Running Bear's September 2022 Coffee Shop

[TLOC]

Good morning worriers of world events, traffic managers, observers and folk unfortunately caught up in the weather. I am sitting on an enclosed deck in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. It is warmer here at 54f degrees feeling like 47 then the 48 at home feeling like 42. But the high today here will be 56 and 60 at home. The propane heat stands are both running, I have a hoodie on, jeans and for the 1st time this Fall, I am wearing socks. I may have worn socks 3 times this past Summer for special events where I also wore a button down shirt. Retirement is good.

No trains or modeling for me in Door County. The Door County Penisula on a Sunday Packer afternoon though does remind me of Wisconsin in the 70’s, 80’ and 90’s when nothing moved while the team was on TV. Not so true anymore but definitely here. I watched maybe 2 minutes of game action and that was the final 2 minutes of the 4th quarter.

Terry is feeling better! But wants to head home to rest and continue recovering from her bee/wasp encounter. I am packed and showered so I am ready. It’s 3 hours depending on traffic if I drive and 2.5 if she does.

Troy, good timing getting out of Florida. Gary, tree damage is much better as you know then home or personal damage, be safe. Those also in the path of Ian, be careful.

Patrick, a 6:30 start will feel so strange and will take some adjustment. Best to you!

Sherrel, my friend! Come back we miss you.

Willie, enjoy the time away.

I see the preseason NHL hockey games have started. That also to me means wire armature tree trunk building season. During a game I could in the past create around 20 trunks and branch structures.

Terry is up, the TV has been on for 5 minutes and I see the scrolling says a school shooting in Russia with 13 dead! It’s a weird world we are living in!

enjoy the day

 

[TLOC]

Thanks Tom - we are safe and sane truck drivers; only for TWO mo runs!

I suspect the powers that be won't say squat, especially if the complaint came from an advertiser or marketing group. If this is the case, I feel for them as they have to keep paying the bills. It sure looks like participation has dwindled because of the choice, maybe even loosing users that have gone away without saying anything to anybody. Would be interesting to see the "page hit summary" for last month and in a few days for this month. If you don't have users, ya sure are not gonna have advertisers. Quite the scale to balance.

Later

2 more runs! Congrats

 

[logandsawman]

What's that saying
"you can always please some of the people all of the time, but never please all of the people all of the time"

Abraham Lincoln, I believe

 

[troyphoto]

dang Willie, you could do one heck of a dive into that pool.

Before you get any daring ideas, Willie, the Mythbusters did an episode of tossing a mattress off to land on from about a 5th-floor jump. The Xrays of the medical "simdaver" dummies they dropped weren't pretty.

My rule before saying "Hold my beer, watch this..." is Have the Mythbusters done an episode on that? and if not, should they have?
If the answer is yes, then I don't do it.

 

[TLOC]

I guess if ya can't talk politics in the correct vein, ya can't talk it at all.
Been tryin to get setup for members of the club I recently joined to come by here next Saturday for a open house view of the empire. Two different members have offered to send me the club email roster so I could put out a message. Haven't heard back from either one.
I finished up what should have been a small task late last night after 10pm. One of the sidings on the layout was powered from the mainline bus. When a loco or freight car with Dust Monkeys was in the siding, the mainline showed occupied. Should have been an easy task to swap that power drop over to a non-signaled bus, but noooooo! Somehow in the process I created a short that took over an hour to find. It was in a cluster of wires away from where I was working. The insulation tape had fallen off the wires. Stuff dried out over the years, so the glue was gone. To make it tougher, the shorting wires were able to pull themselves into a pass-through hole in a 2X4 so it wasn't easy to spot it. Gremlins, hard at work down there.
One of the items I've been putting off now for the past three or four years is a grade crossing signal system. I've got as far as installing the gate and buck boards. Just can't bring myself to get into figuring out the sensors and Tortoise machine application.

The joys of wiring. Remember when DCC was only 2 wires and u were ready to go! What a croc that line was/is.

Ken, if you hadn’t told the world about the session coming up the layout would never have known! I had a session where 1 hour before my base station stopped working! I am 4 miles from the LHS and I drive and got a new one in time tipi start. 2 days later plugged the old one back in, all was fine. A week or so of running daily no problems. Friends showed up to operate and it stopped again. I have used the backup ever since.

