's what we did. We use a Bissell machine to clean our hard floors, which is just about the entire main floor. We moved all the furniture, and cleaned one side, then moved all the furniture and cleaned the other side. It's a big, open floorplan, which took just about all day to accomplish. After pausing for dinner around 7:00PM, we wrapped it up for the day around 9:30pm.

I'm sore today, LOL. Takes a minute or so to straighten out when standing up after sitting for a spell...

But... several honey-do items with a check mark beside them!!
 


Good Morning All. Looks like partly cloudy and 60°, maybe reaching 80° later today. Two and a half days of intense winds are starting to moderate and won't return until Wednesday night. Next freeze may be the middle of next week.
Happy MLK Day. Many of you may have the day off, but not me. Retired people don't get days off.

Whoops! I just broke a tooth while flossing, or knocked a filling off. There goes my early afternoon today as the dentist will see me at 1:30. At least they're open!

Meanwhile out in the train shed yesterday, I started cleaning structures along the east wall on the upper level. Here's a few, sort of a guided tour of the layout.
First is the Bachmann switch tower that I have had for many years. These were becoming obsolete by my era, but I like them so I have a few.
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Next in line is an old Magnuson building that I cannot identify. I purchased it already built on the LHS consignment table. I use it as a warehouse for the local electric power company.
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Next to it is another Magnuson (resin) structure that I built called Cyclops Railway Supply.
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It came with no signs and has been unidentified since I built it, until yesterday.
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Now it's an industrial tool supplier. I may move this in the future as I had forgotten that the other side actually has more elevations to view.
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Swal - I know how the tiling goes in a bathroom. When we had a contractor do our master bathroom, my wife was the main hold-up, deciding on the different styles and colors. She dragged me down to Home Depot to look, she met with the contractor there to look, she looked on-line, and then repeated some of it at Lowe's. There's now 8 different styles and colors in there, none were my choice. Then she picked gray grout. Since our foundation moves, I have made minor patches with white sealant.

Everybody have a great day, mine just got worse.:mad:
 
Good for you, JEFF - I love it when a plan comes together. I stop at the GoodWill stored on occasion, which is only a half mile away. I have found "almost new" sweat shirts (NFL type) for just a few bucks. Out here we see all the teams represented.

We have roads washed away and closed, lots of trees down everywhere, and another rain day in store.
The temp is 54f expected high of 58 today, and the local rainfall has now exceeded our normal yearly amount.

WTH CHRISTIAN? Wow, that is some heavy stuff!

KARL - Thanks for the drawing - that is a great way for a lift! I would not have thought of that way!

FLO - another refill, please, and a plate of biscuits and gravy to go with it?
 
Morning all. In Spartanburg this week. Yearly sales meeting and a few other odds & ends. Yesterday in Atlanta they called for volunteers to take a later flight. A matter of getting crew positioned I think. I volunteered and got $800. Let’s see what can I buy… 😊
 


Having the courage to take baby steps will get you there….be brave.
plus when peed off and you think you cannot do better walk away give it a week then look at it,sonetimes being too close stops you realising how good/better you are,I always say try something cheap throw everything but the kitchen sink at it,and learn
couple of quid
Unboxed
glue for texture


two shades of blue and white mixed with blue to fade

brown and red brown for rust

transparent green browns black for dirt

just heap it on

add plant growth, who needs soil

reference pictures always help
suitable layout

plus IF when you test on a cheap item,and you are certain it is a fail, it is also perfect to have another go,the original colour is inconsequential. I have been known to have a go at the same thing a couple of times to see how something might have worked out with a different colour, and of course no 2 wagons are likely to weather exactly the same anyway
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Basically
if the item is too shiny, add powder, rust or black,are easiest
if too loud, a transparent wash,brown or black, e.g pure white sonetimes just looks wrong
if the colour,l.e a powder can be rubbed a ruined try a dulcote varnish
if the item is cheap, throw the wife’s makeup 💄 okay NOT lipstick eye powder or blush powder,
when adding a wet finish stand the item up the correct manner and ensure any liquid falls as per gravity.
IF a static building ground the building was grass, or ballast,because floating buildings always catch the eye,unless they float in real life,eg sheds are sonetines on timber bases and propped higher than ground level,so floating is acceptable - to sone degree.
If weather a rolling item wagon, loco, pls pls darken the bogie, in fact many bogies look better for not being plain plastic.

Many successfully use hard wearing enamels, I prefer acrylics, they need a little more careful handling but imo the colours tend to be more realistic, photograph better, of course specific colour matches usually accommodate for this so an enamel then can be the better choice. I still find acrylics more forgiving, but I know good model,ers who will argue the opposite and show their own work to prove it,
Work with what you like, and learn the necessary techniques to achieve the finishes you like, and buTest them especially if using say an airbrush rather than buying loads of colours and finding you hate them. It happens.
I personally never ever repaint a loco a new pristine colour, too much like hard work lol.I prefer old weathered for the very reason that it is more forgiving.
I personally have several mistakes along the way that I have kept, they were my learning curve, well plus the fact I am pretty lazy lol.
 
A one way street, in France it is obligatory to check both directions, (Christian look the other way) the French are crazy Parker’s, pavements, 90 degree on the road,driving the wrong way to grab a space….hell anything goes. I once saw outside the Moulin Rouge two posh cars parked with a minuscule space between, while I checked out the frontage wondering if I could afford to go in, a battered mini arrived tried to fit in between the two big posh vehicles, it hit one unphased it continued trying to squeeze in the small spot, hit the other car, finally the driver pulled out went in head first, tried opening the door to get out, by now some French narrative was audible I suspect swearing, he then pulled out and drove off, and the pedestrians…not one battered an eyelid. I stood there gobsmacked.
I do not trust English drivers, abroad I am super cautious. Plus the French (Christian look away again) seem to treat roundabouts as optional, as in clockwise or clockwise or ignore and driver across as the mood takes you…
ok Christian safe to look again….lol
 
Today I got a bad news from my favorite online shop (Hattons):
"Due to an ongoing cyber incident at Royal Mail, we cannot ship orders internationally using this service".
So my two N scale cars are stuck across the Channel...WTF! :mad: :mad: :mad:

we cannot post abroad either, apparently they really should have paid for a better service. I personally would not pay a ransom.
 
Afternoon All,

Started out walking at 38F and frost everywhere. Later the extended family males went to the range for a couple of hours while MOH and daughter had their nails done. Afterwards we all went to lunch then I drove Dad to his PO box for his mail. I talked to Phil a couple of minutes ago and he's maintaining the status quo. Not sure what's on the agenda tomorrow, so I guess I will see.

Alan- I'm driving to SC Saturday.

Patrick- I feel the same about cell phones most of the time.

Karl- Very nice job on the gate.

Jaz- Great weathering on the VW and rail cars.

Sherrel- Nice 1:1 shot. I hope you get through the weather without damage or injury.

Willie- Nice scenes and buildings. I like how you did the windowpanes on the electric building.

I hope everyone has a good night.
 


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