Running Bear's January 2019 Coffee Shop


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NP2626 said:
I am a steam affectionado, not that I don't have diesels on my layout; but, steam is my favorite. I'd like to know others who are steam guys and what their favorite steamers are? !
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I've got both steam and diesel, but me favorite steamers have to be C&O 2-8-4 "Kanawha" and my WM 4-8-4 Potomac .
 
NP2626 said:
I am a steam affectionado, not that I don't have diesels on my layout; but, steam is my favorite. I'd like to know others who are steam guys and what their favorite steamers are?
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Steam guy here. Generally the smaller stuff. My favorites are geared -- I have a Roundhouse Shay I bought second-hand a few years ago and still need to have a decoder put into, and a Bachmann Climax with DCC I bought new from Klein's. The rest is a mix, including an as-yet-unbuilt Roundhouse Consolidation kit I picked up at a swap meet. The only diesels I have were given me by well-meaning relatives who didn't know I'm pre-WW 2; generally I take them to my LHS in Milwaukee, where the owner takes them off my hands for a little folding money that I turn around and spend in his shop.
 
Good morning. I've been MIA again. Went to a bowling tournament last weekend ni Missoula, MT and was busy trying to get ready for the trip. We did manage to get into the money, but the arthritis in my right shoulder started acting up after 12 games probably causing us not to perform as well as we expected.

Got out of town barely in time yesterday morning. Got an early start and stopped for breakfast waiting for sunrise. By the time we finished, freezing rain and snow was coming down pretty heavy so we rode behind a semi for about 15 miles and hit the leading edge of the front coming through and hit clear roads. Cranked it up to around 80 and headed for the house.

Curt - Looks like another interest project.

Garry - I have super elevated track on my layout and the only time I have any problems is when I get carried away and decide to put a long train together. The super elevation at the curve at the top of the grade will have the lead freight cars to lean over and roll over my herd of 1/87 cattle. If I put a pusher at the rear end I have no problems at all.

Target - I haven't been in a Target store ever since they wouldn't allow the Salvation Army bell ringers be at their store about 20 years ago, not that I went there much any way.

Walmart - probably haven't been in a Walmart for around 15 years. My wife used to stop at Walmart on her Saturday grocery shopping trips for cleaning supplier, shampoos and such, but she was finding that many every day items were out of stock. When she noticed their facial recognition at the check out counters, it was the final straw for her.

Louis - I really like that photo of the Pennsy T-1. Outstanding shot.

Eric - Nice to find another steam fan. I model the transition era because I wanted to have steam running, but I also like the early first generation diesels. I have a an old Roundhouse Shay I put together around 20 years and a Bachmann 3 truck shay. the largest steamers I run are mikes, but I really live my little consolidations.

I have a lot of posts to catch up on. For some reason almost none of them came in on my phone over the weekend.

Later
 
Good Morning Everyone..........................mild but raining here in southeastern Wisconsin. Yet, rain is better than snow with only January, February, March and maybe April left for any snow this season.

Hospital this morning for blood tests and then home and I started work on 2018 taxes getting mostly receipts in order. Fun time.

After lunch down to the train room and hopefully my stiff neck which has given me fits over the last several days is much better and behaves for me.

After seeing Erik's work on his sawmill and work by others I need to get going on the layout and finish a bunch of small projects. One project is to remove all the locomotives and rolling stock from the Saxeville Interchange and clean the track and vacuum the area. As I remove the locos I'll clean their wheels and check their coupler operation. I have a couple of Walther's Background buildings to kit bash and wood kits to start.

A question...would it be worth my effort to replace the existing KD #5's on the locomotive with KD #148 Whiskers? So far the #5's have worked well so maybe I'm answering my own question.

I'm a diesel guy, but have a Bachmann three truck 80 ton Shay and a Proto 0-8-0 USRA switcher. I do need to get better on both my diesel and steam locomotive identification.

Time to get going.....

Greg

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DuPlainville Road.jpg


Taken several years ago at Du Plainville, Wisconsin. This is the CN main line and this is a passing siding used to store idle rolling stock. A rare move where I saw the locomotive performing the switching take the main, while the north bound locomotive and its train waited on the main and then followed shortly after.
 
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Afternoon All,

Ran some errands then spent about 3 hours working on the kit. I painted and glued together the laser cut windows and doors and glued the trim on the wooden walls. Tomorrow I plan on getting the windows and doors into the walls.

Karl- When you snooze you lose.

Louis- Great T1 photo.

NP2626- The Pennsy K4 and the N&W Y6b.

Johnny- Happy Pre-Birthday.

Justin- Nice Chessie photos.

Chet- It is, thanks.

Greg- It's a drag race!

20190107_154531-980x2016.jpg

I hope everyone has a good night.
 
Beady, some of the posts here are so complicated that reading them, can be confusing, again, sorry!
 
Greg@mnrr said:
A question...would it be worth my effort to replace the existing KD #5's on the locomotive with KD #148 Whiskers? So far the #5's have worked well so maybe I'm answering my own question.
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As the #148's have the #5 coupler head, if your #5's are working fine, centering wise, then no reason to change them.
 
Boris said:
Good morning, y'all. 26° and cloudy. Mixed precipitation forecast for tonight.

Louis: See you're up early again ;). That's some interesting stuff you uploaded this morning. The PRR T1 was a very cool looking locomotive. Unfortunately, it was a colossal failure. My General Road Foreman, was involved in the testing and development of the T1 during his younger days.
I'm amused, that there is a group attempting to raise money to build a contemporary version for I guess fan trips. I doubt Amtrak would be interested. As usual, I enjoy the old Baltimore photos.

