Running Bear's April 2019 Coffee Shop


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montanan said:
Good morning. 32 degrees with about 3 inches of partly cloudy on the ground. Mike do not keep it his way. Already up to 38 with an expected high near 50 later today should bear things off.

Chuck - Really happy that you are impressed with the B unit. Hope the A unit matches the performance.

Willie - Nice photos of the church. Every photo yo post will add so much interest to your layout. Another winner.

Greg - Working with detailed locomotives can really be a pain. Trying not to break off any of the detail parts is difficult at times.

Dave - Another great photo. Like the details.

Karl - Hard to believe that the club president was unaware oof the NMRA function. I can see wht you got your panties in a bunch.

Medicare for All - Don't know how that's going to work. The plan is also to remove all of the health care insurers. I got my bill in the mail yesterday for just the surgeon and it was $5,200. Medicare only allowed $1,600 for the procedure. That would leave me to pay the balance. Thankfully my Blue Cross supplement picked up the balance. Sounds almost as bad as the Unaffrodable Care Act. Still waiting for the bill from the hospital.

I did get to run trains for a while yesterday being that the NASCAR race was on Saturday. Did a lot of switching and let the Northern Pacific F units out on the rails for a while pulling 32 cars.

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Can't wait to get them running at the club later this month.

Physical therapy again later this morning and then lunch with friends. .

Later
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Hi Chet
yes the A unit arrived , have been at it for the last 2 hours ,Fantastic value for the money .
only one complaint , it is in New York Livery , so got to find myself a Great Northern shell or similar
had a peek on bachmanns site , but all sold out . lovely photo there :)
Medicare WOW they sure know how to charge
i remember as a kid growing up my old man was always banging on at me 3 professions Doctor , Dentist , or Lawyer
pity i did not listen , the medical costs here are just as bad .that is if you can get an appointment
its a sad thing to say but the Medical care here has hit rock bottom , they do a bed count every day on the web here
last time i looked there was something like 100.385 paitents having to spend nights on trolleys awaiting beds pretty dull eh ?
take care , regards to all in the household .
https://www.irishexaminer.com/break...385-patients-without-hospital-bed-888673.html

Chuck
 
chessie_system3 said:
Afternoon fellers. More chilly of a start today than the past several days. Highs only in the 50s today. Didn't get to work on my layout this weekend. Shoot I didn't even get to run trains. Oh well. I'm beginning to think I'll have to do late night work to it if I want to get anything done. The baby is a handful. Anyways I have some more pictures to share.
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Lovely pic of the Cabesse one caboose well thats just a caboose 2 or more thats cabesse lol { Great pics }
 
chessie_system3 said:
https://issuu.com/jsport65/docs/top-notch_track_plans/43
Boy I could have used this during construction of my layout. Some really good ideas in this book. I'll have to snag me a copy off of eBay or somewhere.
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Nice Find!

I found I had 2 similar track plan books I had purchased years ago...I think I now know how to run 2 trains on different controllers. I also think I'm going to blow one up if I hook it up wrong. Things you find when you're looking for something else.
 
Good afternoon...

checking in before we go out on a walk,

Greg-- nice soo line photo!

Chet-- another nice layout shot

Here are a couple photos of the flat cars I am working on

I used some NP decals. According to the records I could find, the only 2 flats NP had as of 1908 were numbered 52 and 53, and were under a different name as well. These are fictitious cars, but the numbers could have existed:

In 1928 they ordered a large number of 41' flats, however. That is toward the tail end of my era so I decided to use these low numbers instead.

IMG_1253.JPG

I just put a little paint on the bottom to cover up the JB weld epoxy
IMG_1254.JPG

Not sure if I will use the sides, however they came with the kit so I painted them, powdered them then used dull coat. Not sure if I am leaving them like this or not

IMG_1255.JPG

more later, Dave
 
Good Afternoon Everyone...Still sunny and the 5 inches of snow from yesterday is all but a memory.

