Running Bear's July 2025 Coffee Shop

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DeaconKC said:
On the subject of Kato locomotives if you like steam engines, look for their C50s and C56s, they are superb runners and if you can ignore the 3 axle tenders, the ones without elephant ear smoke deflectors are great runners.
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While the last C56 left mainline service in Japan in the early 70s, there are some that are still operable. The last mainline capable was retired in 2018 due to lack of space for installing the latest train control safety equipment. But a private railway continues to run one for heritage runs and the Kyoto railway museum has one or two operable (that remain in the museum yard due to lack of safety equipment required on the main line).

Lots of them in static display in Japan and Thailand and I guess one in Myanmar. I saw one at a museum in Tokyo. Japan left a bunch behind in SE Asia after the war which were put into long service there. Also used on the railway made famous in “Bridge on the River Kwai “

D51 steam from KATO are also popular and I guess there are still some running in Japan on heritage lines.
 
And so it grows...

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It was supposed to just be on the desk, but I had all this extra track... and I could steal furniture from the guest room (if you can call grid shelves anything as classy as "furniture", anyway)... and I like to have long running trains...

I have learned the following:

- I need a free-running loop in my layout. I do like driving and switching and such, but I also like to just watch as the trains go.
- I need a walkaround (preferably wireless?) throttle.
- There is never enough track.
- There is never enough space for the track.
- I need more trains.
- I do not need scenery to enjoy running trains.
- I should probably get around to starting a dedicated thread for my adventures at some point...

I have more track arriving tomorrow. Not sure what I'll do with it yet; I won't have much time since I leave on Monday for the funeral, and I still need to pack and such.

Dinner was delicious. Mongolian beef.... yum!

@westtexjohn : Isn't that what kids and/or grandkids are for? Making things work? Seems to be my primary role with my own parents, anyway. =). I'll be in trouble when I get older since I don't have any kids of my own...

Have a good remainder of the weekend, everyone!
 
Kusojiji said:
I bought a C56 chassis and printed a body for it. Runs way better than anything that I bought from that side of the pond. I removed the traction tires so now has 6 wheel pick up. No hiccups or stalls. And heavy enough to pull. I wish Kato gets into the UK steam models. The owner is interested in them.

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I’m not familiar enough with UK steam to know what they have but KATO does do some UK steam. And I even saw it in store at Yodobashi in Akihabara.
 


chadbag said:
While the last C56 left mainline service in Japan in the early 70s, there are some that are still operable. The last mainline capable was retired in 2018 due to lack of space for installing the latest train control safety equipment. But a private railway continues to run one for heritage runs and the Kyoto railway museum has one or two operable (that remain in the museum yard due to lack of safety equipment required on the main line).

Lots of them in static display in Japan and Thailand and I guess one in Myanmar. I saw one at a museum in Tokyo. Japan left a bunch behind in SE Asia after the war which were put into long service there. Also used on the railway made famous in “Bridge on the River Kwai “

D51 steam from KATO are also popular and I guess there are still some running in Japan on heritage lines.
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I think they made more D51s than anything else.
 
chadbag said:
I’m not familiar enough with UK steam to know what they have but KATO does do some UK steam. And I even saw it in store at Yodobashi in Akihabara.
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If you are refering to a recent model, they do OO9 stuff. Small and large England.

I'd like to see some of these done (l to r) Pannier, J94, Terrier. All of these required major work to get running smoothly. Pannier - coreless motor transplant, J94 several returns and had to clearance the bearing blocks so that they could move and not bind up the axles, Terrier complete teardown and degrease. In contrast, Kato C56, which was designed to draw power from the tender, only remove the traction tires.
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bnsf971 said:
It's been a long time, but I think one of the people behind the AFT was Ross Rowland, who I mentioned passed away a few days ago.
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You are correct sir!