You just never know. Have fun

 

[TLOC]

Before you get any daring ideas, Willie, the Mythbusters did an episode of tossing a mattress off to land on from about a 5th-floor jump. The Xrays of the medical "simdaver" dummies they dropped weren't pretty.

My rule before saying "Hold my beer, watch this..." is Have the Mythbusters done an episode on that? and if not, should they have?
If the answer is yes, then I don't do it.

Another show I have not seen 1 minute of

 

[troyphoto]

As for politics on this thread... there are a few hot-button issues that make my knees jerk. And I try really hard to stay away from those here.

But after my encounter with the rapid-fire conspiracy theorist at lunch the other day, what we've been discussing is calm and rational. We were actually diving beyond the politics and getting into the underlying issues (immigration policy is very messy, with lots of external factors affecting it). The same with solar.

I'm actually impressed that some of you with strong convictions on the side of the aisle I'd normally predict to hate solar, have adopted it in your personal lives. Kudos. That shows that most issues that have political import, have a lot of wiggle room before we get into the politics.

The danger comes from repeating the talking points from one side or another. Once we move past those and get into the meat of how to recycle batteries, or why refugees from X country are seeking asylum here, the conversation stays civil. It's the knee-jerk talking points from the talking heads that get everyone riled up. Unfortunately, that's the first reaction most of us have to such discussions.

And the talking points are probably what got flagged as "political"

 

[troyphoto]

Another show I have not seen 1 minute of

I RARELY watch TV, but I have the entire run of it on iTumes. (minus season 1 when it was very rough, and one "Hollywood" episode that is too pricey for them to release on digital streaming due to movie clips included).

I do recommend it. They started as generic show with a schtick (busting urban myths), but quickly grew into a narrative science-based show. I follow Adam Savage (one of the stars) on YouTube. He does a lot of Q&A in his new role as owner and lead personality at his "Tested" channel there. He is often answering Qs about the show. He is most proud of how the show helped grow a fledgling "Maker Movement" and build enthusiasm for STEM programs in school.

As for Mythbusters, Adam is heavily involved in Geek and Nerdom. Prior to covid, he used his celebrity within the maker movement to help the Smithsonian (I think it was them) create a 3D printed hatch replica from one of the Appolo capsules. Every part, or part of part printed by a different person across the country. Adam and his team of "builders" assembled the pieces in the museum, live-streaming all of it live.

I'm a big advocate of the show, and how it grew to what it was. But, like all good things, it had to end. I miss it. But go back to it when I'm tired and just want something fun to watch that isn't stupid-fun.

 

[chadbag]

I'm actually impressed that some of you with strong convictions on the side of the aisle I'd normally predict to hate solar, have adopted it in your personal lives. Kudos. That shows that most issues that have political import,

The opposition is usually based on government mandates and the attack on other forms of energy, not on the technology itself. I have no problem with saving money on a month to month basis with solar (of course a big chunk of change to enter the club)...

 

[Smudge617]

dang Willie, you could do one heck of a dive into that pool.

Thanks, now got the image of Willie diving off into the pool with no trunks on and a neighbour pointing and saying "Oh look, it's free Willie."

 

[Smudge617]

Gentleman and Ladies, may I suggest we close on these subject(s) what's done is done, what's said has been said. Ì bèlieve it's time we move on.

Now, can someone explain why flo always brings me black coffee, and never has any tea and biscuits???

And why can't I get any cucumber sandwiches ??

 

[Alcomotive]

dang Willie, you could do one heck of a dive into that pool.

Mine would be a swan dive into a triple lindy belly flop! LoL

 

[TLOC]

I RARELY watch TV, but I have the entire run of it on iTumes. (minus season 1 when it was very rough, and one "Hollywood" episode that is too pricey for them to release on digital streaming due to movie clips included).

I do recommend it. They started as generic show with a schtick (busting urban myths), but quickly grew into a narrative science-based show. I follow Adam Savage (one of the stars) on YouTube. He does a lot of Q&A in his new role as owner and lead personality at his "Tested" channel there. He is often answering Qs about the show. He is most proud of how the show helped grow a fledgling "Maker Movement" and build enthusiasm for STEM programs in school.

As for Mythbusters, Adam is heavily involved in Geek and Nerdom. Prior to covid, he used his celebrity within the maker movement to help the Smithsonian (I think it was them) create a 3D printed hatch replica from one of the Appolo capsules. Every part, or part of part printed by a different person across the country. Adam and his team of "builders" assembled the pieces in the museum, live-streaming all of it live.