Did some projects on the layout. I have some N&J incandescent dwarf signals that I wanted to wire in the Pine Yard. I wired one signal and boy did I have a lapse of memory on how to wire the signals to a Tortoise switch machine. So simple, but I screwed up which terminal on the Tortoise did what. I did figure it out and they worked. One problem is the location of the signal. It should be on main but is in the yard. Once the engineer knows that this signal shows that the engineer can push cars straight ahead or take the secondary route it makes sense. Actually this signal shows the position of two turnouts and when set for the diverting route it takes the engineer onto another yard spur. Easy after a while to understand.

There is one more to wire and I leave that for tomorrow. I'll piggy back the electrical feed wires from turnout to turnout to keep it simple.

Both these signals are either on the wrong side of the tracks or facing the wrong direction which is intentional so the engineer can see the signal indication.

When I leave or enter Union Station in Chicago I try to understand their signaling logic. Some signals I do understand but others seem to be just sitting in Never Never Land.

Fixed or re-glued the sun shade on the SOO GP 38-2. It looks better now than it did before I saw that shade was pressed against the cab body. I can't believe that I've had this locomotive for four years.

Willie: Sad about Notre Dame burning, I hate to see anything historic get damaged since it is so irreplaceable. All the history that happened within its walls.

Chet: That little Bachmann 70 Tonner of mine is working hard pulling a CenterLine car as a brake in test.

Justin: I have a copy of that book somewhere and I always enjoyed reading it.

Looks like its time next week to start the dehumidifier in the basement. I have a smaller one that we purchased for my MIL's basement and a larger one that I need to look at since it has a larger capacity to remove water. It may be a loose wire or some thing simple since it doesn't have a lot of operating hours. If it's Freon, then I take it to service repair and have then check for the leak and refill. If I was still working, I would have the Facilities guys check that since they were all licensed for refrigerant handling.

Later....

Greg
 
Afternoon All,

Did some chores outside and inside getting ready for the extended family get together on Easter. I was getting ready to use the automated pool cleaner today and busted the swivel collar that goes on the vacuum head:(, so tomorrow I have to go to the pool store. Luckily the part is less than $9.

I'm very sad to hear about Notre Dame. I was lucky to visit it as a teenager with my family during my Dad's Army tour in the FRG. I truly hope it wasn't intentionally set.

Sherrel- Nice photo. See I noticied;).

CA Dave- Good to see you posting. I hope your leg feels better and you're septic tank is fixed.

Chuck- You should post some pictures of you're new locos.

Johnny- Sounds like a fun family time.

Willie- The church reminds me of the one I had as a kid on my first layout. Unfortunately over reach happens frequently on my layout. Interesting looking storage facility.

Dave- Nice layout shot.

I hope everyone has a good night.
 
Boris said:
Chet: Not to create another storm, but under Medicare, it doesn't matter what the surgeon charges, the most the provider gets is what Medicare allows. Medicare pays 80% and the Supplement carrier pays 20%. You are NOT responsible for the balance billed. And the providers are all aware of the requirement. A good supplement plan will cover any deductibles, and there are no co-pays like in those frequently advertised Medicare Advantage HMO Plans. The only ones hurt by the concept of Medicare for All would be the vested interests, ie: providers, Hospitals and Insurers.

After years of cost sharing, deductibles, co-payments, and Network Restrictions, I went to straight Medicare plus supplement. Everything is straight forward and I never have to pay out of pocket.

Boris
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I was driving when my wife was reading the bill. I am not responsible for the balance, right on the Blue Cross statement. I also have a Medicare Plus Supplement plan.
 
PRR Modeler said:
Afternoon All,

Did some chores outside and inside getting ready for the extended family get together on Easter. I was getting ready to use the automated pool cleaner today and busted the swivel collar that goes on the vacuum head:(, so tomorrow I have to go to the pool store. Luckily the part is less than $9.

I'm very sad to hear about Notre Dame. I was lucky to visit it as a teenager with my family during my Dad's Army tour in the FRG. I truly hope it wasn't intentionally set.

