Running Bear's March 2026 Coffee Shop

[TLOC]

Central Valley recommends Barge Cement for attachment to their plastic ties.
Make sure the bottom of the rail is free from all oil or other coatings.

John

All my rail is ME code 70 bonded to Central Valley tie strips with Central Valley’s recommended mixture of MEK and barge cement. It worked great until I used too much mineral spirits cleaning track one day.

Yes clean the bottom of the rails and if it’s pre weathered make sure the factory weathering is removed from the bottom

 

[TLOC]

Loctite Black Max is a forever adhesive. My wife's old employer used it to secure laser assemblies that weren't supposed to every come apart. It's anerobic. I tried separating parts using heat and it took some serious attempts.

Thanks

 

[TLOC]

Everybody have a great day.

I'm working on what I hope is the last iteration on the residential stair project I have. I finally had to tell my customer (the steel fabricator) that he needs to meet with the home owner and general contractor. I had to send him a sketch that showed what dimensions I need to properly complete my drawings and that all three parties had to be in agreement on the dimensions. The builder kept changing the floor tile thickness and I told my customer to pin this guy down on the tile and setting bed thickness and sign off on it. The home owner has no concept of how math works in figuring triangles. I had to have a conference call with the builder and home owner to school them on the Pythagorean Theorem. The owner wanted to set certain work points and I had to explain to him that he could not do that and have the final product he wanted. The owner didn't say much, as he just wants to keep his customer happy.
I'm on the fourth set of drawings now and hope this is the last. This project has been going on since last December.
We have already built one set of stairs that are in place now, but the home owner didn't like them after seeing them in place. These stairs were approved by the engineer on this project but apparently no one else took the time to review the "Approval" drawings. Now the existing stairs will have to be removed and replaced. This has been one big FUBAR because no one really wanted to take responsibility for the final product. The architect bailed out several months ago.
Architects are dreamers, engineers make the architects dreams work on paper and while I draw the actual pieces required, the fabricator finally provides a finished product.

I'll bet no one read that whole paragraph. It just describes what I have been going through in the last several months.

I'm hoping to get back to my layout work and learning more about FreeCAD to be able to use my 3D printer.
My table for the printer was delivered by UPS on Thursday and as expected, it was damaged. Home depot had UPS pick it up yesterday after I spend about a half hour taping up what was left of the shipping box.

Gotta get busy....John


Always fun doing custom work when the client doesn’t really understand

 

[chadbag]

Nope but the labels seem to be on everything I buy for liquid adhesives.

Yeah but the stuff only causes cancer in California, so I wouldn’t worry.

 

[TLOC]

How long before it sets up? Will I have time to make adjustment? Will I need to weight the track?

I have these:
View attachment 260336

I'm thinking the ribbon rail will get grabbed by the cement, but I am thinking the middle gauge should work so long as there is not much squeeze out to grab it. Then I could put some weights on.

The all inclusive it “depends” response.

Barge cement alone in my book is slow to hold and set up. You’ll have minutes to work it.

Weights ! Best I used was diet Dr Pepper and A&W root beer in 12oz cans for bonding MeEcode 70 rail to ties. I imagine though any can from the pantry will work

If you mix some MEK to the barge cement it will grab quicker. Less than a minute but still workable

Use CA and it’s real quick

Humidity in the room you are working in will affect the curing time

Have fun

 

[boogietrain94]

Good evening folks, had a good day at work, just myself and the manager, but we made it. @MilwRoader_Steve praying for you guys, you have had a couple losses this week.
On firearm side, it took a lot for me to give up my beloved Commander for daily carry, but the Sig P365XL did it. The extra length lets my XXL paw hold it comfortably and with the Wilson grip module it feels really good. The Fuse length grip is also quite comfortable, I may go the Wilson Route on it too.
@westtexjohn I helped my parents on house remodels when growing up, and can only imagine how if we could have afforded an architect, they would have lost their mind dealing with my Mom!
Anyway, got called by my Pastor and will be teaching Sunday School tomorrow,as the fellow who was supposed to teach, fell and hurt himself.

Why do you go and teach it lol

 

[DeaconKC]

Why do you go and teach it lol

I have been the regular teacher for several years, but Pastor decided to not only give me a break, but let some other men get experience teaching. So since the First of the year, we have been using a premade printed booklet with other men [and me] working from it. So when a fill in was needed, I was the natural one to call.

 

[chadbag]

Weights ! Best I used was diet Dr Pepper and A&W root beer in 12oz cans for bonding MeEcode 70 rail to ties. I imagine though any can from the pantry will work

When I was laminating wood layers for electric bass bodies and necks I was using boxes of bullet slugs. Since I reload I have a large supply and they’re very heavy, being mostly lead and some copper.

