Running Bear's January 2025 Coffee Shop

[Bruette]

How about this one for $149.99

Atlas 40005336 N GP-40 GOLD CSX (MOW) 9709 (ORANGE/BLACK) - WITH DITCH LIGHTS DCC/Sound

Built by EMD between 1954 and 1959, the SD-9 6-axle road switchers produced 1,750 HP and were used primarily for freight service throughout the US, both on main and secondary lines. Many SD-9 locomotives are still in service today, serving as road switche

www.trainworld.com

 

[NYC_George]

Swal - Does that bridge still exist on your revised layout?

Yes Willie it's there. It's the best part of the layout. The Atlas truss bridges I used in its design are cheap and highly detailed. You just have to create a dip in the benchwork as shown in the below photo. I bought some of those plastic I beams, bridge girders and bridge shoes for the construction, I guess I could have bought some type of bridge kit, but I liked the look of the truss bridges rather than just the I girders look of some bridge kits. You can see some track I have placed on the bench work in the right of the photo. That's where the station that was on the upper deck is going to be place plus a small service engine yard. I'm thinking that's the last renovation to the layout I plan on doing.
Swal

 

[Len Turner]

Good mornin' y'all. In Nac its 27 under hazy skies, w/c 27 - High for the day 60 low tonight 27 - no precip today but much colder this weekend with some frozen stuff next week but today will be quite nice.
Know what y'all mean about the salt. Got a lot of IV antibiotics in the hospital last month and my taste buds are still not back to normal. Salty, sweet, and hot is about it. Just exactly what I don't need...
Nurse Judy taking Daughter #1 to oral surgeon today to fix a bunch of stuff. Probably overnight with her so Phelix the Cat and I have free run of the house. He's been hid out in the stack of boxes we have ready for the movers. Daughter #2 in Cheyenne has a couple of kitties, so it should be fun watching all the hissing and pissing while they get to know each other. They also have 2 dobermans, both friendly, very well trained and disciplined. And they both know to keep their distance from the kitties...
Good to see some other folks getting some train time. Be glad to get settled in and get some stuff going. Nurse Judy is a quilter and probably has as much quilt stuff as I do train stuff. My mother was a prolific quilter so we have boxes and boxes of her stuff; remnants, squares and finished tops. NJ's sewing/quilting bench is probably going to take up more space than my stuff.
Looks like another nice day in the Pineywoods. Y'all have a good day and take care.

 

[troyphoto]

How about this one for $149.99

Atlas 40005336 N GP-40 GOLD CSX (MOW) 9709 (ORANGE/BLACK) - WITH DITCH LIGHTS DCC/Sound

Built by EMD between 1954 and 1959, the SD-9 6-axle road switchers produced 1,750 HP and were used primarily for freight service throughout the US, both on main and secondary lines. Many SD-9 locomotives are still in service today, serving as road switche

www.trainworld.com

View attachment 209238

Good price but I wanted a dash 7. since I remember those rolling behind my friend's house.

I'm debating on what to do with my upper level... one approach may be modelling the midwest. I might even try to set up a movie shoot at the Elkhart IN passenger station (Edit: the movie I was thinking of was shot in Niles Michigan, but was supposed to represent the Elkhart Depot)...

But I have other ideas for that level. Lower level first!

 

[migalyto]

i wana BBQ, but its too cold outside.

Its (almost) never too cold outside to grill.

I use our grill all year around.

 

[migalyto]

Good morning, all!

Currently 33F heading up to maybe 37F. After the last several days it feels really good out there. Tomorrow is supposed to hit 45F. Maybe the shorts will have to come back out for a day. It won't last as the bottom is going to fall out over the weekend. Some of those lows will be the coldest of the season thus far.

Last night was a win for the girls in volleyball. They are now 5-0 to start the season. It's amazing to see the maturity on the court from last year to this year. No more finger pointing and blame game. They just pick each other up, hug it out and play. Been fun to watch the roll this season, and my hope is it continues.

Not much else going on today.

Have a safe day everyone!

 

[migalyto]

It worked for me!!!

Maybe what I need to get out of my railroad building funk!

I'm due for a purchase anyways!

 

[troyphoto]

Maybe what I need to get out of my railroad building funk!

I'm due for a purchase anyways!

I lead by example.
Dash 7 on the way.

 

[bnsf971]

Good price but I wanted a dash 7. since I remember those rolling behind my friend's house.

I'm debating on what to do with my upper level... one approach may be modelling the midwest. I might even try to set up a movie shoot at the Elkhart IN passenger station (Edit: the movie I was thinking of was shot in Niles Michigan, but was supposed to represent the Elkhart Depot)...

But I have other ideas for that level. Lower level first!

I remember a pair of SD9s were specially equipped to operate on the Madison incline, which is the steepest standard gauge railroad grade in North America. It’s located in Indiana. I think 6914 and 6915 were the two.

 

[Patrick]

Morning all,

Taking a bereavement day as the funeral for the BIL is tomorrow. Gives me a 5 day weekend with the holiday.