Sherrel- Nice photo. See I noticied;).

CA Dave- Good to see you posting. I hope your leg feels better and you're septic tank is fixed.

Chuck- You should post some pictures of you're new locos.

Johnny- Sounds like a fun family time.

Willie- The church reminds me of the one I had as a kid on my first layout. Unfortunately over reach happens frequently on my layout. Interesting looking storage facility.

Dave- Nice layout shot.

I hope everyone has a good night.
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Curt: Thanks, your thoughts and concern are appreciated !
 
santafewillie said:
Good Morning All. Clear and 51°, still dark though. How about a breakfast burrito and OJ here this morning Flo. Yesterday turned out to be a beautiful day, except for the wet ground and some remaining standing water. Probably will hit 80° later today with high winds from the south for the next three days. Steady barometer for three days. Ate lunch in Muenster TX yesterday, a German town nearby. I had sauerbraten, red cabbage and potatoes, along with some hearty German beer.They are setting up for "Germanfest" coming up later this month, their spring equivalent of Oktoberfest. Muenster isn't a big town, maybe 1500 people, but this celebration is a big deal in this part of Texas. There's several other German communities nearby, including the town of Lindsay where our Catholic church is located. Muenster also has a Catholic grade school/high school as well as public schools.

Thanks for the comments and likes about yesterday's posting, Dave, Phil, Garry, Chet, Chuck,Curt, Jim and all others whom I may have overlooked.
What have I got for today? How about the church in Charlottesville with the cross laying on the ground, a probable victim of overreaching!:mad:
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This structure is so old that I don't remember who manufactured the kit; Patal, Lifelike or Model Power maybe?

Limited time in the train shed yesterday, so I started the quarterly cleanup area of the layout. This quarter it's the general northwest corner of the upper level. In short, my layout is large so I have it divided into eight sections, and I clean/dust/repair/upgrade one section each yearly quarter over a two year period. I also took a few progress pictures of the Bar Mills laser-cut kit, 'Oakleaf Industries" that I am working on over at the workbench. Structures are all now fastened to the base; next up is the wooden bumper around the entire base, additional signs, detailing, steps, weathering and people/junk. Another three or four days depending on my mood. This is a displat board set up just for pictures. With the window behind the workbench, it's really hard to take pictures there!:(
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Dave - Enjoy your stay in Duluth later this week and have a safe trip. Flat cars are looking good so far. I think that I may have a single freight car from Hobby Line around somewhere, rather vintage models.
Dana - Nice bridges.
Chet - That shot of Logan is one of my favorites on your layout. It definitely has that "small town" feel to it, with those grand old trees and well maintained homes. A lot of traffic there as well.

I am trying to keep it interesting, with different themes in different towns. I think that I now have all of the switching industries that I need, 75 or so; I now need to concentrate on filling towns with businesses and homes along with finishing the scenery. I still need to find some additional small structures to fill in empty spaces. Being as it is mostly a narrow (24" - 32") shelf layout, I cannot offer views like your mainstreet
Greg -

I know the feeling.

Is your layout in a basement or garage? You do seem to have a bit more of a clean track problem than most.

Most of the newer Athearn RTR's have operating windows. It was bizarre when I first noticed several months after purchasing one, then realized that several that I had purchased a few years earlier had them as well.
Sherrel - If anyone can break the forum, it would be you or Louis!:cool: Nice picture of that Frisco U25B. I occasionally saw them in the early 70's running by the place that I worked. The high short hood really stood out.
Mark -

Gotta remember that Chuck is across the pond in Ireland! Five or six hours ahead of us.

Hey! It's tax day. If you owe then you better pay up or file that extension (still have to pay an estimation). If they owe you, they don't care when you file.
Everybody have a great day.
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Willie:. Ser Gutt auf der deutcher restraunt ! My German speak is very bad these days.

Your pictures show up very nicely showing detail in the shadows as they should. I noticed you used a low angle on the back side to keep the window light off the lens which would have thrown the off considerable ! Ser Gutt (very good).
 
