Running Bear's October 2025 Coffee Shop

[kbkchooch]

Good morning gang!

53° under mostly clear skies, heading to a high of 79°.
Short week at work this week. Heading out Friday morning for North Carolina to go see the grandkids. Grandma is having withdrawals. Might have to seek out a hobby shop somewhere around Clayton or Raleigh.
BBL

 

[troyphoto]

Well, howdy there internet peeps and those wondering when Sweater Weather will arrive?

(Tomorrow in NE Indiana)

It's Troy again.

And I can say all is quiet on the "Southern Border". Got an extra two hours of sleep this morning.

Made the wife stay in for supper yesterday, so we both microwaved frozen leftovers.

I'll take her out tonight to make up for it.

On the gaming/MRR front, the test print that I'll use for my next gaming army's diorama display board is about done. If you read my post yesterday you'll know what it is...

This looks like a good print, so I'll have the AI do some math for me to get it down to 1/160 scale for the railroad.

 

[migalyto]

Good morning all!

Our Stretch of warm weather will end today. Currently 60F heading up to a high of 85F. Rain is supposed to come later tonight.
That will drop our temps considerably over the next few days. It will actually feel like fall.

Monday morning household chores this morning, then train room tonight hopefully.

No volleyball game tonight.

Not much else going on at the moment.

Have a safe day everyone!

 

[traiNscale]

hey yall!

wow what a weekend, and what a trainshow! Was great to meet new people that are also infected with the US Modelrailroad Virus. Had some great layouts there (will do a video of the weekend). and i could support my friend and hes sellers booth. Also @TLOC i talked to a swiss guy that looks like hes your weathering god brother hes work is also outstanding. Maybe he can teach me some stuff too

so i will show you all some pictures i took. and i try to remember what you see on the pictures ahaha:

N-Scale around 4.5m long, was maybe the best layout there, California vibes! This was my absolut favorit layout at the show.

a huge H0n3? Modular layout, with many great modules, i did film a bunch of them.

a module from i think 4 modules in total of the OneTrak group (part of NTrak Switzerland)

a guy that i met there, he does those Palms (nScale). All drawn by him and also laser cutted and engraved (on both sides). each Palm ring and also the head are many many MANY parts! and he will bring out more stuff and will start a shop sometimes in the future!

Will let you know when iam done with the Video

Cheers
Marco

 

[TLOC]

hey yall!

wow what a weekend, and what a trainshow! Was great to meet new people that are also infected with the US Modelrailroad Virus. Had some great layouts there (will do a video of the weekend). and i could support my friend and hes sellers booth. Also @TLOC i talked to a swiss guy that looks like hes your weathering god brother hes work is also outstanding. Maybe he can teach me some stuff too

so i will show you all some pictures i took. and i try to remember what you see on the pictures ahaha:

View attachment 242565

N-Scale around 4.5m long, was maybe the best layout there, California vibes! This was my absolut favorit layout at the show.

View attachment 242568

View attachment 242571

a huge H0n3? Modular layout, with many great modules, i did film a bunch of them.

View attachment 242570

a module from i think 4 modules in total of the OneTrak group (part of NTrak Switzerland)

View attachment 242572

a guy that i met there, he does those Palms (nScale). All drawn by him and also laser cutted and engraved (on both sides). each Palm ring and also the head are many many MANY parts! and he will bring out more stuff and will start a shop sometimes in the future!

Will let you know when iam done with the Video

Cheers
Marco

Looks good! Love the California looking layout

 

[RhB Michael]

63°F/62°F this morning at 0700. A little more humid today ahead of the front with high pressure to the southeast pumping up Gulf moisture. Still, not as bad as it could be as it is not sucking it up straight off of the water surface, but skimming it from the southern states and sending it our way. Chances of rain are increasing, but not by much. Might have a light rain shower by 1400 today. St. Louis likely won't see anything.

Cold front coming through early tomorrow afternoon is not likely to produce any precipitation either. The moisture just isn't there despite the dewpoints in the low 60s. Highs tomorrow in the low 70s and for the next five days. Nearly 80 by Saturday.

I'm debating on grass cutting.

Yesterday I finally found the wooden medium size backstrap for my Walther P99. I had the medium hard rubber installed previously, but because of age it started to deteriorate. I noticed cracks near the lower part where the roll pin secures it to the frame. When I removed the backstrap, it crumbled in my fingers. I had a spare in the box along with the small and large size so I pulled those for inspection. The extra medium and the small backstrap disintegrated in my fingers with a slight squeeze. The large size didn't seem to be affected so I had to use that one even though it didn't fit my hand as well.