I'm a big advocate of the show, and how it grew to what it was. But, like all good things, it had to end. I miss it. But go back to it when I'm tired and just want something fun to watch that isn't stupid-fun.

I will take a look, thanks

 

[TLOC]

Gentleman and Ladies, may I suggest we close on these subject(s) what's done is done, what's said has been said. Ì bèlieve it's time we move on.

Now, can someone explain why flo always brings me black coffee, and never has any tea and biscuits???

And why can't I get any cucumber sandwiches ??

She just thinks the accent is quaint and you are just one of the guys! That is a compliment.

Also, think about it. Have you seen any vegetables expect Willie’s and others pictures of their gardens in the diner? Heck, JazA shows more veggies in 3 posts then Mel the diner owner probably has ever seen

 

[Alcomotive]

Thank you my friend, just tired now…..lol

Gary - I am glad you are doing ok. I have been following the storm and aftermath closely. My eldest nephew Ethan is attending his undergrad at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. He says they will not have power until Thursday the earliest. Lots of tree damage etc. He lives off campus but only about a 10 to 15 minute walk away. One of the campus buildings has generator power and he is able to go there and charge his phone and laptop etc. Anyways he graduates this coming spring. He's quite an accomplished writer and has published 9 times already (5 books and 4 short stories) since he graduated High School. He is 23 yrs old. Anyways he and his 2 brothers are struggling with the loss of their mother. (my baby sister) We are still working through that the best we can.

Just glad you and yours are ok and you can move forward.

Peace
James

 

[Alcomotive]

Thanks, now got the image of Willie diving off into the pool with no trunks on and a neighbour pointing and saying "Oh look, it's free Willie."

I just snorted my OJ thanks! LMAO!

 

[troyphoto]

Gentleman and Ladies, may I suggest we close on these subject(s) what's done is done, what's said has been said. Ì bèlieve it's time we move on.

Now, can someone explain why flo always brings me black coffee, and never has any tea and biscuits???

And why can't I get any cucumber sandwiches ??

And Orange Chips. My gamer friend from the Black Country park of England said I should try them.

But, Mel has never heard of them.

 

[Alcomotive]

Here we go....let us see how high this one will go for......

Utah Belt Proto 2000 PS-2 HO 3 Bay Covered Hopper | eBay

This Utah Belt Proto 2000 PS-2 HO 3 Bay Covered Hopper was constructed from a kit. Remember those kits? They were not just "shake-a-box" kits, but took several hours to complete. This car is equipped with "made in America" Kadee metal couplers and is heavily weathered. I do not have the...

www.ebay.com

 

[chadbag]

Last week my son and I nd then the rest of the family on the weekend finished tying rebar and also put down the steel reinforcement mesh and the little black plastic "rebar chairs" to raise it all off the foam. The wife and I finished the last of the chair placement Saturday night at 12:30am. The boy started Saturday around 12:30 and I went up about 1pm -- had a hard time getting my engine going Saturday. And except a short break to get my staple gun and my replacement foam gun (and eat a 5 min lunch) around 3pm, and then an hours dinner break around 8:30pm, I was working on it that late. The wife and daughter helped in the afternoon and the wife came back in the evening and then late at night. The boy was there the whole time until around 8pm when he had an engagement.

This morning I went up at 6:35 and the pump trick was already there as were about 7 trucks and cars with the concrete workers and the owner/boss of the company. They set up and I watched and answered questions (and had to cut some foam wrap around 2 drain pipes so that some "tubes" could slide down to the metal mesh) for almost an hour and then left to go to some work meetings and get out of their way. An hour ago I went back up and the pump truck was just finishing up getting cleaned up and put away and the concrete crew were doing finish work on the finished slab...

The pumper pics are setting up and taking down. The pic with the foam and mesh is from last Friday or Saturday before we finished laying all the mesh and "chairs" out.

 

[Patrick]

Afternoon all,

Still not much today at the office. Trying to setup a new server OS to see how it behaves.

TomO: My start time now is 6:30a, just usually in before or around 6:00a. It wil be closer to about 6:15 when I start getting in next week.

Chad: Soon be able to start framing and getting it enclosed. Hopefully before snow starts.