I'm
Sirfoldalot said:
Joe - It gets that way quite often. I have noticed that after my post in the mornings, sometimes I think that I have broken the forum - as it may be hours before anyone else posts. Then, on top of that - lots of the time NO ONE comments on my photos, or content! Anyway, I'm just "messing". I have been totally bored as of late, and sucking through retirement monies with med co-pays and RV stuff and auto repair - - not to mention buying another vehicle. I know where the Black Hole is hanging out!

Like I said - I am just on a down for the moment - the pendulum will swing!
The last two days productive time probably could have been accomplished in 4 hours.
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Sherrel:. Sorry to hear you've been having a. rough go of it. Money problems are a real PIA to say the least. Retirement requires some strict budgetting nowadays it seems.
Like you said, the pendulm swings both ways. Trick is to salt away as possible and keep expenses at a minimum. It's the only way I get bye.
 
logandsawman said:
Good afternoon...

checking in before we go out on a walk,

Greg-- nice soo line photo!

Chet-- another nice layout shot

Here are a couple photos of the flat cars I am working on

I used some NP decals. According to the records I could find, the only 2 flats NP had as of 1908 were numbered 52 and 53, and were under a different name as well. These are fictitious cars, but the numbers could have existed:

In 1928 they ordered a large number of 41' flats, however. That is toward the tail end of my era so I decided to use these low numbers instead.

View attachment 36017

I just put a little paint on the bottom to cover up the JB weld epoxy
View attachment 36018

Not sure if I will use the sides, however they came with the kit so I painted them, powdered them then used dull coat. Not sure if I am leaving them like this or not

View attachment 36019

more later, Dave
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Dave Lg&Sm: Thanks for noticing prior I found my way back to the fourms here. That maze of switches caused a real problem.

The MDC Roundhouse shorty flats are rather cute and with the sides and ends you can create a variety of cars, such as low sidded gondolas or just the sides for carrying bed lengths of pipe or rail, etc.

I have about 8 of them, mine came with a metal base. No, I just remembered that one was like what you described and is all plastic and I had to cut and file the plastic center beam to fit the upper deck but it made into a neat flat car too. I just added some items on the deck for a bit more weight but using metal wheels in the trucks helps considerably.

An easy and cheap way to get a lot of pipe is to find some place that uses the small plastic hollow pipe coffee stirrers and get a few when you stop by.

Very nice Dave
 
Very sad about NOTRE DAME . Truly hope it was an accident and not arson by a Muslim. No house of worship should be attacked. UNLESS USED TO FOMENT TROUBLE. IE-Store weapons, etc. [my opinion]

Wish all a good day. Prayers and Blessings,
Phil
 
Good Morning Folks
some french toast { excuse the pun } and some coffee flo , please .
Yes sad news about Notre Dame , i belive the police are looking for a Hunchback :)
joking aside it is a shame such a lovely building , but good news this morning
salma hayek,s Husband , who is french and a Billionaire , has donated 100 Million Euros to the Re Build
which they reckon is more than enough to Re build it . still some good folks out there :)
on the Train front , i will post some pics later of the New Arrivals later today
ok off for my coffee
Everybody have a Great Day

Not happy with the first paint job on the Alco , so i stripped the paint and will Re- paint with a darker shade
while i had it stripped , i noticed i had in my box an old sound decoder , 8 pin , so i pinched the 8 wires
and Hard wired it into the Alco , it was a nice fit , and then added a nice round speaker .
overall a good mornings work , and sounding pretty good , dont know how to post a video yet, so a few pics to show
and a pic of yesterdays arrival the Bachmann F unit

Chuck
 

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The Cathedral of Notre Dame is probably the most recognized church in the world. It is an Icon for Christianity, even though only really used by catholics, I understood from information given yesterday that it averages a 30,000 people per day visit! It's sad to see it burning! Some of the cathedrals in Europe took several centuries to complete.

See yas later!
 
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