 

[Boris]

Good evening:

T-1 # 2110 arrives at Darby Creek with a B&O Coal Train received at Lurgen. That's AS-16 561 on the adjacent track coupled to the South Chester Transfer. Fun times since I went back in time.

 

[chadbag]

Tonight I have the misfortune of having to use Windows. I have some business tax returns due tomorrow and the Business (corp/llc) version is Windows only. The personal taxes will run on macOS as well. Anyway, last Spring I bought a small Mac mini sized PC for a few hundred dollars instead of wasting time trying to get Intel Windows running on my M4 Mac mini in a VM. It's possible but but not really supported and convoluted. (But I do have an old Mac OS X PPC version running in a VM using UTM! to run some old accounting software it's not worth upgrading from). Anyway. I also have some DCC stuff that has config apps that are Windows only so I bought this small box last Spring when I wanted to configure my DR5000 DCC command station (pre YaMoRC upgrade which also works through the web) and to run my taxes last year. It's an AMD Risen 7 5825U with Radion Graphics. 32GB RAM. It runs fine. But it runs Windows, which is like a foreign language. I have not run Windows regularly -- just for taxes and occasional config of DCC etc -- for a couple decades. Windows XP was the last one I used regularly and I also used Win 7 more than I do anything recently.

Anyway, luckily MS has the "Windows App" for macOS which is a Windows RDC app so I can connect to it from my Mac. No need to find a keyboard and mouse and swap cables etc from whet oy sots to plug it in.

But it's so painful. Download and install of the tax software. It downloaded and asked if I wanted to open it. I said sure. It gave me some error and then nothing. I had to go hunt it down and try again. Lucky it worked.

Now to get the taxes done. Both are side businesses and one didn't do any business last year and had $1.17 in income from a class action lawsuit payout (no this is not one of those -- I got like $1000 on the first payout and they keep making progressively smaller payouts as they find there is still money in the pot). I still had expenses but will not claim them as I have to occasionally show break even or profit or Uncle SAM gets nervous and starts asking questions. This year I actually do have a gig so next year will be able to report a bunch of income. The other is a hosting business and will show a loss but not that much as I did get people billed last year. The one company I can do the taxes in 30 min. Mainly because you have to print out some forms, sign them, and upload them and that takes some time. The other will take me a few hours. Sucks.

I have not started my personal taxes yet. Soon.

On the DCC app, I've been working to allow you to define which F-keys should be active and apply a label or name to them and how the key should work -- on/off (latching, toggle (flips whatever the command station says), momentary (sends on when you touch it and then when you release it sends off so for horns etc that will sound as long as your pressing it), and one-shot -- for things like fixed sound effects that you just turn on and off but the sound effect plays through to the end.

Attached is a screen shot of where you define this for a locomotive. I don't have it tied in to the throttle yet or saved with the locomotive. F-keys are working in the throttle but it just shows F0-F16 or something and they don't have labels and the function (latching etc) is defined for each one in code. So now I will be working to save this custom function definitions and apply it at the throttle when running.

Still have some work on the presentation to get nice columns etc.

 

[chadbag]

So it appears the taxes are due Monday since tomorrow is Sunday and I didn't put 2+2 together. I'll get the easy one mostly done tonight and do the other one Monday.

One nice thing about Passkeys is that I can log into Amazon, Intuit, and other sites I use from my Mac with the Passkey on my Apple devices using the apps on the Windows machine. The Windows machine just puts u a QR code, which I scan on my iPhone, it sticks up the PassKey sign in page for whatever site and I smile at the face detector and then the Windows side logs into the app or website for me. Far superior than having to deal with passwords etc. And a lot safer.

 

[chadbag]

On the iPhone/iPad/Mac based throttle:

I may start a TestFlight distribution to early testers to get feedback. If you're interested and are Mac and/or iPhone based (or iPad though I have not done anything specific for iPad yet so it will be a big iPhone app), please DM directly with your interest and I'll get it set up.

Right now it only supports Z21 mode (Z21, DR500, YaMoRC). WiThrottle etc coming later. If you want to test WiThrottle still contact me and get added.

I'm not quite ready as I need to allow you to define your command station(s) if you don't have a default mode (Z21 has a default address, YaMoRC doesn't). But I will attack that problem soon and so want to get out the app and have folks start finding bugs and telling me how to make it better.

 

[Bill Tidler Jr.]

Good morning Coffee Shop, it's Sunday! The temperature is 43°F (6°C) and cloudy.

Have a great day!

 

[bnsf971]

Nope but the labels seem to be on everything I buy for liquid adhesives.

Everything causes cancer in California. That's one reason I call it Cancerfornia.

 

[bnsf971]

Good morning. It's 64 and partly cloudy.