Here is an excerpt from a report compiled by Microsoft AI's new Deep Research option:

Ross Rowland Jr., a New York commodities broker with a lifelong passion for steam railroads, played a pivotal role in envisioning and executing the project. (American Freedom Train) Having already demonstrated the public magnetism of steam-powered exhibition trains—particularly with the Golden Spike Centennial Limited in 1969—Rowland recognized the potential for a rolling museum to unite Americans during the country's 200th anniversary. But despite his enthusiasm, early support for the Bicentennial train project was tepid; there was no major federal bicentennial exhibition planned on the scale of the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial, and initial skepticism from government and business meant planning got off to a slow and imperiled the project.

Nonetheless, the American Freedom Train Foundation was incorporated in Massachusetts on October 16, 1972, to coordinate planning, secure sponsors, negotiate artifact loans, and organize the monumental operational details required to bring the project to life. Key planning activities during 1974 involved the "Preamble Express” a scouting train that surveyed prospective tracks and stops across the country, and the conversion of 1940s baggage cars (mainly from New York Central and Penn Central) in Richmond, CA, and Venice, FL, into display and showcase cars designed for immersive, high-volume artifact viewing.
 
insomniville said:
At the moment just DC because it's early on and all I have is a Kato starter set and a bunch of additional track. My intent is to go DCC, though. I'm leaning toward either Digitrax or DCC-EX, but I've barely started my research, and I'm picky about stuff like that, so it's going to be a bit before I settle on something.
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Wireless throttles are easier with DCC. That’s why I was asking.

When the time comes for DCC I’d skip the Digitrax. I’d look at something that supports industry standard Railcom or Railcom+ and is multi protocol, supporting Loconet, Z21, etc. there are multiple choices that fit that. Digitrax is basically by itself and proprietary. (Despite owning Loconet, which is licensed out to others).
 


Well howdy there Internet Peeps that those anxiously waiting on autumn

It's Troy again

today is raining all day. We've had about 1.5 inches today, after 1.75 in yesterday

Already made it to the grocery store today. I was out of yogurt cups, and almost out of milk. So tomorrow was going to bereft of breakfast. Since today is gaming day, I figured I'd get it in before trekking to the game store.

Will post more later.
 


Good morning Crew or as Troy writes Internet Peeps!

Seems the grandson has lost his incentive to get paid for cutting my grass. He finally decided he was saving for a e-scooter and enthusiastically entered into an agreement to get paid very well (but at 25% of a lawn service) for an 11 year old. Seems though his mom broke down and they took the $150 he had already saved and she paid for the balance of the scooter. He told me yesterday he was done cutting. Later last night his dad told me he’d bring him over to cut around the normal 10am today. I mentioned that the g/s told me he was no longer cutting. The SIL went over to the wife and they had a discussion. A few minutes later she told me she would speak to the grandson today (he was in bed at 10) and he will still be cutting my grass today.

Weather in my part of Wisconsin is again humid and humid. 69f degrees with a dew point also of 69 means 100% humidity. Possible severe pop up T-storms today as we should get into the low 90’s. The WeatherChannel app says there is a threat 1 for damaging winds and we have a dense fog advisory till 9am today. I can see the outline of the houses across the street so I think they got the dense fog thing correct.

For all intent and purposes the daughter and family are moved into their new place. The pool is weeks off from being completed and I will contact the pool contractor tomorrow. I met with them 10 days ago but there had been no crews at all last week. Landscaping needs to be completed in just a few zeroscape beds. What areas though that will be grass covered won’t be done before September. They use a blower system to spread the seed and mulch cover but they don’t do seed grown grasses in July or August. They do sod though but not here!

The SIL mentioned during dinner yesterday he’d like to extend the watering system in his vineyard over to the new house. That was a surprise to me and gives me a small project to figure costs for pipe as this will be a DIY project. For the vineyard we take water from the filled quarry and since it’s on my property we don’t need to involve any governmental know it alls.

I’m not really sure what the plan is today. Just staying here today would be nice but I doubt that will happen. The son and girl friend are here until tomorrow when he has to fly to Indianapolis to pick up the charter he dropped there. He said they will be home by 5pm Monday weather depending.

I did post finally in my Continuous Weathering thread on freight cars. I even posted the mistake I made and sometime today I will show the fix.

Enjoy the day
 
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