I'm glad I was able to find the wooden model I bought a quarter century ago for a different P99 that I sold some years ago.

 

[Bruette]

Louis, I’m culling my stuff so I have enough room to change my mind without stepping outdoors. Do you have this book?

View attachment 242556

I will have to look to be sure. I have the DVD series.

 

[Patrick]

Morning all,

Currently 64° and cloudy with rain and a high of 79° predicted for today. Supposed to be in the mid-60's tomorrow.

Came in this morning after the cleaning company "deep" cleaned city hall. Once again personal items disappeared from my desk. I'll complain but the cleaning staff will deny any culpability in the matter, and the head of facilities will take their word. Welcome to my morning...

Spent the last 90 minutes putting my office back together so I could even work. My carpet still wasn't shampooed nor my trash emptied, but my shades were opened and the office left open and unlocked.

BBL

 

[Bruette]

I am becoming a POST HOG

I'm not sure what that is. If it means you are posting too much, I say not enough, don't be stingy.

 

[Bruette]

I will have to look to be sure. I have the DVD series.

Yes, @bnsf971 I do. Thank you for thinking of me.

 

[Bruette]

I have impressed myself! I was able to go up to my attic/train (storage) room/library/playpen check my bookshelves and return in a matter of minutes. Why is that impressive to me? Because only a few weeks ago I would have struggled to make it up with steps with all the stuff I had stacked up on the steps. Not to mention the cluster f... mess I would have faced once I made it up the steps. I am making progress! I may even have a layout sometime in the future, God willing.

The cool thing is I have been finding stuff I had forgotten I bought! And my inventory is more complete than it has been in years. Although far from finished.

 

[Kusojiji]

Yeah, it's like going shopping for old stuff... I just dug out my Lifelike Proto 2000 stuff.

 

[TLOC]

Good morning from my part of So. Central Wisconsin. MIGALYTO (Mike) and I are per Maps 103 miles apart. He is south of me in Illinois. Somewhere between us is the dividing line of his beautiful high of 85 and my ok seasonal high of 64. It’s 62f degrees now. We will stay in the 60’s for the daily high until Friday when the WeatherChannel’s guess is mid 70’s. The rains are coming today with a 50/50 chance today lasting into this evening.

The SIL did not bring my Atlas O scale Sd70Ace back from his trip to the hobby shop. It wasn’t the one I had put on hold for pickup and because we were at Volleyball he couldn’t get ahold of me. He took the grandson and 3 friends to buy slot cars and the 3 boys and 1 girl got a heck of a deal and another sponsor for the series of slot cars racing they are trying to hold monthly. The 16th and 17th are the next races because those 2 dates are teacher service days and no school. Last night at 6pm all 4 plus the SIL were at the bench at the grandson’s house. I gifted all 5 (yep SIL also) a tool kit and lube for the cars. I then showed them how to disassemble their new slot cars. Clean the gears, check the balance of tires and lightly oil the spots the instruction sheet that comes with slot cars says to oil. It’s like disassembling a new locomotive and cleaning the gear box’s. It should be done but not everyone does it. Later on we tested the cars. We run the races normally at 10volts to slow the cars unrealistic top speeds. But last night we put the normal 14 volts into the system. All 4 agreed the cars were too fast and I put it back to 10 volts. The cars are then not a blur at the top speeds.

The Badger Volleyball team played Michigan and early in the 1st set lost their sophomore All American setter to a shoulder injury. You could hear her scream when it occurred and the UW Fieldhouse which is a crazy loud gym went immediately deadly silent. 7000+ people and you could hear the pin drop! I immediately thought dislocation but could not see anything strange, then I thought pulled muscle. She came back out about 15 minutes later in a sling and ice pack on her shoulder to stand with her team, but I think she’ll be gone awhile. The son has had 2 separated shoulders and based on the way the sling was set it could be that. The University will just announce it as an upper body injury while everyone else just guesses like I just did. While not a pretty match the freshman setter that replaced her stepped up and did a very good job. The Badgers did pull out the 1st set after being down 11-15 and won 25-22. They did win all 3 sets but with close scores.

Today’s plan is to head to the grocery store for the buy 2 16.9 ounce 6 packs of Dr Pepper products at $5.00 each or $10 total and get 3 packs free. To keep tradition when going to this particular grocery store a walk into the freshly made bakery department is a must. A chocolate eau Clair filled with custard is a must buy for me. Terry will get a plate sized apple or blueberry fritter.

Train plans for the week are minimal. I cancelled out a couple weeks ago of all OPS sessions for October I had signed for.