BBL

 

[troyphoto]

I remember a pair of SD9s were specially equipped to operate on the Madison incline, which is the steepest standard gauge railroad grade in North America. It’s located in Indiana. I think 6914 and 6915 were the two.

Edit: Better video

running the incline...

 

[NYC_George]

Troy what was so special extra sand domes? I can remember being called for a job on a rainy night to take one box car up the hill on a spur in Yonker, NY and never making it to the top. I think the RS3 hadn't been serviced in a while and was out of sand. I tried and tried but never made it to the top. Lots of wheel slip. I didn't like backing down the hill each time which was used by many as a short cut to where they were headed.
Swal

 

[troyphoto]

Troy what was so special extra sand domes? I can remember being called for a job on a rainy night to take one box car up the hill on a spur in Yonker, NY and never making it to the top. I think the RS3 hadn't been serviced in a while and was out of sand. I tried and tried but never made it to the top. Lots of wheel slip. I didn't like backing down the hill each time which was used by many as a short cut to where they were headed.
Swal

No clue. I'm still learning all this stuff.

 

[NYC_George]

No clue. I'm still learning all this stuff.

I can still remember the night they were very mad at me because I was unable to get the car up the hill and spotted at the business in Yonkers, NY. I said, and when was the last time you had the engine serviced You had the engine fueled and sanded? When an engine is done for the day, they put it on the fueling pad its fueled and then goes to the sanding tower to be filled with sand. This engine stayed at this small yard 30 miles away from Harmon for long periods of time. Harmon was the next place on the Hudson line where this would happen. I should have told them at the time I'll take the engine to Harmon have it serviced and bring it and then try the hill again.
Swal

 

[Bruette]

I should have told them at the time I'll take the engine to Harmon have it serviced and bring it and then try the hill again.

Don't sweat it Swal; hindsight is always 20-20.

 

[bnsf971]

No clue. I'm still learning all this stuff.

From what I remember it was lower gearing for the traction motors, and special extended-range dynamic brakes, as well as a special engine brake system.

 

[TLOC]

Its (almost) never too cold outside to grill.

I use our grill all year around.

I use our grill all year. 3-4 times a week in Summer and usually twice in Winter. If it rains I’ll grill on the stove in the kitchen, if it’s snows, I put a hat on! BUT it does get tough when the “real feel” is in the negative.

It should be +30 at 6pm tonight and there are 2 steaks warming on the countertop in the kitchen. Looks like steak and potatoes grilled out tonight. The wife will roast the cauliflower

 

[NYC_George]

My friends called me to play golf tomorrow at 1pm. I said, don't you think is kind of cold. Too cold to play golf. Too cold to grill. Even too cold to fill the bird feeder but if I don't the birds will freeze.
Swal

 

[Alcomotive]

I remember a pair of SD9s were specially equipped to operate on the Madison incline, which is the steepest standard gauge railroad grade in North America. It’s located in Indiana. I think 6914 and 6915 were the two.

I thought the Saluda Grade was the steepest ? interesting....

Saluda Grade - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[TLOC]

Good Morning All. Clear and 34°, heading into the 60's today. The NWS has now added snow to next Tuesday's forecast, in the midst of the cold system arriving Friday night. CYA if you ask me.

All of this talk about burgers convinced me to grill them out on the grill last night. No picture though. Wife successfully renewed her DL yesterday. New rules in Texas require significant documentation. She was able to use her old DL, her passport and voter registration card. Five years ago, I just used the old DL and a copy of my birth certificate. Didn't need the voter ID, maybe because they already knew?
Today starts with a visit to the dental hygienist, then home to pick up wife and make the weekly grocery trek. Or she may change her mind and we'll do the groceries tomorrow.

Out in the train shed yesterday, I finished cleaning a row of structures.
View attachment 209234
I added 5 more figures to this scene. Next I'll move on to vehicles.

Swal - Does that bridge still exist on your revised layout?
Agree with you totally on the salt thing. We organically grow and can our own veggies and spices, and have always prepared food at home, with little to no salt. It's rare that we buy any prepared foods. If so, I always look at the ingredients/nutrition information before I stick it in my cart. Fritos are the exception.
Todd - Regarding hearing aids. I have always had extra ear buds in case I lost one. I have extra speakers as well. Once I lost an earbud. Couldn't find it anywhere, so I replaced it and went on. I found it three days later still in my ear! There was double-buds in that ear the whole time. Wife was a bit apprehensive about removing it. The old issue with sticking stuff in one's ears; in this case tweezers.
Karl - I called it quits at 63.5, but waited until 66 to claim SS. Wife who is 2 years older than me worked until she was 72, although she claimed SS at 66.
Troy - Get well soon. That Sciatica really seems to have a mind of it's own.
Joe -

At what point in life do we give it up, healthy eating, vitamin and supplement consumption and medications?

Everyone have a great Thursday.

I called it the Tuesday after Labor Day 2014. Didn’t apply for Social Security until I turned 62 at the end of the month on the 29th! I took the SS because we didn’t need it to live on and waiting for better payments seemed unnecessary. YMMV! It has paid every month since after 65 the supplemental health insurance we carry beyond Medicare. The rest is my allowance.

TomO