Boris
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Boris, I'm up early everyday. :) I post what I find interesting, I'm glad others enjoy it as well.

I don't know much about steam engines, but I thought that picture of the T1 was a great picture of a unique locomotive.

As you know for many people that have lived in Baltimore it becomes a part us. It's one of America's oldest cities, it's truly unique and diverse. For a long time Baltimore was second only to New York in many ways, manufacturing, immigration and others. Like many sports teams Baltimore has fallen off, but I will never give up hope that she will make a comeback. I hope and believe all this influx of the millennials and others to my city is a good thing. They vote and that is at least good place to start!

Baltimore is still has unique geographical position to be a freight and transportation hub. All we need is the state and local governments to see that and take full advantage of it again. The state has invested heavily into the international airport and the port. They have improved existing highways and built new highways as well. The rails have been neglected, but the Howard street tunnel expansion project is on again, maybe that is the first step in the right direction.

https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2018...nsion-back-on-track-csx-gives-91m-commitment/

The deep water inland port of Baltimore and the B&O Railroad are what made Baltimore a great city to begin with. The railroads might seem old fashioned to some, but it's still inherently more cost efficient than air freight. In addition I've read more than one report that says high-speed rail passenger service can rival and some believe be faster than air service for moving passengers from downtown in one city to downtown in another as far south as Atlanta.
 
santafewillie said:
Louis -
My thoughts exactly. Kudos to her. I always liked the ability to get what I needed when I needed it instead of having to wait for a tax refund or a SNAP refill.
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Willie, I saw first hand when I was in the hospital. I had a social worker come to see me to arrange hospice care and help me apply for other benefits. She outlined what I might be able to get. I told her "that's a life of poverty and despair".

I knew I would not qualify, I had to many assets. Being self-employed I had paid into social security for many year. Not to mention I was not ready to give up, never have been, hopefully I never will. All I wanted was to go home to my bed so I could get some sleep and get better. I went home on the condition I see my doctor everyday, then every week, month, 3 months, 6 months and now yearly or as needed. They told me I would never work or coach again. That was 13 years ago.

I'm no longer "kicking ass and taking down names", but I am still in the game. I haven't seen $3000+ daily profits in many years, but I've been coaching again for 7 years now. This is my 4th year of working. My point is they are defeatists. They put people on social services and it becomes a lift long thing. Just as I expected I missed out on social security disability because the window for me to apply had passed, I did not qualify for anything. I think if I had qualified for benefits I might never have gotten better. I might have accepted it as my fate, I might already be dead.

I understand not everybody has the means to survive such a long drought. I thank God I did, but I did because I always worked hard and always squirreled away everything I could. I never lived at or above my means. Even having lost nearly everything through divorce. I worked twice as hard to rebuild. Shortly after finding my Angel and getting married again. My health failed. My wonderful wife and I could see my rebuilt reserves would not last for ever, even with our life of austerity. My wife took an entry level position in 2009 because that was all that was available in that bad economic time. In less than 3 years she climbed the ranks to become general manager of her own store.

My wife was the general manager for the largest uniform manufacture in Hungary, but she was willing to accept a $9 per hour part time position and through hard work and dedication turned it into a high salary, bonus, profit sharing and great benefits. Too many people won't take a step back to move forward.

My point is these programs don't always help people up, they often keep them down.
Powerman 5000 "Free"
"Let's go

Everybody needs to start their own fire
Everybody needs a riot of their own
Everybody needs to be something they are not
Everybody needs to go it alone (Because)

Living so free is a tragedy
When you can't be what you want to be
Living so free is a tragedy
When you can't see what you need to see (Okay)

All the time spent hanging on to anything
All the time spent knowing that they are wrong
All the time wasted, stolen back, innocent
You won't get a second more so move it along (Because)

Living so free is a tragedy
When you can't be what you want to be
Living so free is a tragedy
When you can't see what you need to see

Wishing and hoping and thinking it's you
That's got this all under control
Never a minute has passed you all by
When they haven't invaded your soul

It's not something you can hold
It's not something you own
It's not something you can buy or steal
You've got it when your alone

Being free is a tragedy
When you don't know yourself
Being free is a tragedy
When you don't know who you are

Living so free is a tragedy
When you can't be what you want to be
Living so free is a tragedy
When you can't see what you need to see

Lets go
Hey, hey, hey
Alright then
This is the story of your life man"

Songwriters: KELENDRIA ROWLAND,JUANITA WYNN,JAMES CARTER,LARRY MIZELL,DANA STINSON,BEYONCE KNOWLES,MICHELLE WILLIAMS,T. BLACKS,FONCE MIZELL,SHANNELL IRVING
© Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group,MUSIC SERVICES, INC.

My faith in God is unwavering, but faith in myself sometimes needs inspiration. Leaning on my family for inspiration can be giving them a burden, I'd rather not do that. Even though they provide inspiration freely.

Here are more songs that have inspired me when the going gets rough. We need to look for inspiration where ever we can find it, just find it!





I could go and on, music can be inspirational.

"If you think you can, you might. If you think you can't, you won't" Coach Lou :)
 
Good morning. Partly cloudy and 42.
Weatherguessers are saying we may get up to an inch of sn*w Saturday. The last time they said that, we got 14'. I hope not, I don't think I can shovel that much right now.
 
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