 

[boogietrain94]

Good morning folks right now its 39* and is supposed to be up to 66 here then snow tomorrow.

 

[ctclibby]

Good Morning All!
25F @ 72% great star view!

We had Montana weather yesterday: cloudy, partly cloudy, full sun with snow and wind in between each. Not much accumulated and was coming and going. Had a wind warning for Friday. Typically, the wind swirls here because we are in a narrow valley, but other locations had issues. South of us, Farm to Market road was, is still is closed. A whole line of power poles came down; looked like some logger went through and cut them about a foot off the ground. Trees were tipping over too.

Welp, put off the Missoula trip until Wednesday. Supposed to be 16F this morning and that is when we needed to head back. Road chemical stops working at ~20F and we only have highway tread on the Expedition, so decided not to play. Lolo Pass got 56" from Friday to yesterday. No, did not need to go that way, but white has a tendency to move into the valley's; so the wait. Should be 60F/46F Wednesday, so that will be better. Got to be out of there bout 0600 Thursday to make Spo and the VA appointment.

The average person walks 900 miles a year and drinks 22 gallons of beer. That is ~40MPG - not bad.

L8r

 

[santafewillie]

The average person walks 900 miles a year and drinks 22 gallons of beer.

Amateur!

 

[RhB Michael]

60°F out there this morning with a very strong south wind ahead of a strong cold front approaching. Severe weather is expected later this afternoon with a few tornadoes quite likely. Checking batteries in radios and flashlights today, and keeping my eye on the sky.

Have a safe Sunday and if you're in Southern Illinois, western Kentucky/Tennessee, Indiana, and several other states, let's be careful out there! Servus!

 

[TLOC]

Good morning from a slightly wet So. Central Wisconsin. It’s 32f degrees and feels like 22. Heading to 36 and snow tonight. But before that the weather app is saying heavy rain with severe t-storms. Not quite the white Armageddon they were predicting for today. I will accept the rains instead of snow. But they are saying possible blizzard like conditions after midnight. When we left for the Badger hockey game at noon yesterday it felt like an October day. Gloomy, heavy overcast and temperatures in the 30’s before a storm hit. I did count 6 trees down just between the sidewalk and curb on my block alone. The winds until Saturday had been strong. Because the City owns the trees between the sidewalk and curb they should all be gone the next couple days unless we get the blizzard. They have all be moved though with cuts made by city crews.

My morning diet Dr Peppers the last couple of weeks have seemed tasteless. I opened the rare diet Cherry Pepsi this morning. I saw they were on sale at $3 per 6 pack of 16oz bottles so since I’ve been complaining the DDP have been tasteless I came home with 2 packs. The sugar free Diet Dr Pepper does have a taste but it’s not the taste of the real diet Dr Pepper. I know, real world problem!

The Wisconsin Badgers won yesterday afternoon. Played the Bobcats of Quinnipiac and won 6-0. Scored 3 minutes in and really dominated as they should have. There were a few incidences of Badger players pointing to the rafters after little tussles with the very aggressive and chippy Bobcats. We’ve watched a lot of Badger Women’s games and that was a first. In the press conference after the game Coach was asked what that was about and he rarely avoids questions but said you’ll have to ask the girls. So one of the ladies who scored and immediately steamrolled by a Bobcat was the 1st to be questioned. She said a few of the Bobcat girls were chirping how over rated the Badgers have been. Pointing to the rafters shows the banners of the National championships. 4 in the last 7 years. 8 since 2006. The Frozen 4 is in College Station, Pa starting Friday and this will be the 1st one missed by us since 2017. Not a fan of Happy Valley and decided back in September we weren’t going. The #2 Badgers will play #3 and the host team Penn State. That should be a heck of a game because the Badgers are not playing their best. Good enough to win most games but they have made some too close since the return of the Olympians

Trains. I will be at the work bench today. Making control boxes, electrical cabinets and 3 eye wash stations for the paper mills. Some for mine and the others for my friend. Something fast, easy to cut, assemble and paint. I’m trying to avoid the modeling funk that maybe settling in.p I completely skipped yesterday in the train room. I have 4 commission diesels to weather that will be masked today. There are also 16 coil cars, 4 just faded with a couple tags, 2 rust bucket hoods, 4 medium weathered with tags and graffiti decals and 6 with custom graffiti. Those are in the clean box as I have inspected, tested and cleaned them. They will be fun and are quite the mish mash of manufacturers. The newer Rapido ones, old Walthers Proto, Scaletrains Athearn and 2 Bachmann which was surprise. They do however look good and roll very well as these all do. They all have weight added and I should put them on a scale to see how much. These go to Ohio but will be picked up in late April as he works for Epic Systems based in Verona.

Be well