Layout work sessions that had been normally on Thursdays in 2024 and 2025 became Wednesday’s in July then August. It now looks like the 2 layout owners want to keep the Wednesday’s. So a session this week for sure. They alternate sessions but the one this Wednesday has a layout tour this month and he’d like to have most of the facade mock ups for his paper mill buildings installed. So I’ll be over there a few times this month skipping the other layout. I’ve got a space 2’ wide x 32’ long and 22” high to the next level to work with. I have the Digestor and support building framework done. The brick work and metal siding will be installed after the fitting, trimming and owner approval happens. The machine building (where the paper is made) is 8’ (real length) long and 4 stories or 60’ high (HO Scale). Originally it was to be 2 4’ sections of styrene cladded to 1/2” plywood and window openings cut out. Now it’s 18” long sections with window sections laser cut. The supporting frame work will be 1/2 x 1/2” birch plywood. I’ll do pictures when I add the buildings to the layout. This is by far the biggest paper mill complex I have designed and built. It’s abut 7’ longer than my own and almost 20’ longer then what I normally have designed. The finish details (when $$$ permit) on this complex when completed over the next couple years should be outstanding

Enjoy the day

 

[santafewillie]

Good Morning All. Clear and 66°, high near 90° later today. Temperatures for the whole 10 day forecast have been revised upward a couple of degrees every day except Wednesday at 83°. Lows every night in the mid-60's. Still no rain in sight. This is fall for us.

Rather typical Sunday for me yesterday, the usual chores and the bed linen laundry. Gave the weedeater a good workout around the back porch and the pool. Grilled some marinated boneless chicken thighs for supper. Tonight it's extra-thick pork chops.
Despite the fact that it hasn't rained in 3 weeks, the yard is still growing and I am going to have to mow some more areas. Skipped doing it yesterday. Need to do a regular load of laundry today. I have no set schedule for that, just whenever we have enough for a full load. Wife came home yesterday with two days of stuff but I don't mix that with the bed linens...different cycles!

Yesterday out in the train shed, I added the stirrup steps to the woodchip hopper that I posted about. I also weathered the other one, again just lightly.

While I had the graffiti decaling stuff out, I did another car that I won't weather right now. It is a white UP car that has just been begging to be tagged.

I'm not sure that I have ever seen a UP car while railfanning that wasn't tagged.

Regarding graffiti on railcars. I don't either approve or disapprove of it. It is a fact of life in the era that I model, so I do represent it. I think that it is stupid and is a colossal waste of time and resources by those doing it. I didn't really see much of it until the late-80's while railfanning, and then mainly on UP and SP cars. I know that it started much earlier, but it took time for those cars to filter into my part of the country. We didn't get many East Coast cars here, either then or now, so I don't really know about them. But looking at afleetcommand's videos, it seems to be quite prevalent there also.

John -

Some how that makes me think of an electrical extension cord with a male plug on both ends.

Commonly known as "suicide cords".
David -

Okay. Okay. So you get some sunshine. Some people love to 'rub it in'.

Sorry, but your weather depresses me!
Troy -

Well, howdy there internet peeps and those wondering when Sweater Weather will arrive?

I don't even own a sweater.
Tom O - You were sure posting late last night!
There may be a snitch in your neighborhood, but that illegal neighbor doesn't seem to be an overall good guy, despite being friendly.
Marco - Really great layouts and pictures.

Everyone have a marvelous Monday. Be safe out there.

 

[Patrick]

Willie: Thanks for the road width recommendations. The narrower roadways (mostly rural) will help with my planning. Are you using the same widths for intown as well? (Thinking downtown type streets).

 

[migalyto]

Came in this morning after the cleaning company "deep" cleaned city hall. Once again personal items disappeared from my desk. I'll complain but the cleaning staff will deny any culpability in the matter, and the head of facilities will take their word. Welcome to my morning...

There's not cameras all over the place?

Every City building in our town has a camera in every corner it seems!

 

[migalyto]

The cool thing is I have been finding stuff I had forgotten I bought! And my inventory is more complete than it has been in years. Although far from finished.

Its always fun to take the deep dive in the boxes under the layout.

Last year I found a box of N scale locomotives, building kits and rolling stock I thought had been long sold off when I switched from
N to HO.

My Ho scale stuff I have a better handle on knowing what I have thankfully!

 

[NorthBrit]

Good afternoon all. Afternoon Tea, Flo. Add an extra scone and jam please.

Bradley Manor on the Severn Valley Railway

A Sunny Day

 

[TLOC]

Good Morning All. Clear and 66°, high near 90° later today. Temperatures for the whole 10 day forecast have been revised upward a couple of degrees every day except Wednesday at 83°. Lows every night in the mid-60's. Still no rain in sight. This is fall for us.

Rather typical Sunday for me yesterday, the usual chores and the bed linen laundry. Gave the weedeater a good workout around the back porch and the pool. Grilled some marinated boneless chicken thighs for supper. Tonight it's extra-thick pork chops.
Despite the fact that it hasn't rained in 3 weeks, the yard is still growing and I am going to have to mow some more areas. Skipped doing it yesterday. Need to do a regular load of laundry today. I have no set schedule for that, just whenever we have enough for a full load. Wife came home yesterday with two days of stuff but I don't mix that with the bed linens...different cycles!

Yesterday out in the train shed, I added the stirrup steps to the woodchip hopper that I posted about. I also weathered the other one, again just lightly.
View attachment 242580
While I had the graffiti decaling stuff out, I did another car that I won't weather right now. It is a white UP car that has just been begging to be tagged.
View attachment 242581
I'm not sure that I have ever seen a UP car while railfanning that wasn't tagged.

Regarding graffiti on railcars. I don't either approve or disapprove of it. It is a fact of life in the era that I model, so I do represent it. I think that it is stupid and is a colossal waste of time and resources by those doing it. I didn't really see much of it until the late-80's while railfanning, and then mainly on UP and SP cars. I know that it started much earlier, but it took time for those cars to filter into my part of the country. We didn't get many East Coast cars here, either then or now, so I don't really know about them. But looking at afleetcommand's videos, it seems to be quite prevalent there also.

John -

Commonly known as "suicide cords".
David -

Sorry, but your weather depresses me!
Troy -

I don't even own a sweater.
Tom O - You were sure posting late last night!
There may be a snitch in your neighborhood, but that illegal neighbor doesn't seem to be an overall good guy, despite being friendly.
Marco - Really great layouts and pictures.

Everyone have a marvelous Monday. Be safe out there.

I was reading before midnight and it was one of those I’m almost done can I finish it. I did but then couldn’t sleep. So I popped in here

As for the deportee. I have absolutely no issue with anyone coming in legally. School and work visas are fine but go back when they expire or apply legitimately to stay. That’s a huge thing here because within 100 miles of us just in Wisconsin are 4 major Universities with at least 25,000 full time students each, UW Madison has close to 45,000. They claim 30% stay on illegally after the visas expire and that’s wrong. Many of those are Asian to work in our software industries. Back to the deportee, yes he’s back illegally but obviously had help to come back, especially so quick. Probably his church group and that’s really wrong in my book. We have 2 church owned houses up the street from me that per records sold for 6 to 700,000 in 2022 to the church. The church then tried to get them tax exempted which caused a big stir for the surrounding houses. I’m sure that one of those neighbors called ICE because the State, County and local PD have said they are staying out of immigration raids unless asked to do crowd control.

 

[ctclibby]

Good Morning All!

33F at 79% Geesh, 33F? Guess that winter is on us. To be 62F later.

Man, if I don't 'do the forum' for a couple days it takes quite awhile to catch back up.

For those of you that think swapping a tortilla with a slice of white bread gets you anything - think again. White is white and that is carbs.

Was concerned with the peanut butter/honey/tortilla story though. Have been in almost the same position although not quite as bad... Swig of your fav fluid each bite is the way to go. Note that you can do almost the same thing with rare meat. No clue why that decides to stick in the craw though. I have put myself upside down to help get that out... Well, anyway probably not what you want to read about.

The Chick/Goat house has the 1st coat of paint on the hard part. Maria and I looked at each other and decided that the eaves up high are going to wait until Spring when we can get the ground leveled around the thing and use a man lift. Guy down the street has one on the cheap. I just don't like 12' ladders anymore. In fact, the 4 step stool with the wide steps is even suspect. The El-Cheapo airless seems to be working flawless. I did get over spray on my glasses, and have new 'age spots' on my hands and lower arms... Spraying Chocolate for the major T1-11, some sort of Red for the trim. Only have one place where it dripped. Think that was my fault, not the paint consistency. Oh well.

Brice ( State Patrol ) next door is telling us that the illegal people currently here will probably be gone tomorra or the next day because we hit 33F last night. Cold weather benefit? Maybe. Well, we know that our weather gets people gone, but did not realize we had illegal's. Most come with the best intentions, then winter hits, gone baby gone in Spring. Yup, cleaning up/out the other pellet stoves, did the Living/Dining one yesterday. Did not realize that the 33F was gonna happen or I would have been more 'on it' than I was.

L8r