Running Bear's LXXIII Coffee Shop

[D&J RailRoad]

I thought this was a model railroad forum. Put up a couple of photos of some nice looking young ladies and wake up a bunch of people. View attachment 65584

How do you know they're nice?

 

[montanan]

How do you know they're nice?

I didn't say they were nice. They could be naughty. I said they LOOKED nice.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Boris]

Joe ..... Wow.... What software were you using ? ...I would think it would have been backing up the data as you worked.

Garry: It's made by Computer Associates and I've been using it for ten years now. Several years ago they sold naming rights to a well known national tax preparer, and have never really had a problem with the Federal software until now. It's supposed to automatically back up every 10 minutes while inputting data, and upon closing. I also manually backed it up shortly before the incident.

Strangely enough, it saved all the inputted tax data, I was able to print the 1040, and schedules A and D. all the data is intact, Only personal data, which was copied from the 2016 return was wiped out.

I'm about ready to begin reconstructing the return from scratch, but I'm skeptical as to the accuracy of this product. I file my state returns directly from the state's web site. most of our income is exempt or excluded by NJ, I only file to qualify for the property tax credit.

I've been doing taxes since Freshman year of college, when my accounting prof. offered us the opportunity to gain some practical experience preparing taxes. I suppose I could take them to the CPA we use for the MIL's affairs, but I like to keep my hand in.

What pisses me off, is that the return is quite simple, and not challenging. Probably time to change software.

 

[GarryCBQ]

Joe .... We've been using H&R Block software in recent years. Wrks oaky for our needs.

Below are photos of a track cleaning train I ran today. I have some very long sections of track hidden below the main level. Cleaning track by hand is a chore in the long tunnels. So, I assembled this train. 2 F3A's. One Walthers track cleaning box car. One CMX car. One Centerline car. Caboose. I use acetone for the solvent in the CMX car and in the Centerline car. Rails are clean now.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Acetone? Try putting a few drops of that stuff on the plastic ties of a scrap piece of track then check the track gauge in a little bit.
Also, does your cloth piece unravel on the Centerline track cleaner car? I have an elastic band that goes around it to hold the cloth tight to the drum.

 

[bnsf971]

Good morning. It's mostly clear and 25.

 

[Bruette]

Hey Everybody!

I have a few minutes before I am off to see the doctor, no worries, they're just checking on me.

Words can't express how grateful I am to have good enough health to work and an easy job that pays so much! Thank God.​

God Bless us Everyone!

Louis - don't be such a stranger!
The McDonald's find is great!

Thanks Sherrel, I miss you guys, but since I've been able to return to work it has become a compulsion. If you don't hear from me, it's probably a good thing because when I feel good I work. As Maxwell Smart would say "And loving it!" Now that I think of it didn't McDonalds have a slogan something like that?

PS. I check Facebook a little bit more often than this to keep up with the youngsters in my family, God knows some of them think they are too "busy" to visit. Busy... Busy, If my health was 100% I would show them what busy really means!!!

Louis, good find. It looks like the one on Rt 273 in Newark, DE.

Thanks Boris, I need to visit that one!

Louis ..... Good to see you. My first McDonalds hamburger was at a building like the model you purchased . Nice !

Thank Garry, My first McDonalds was like that one as well. It was on Eastern Blvd. in Essex, MD (where we lived when I was born and lived until 1979) It was like that until the mid-70s. I can remember sitting on the bench built into the side wall eating a hamburger with my Nanny, I will never forget!

i
Louis - Nice looking purchase. I do remember them looking like that when I was younger, even though I have never eaten at a McDonalds in my life.

Thanks Willie, I know you have never eaten at McDonald's and I am still amazed by that!!! They have great burgers and the best fries. Maybe it's a Texas thing? I have never had a fresh Texas hamburger, maybe if I had I would not bother with McDonald's

Louis - Like the McDonald's. I would have liked to have put one on my layout, but the towns were too small to have had one. Nice to see you chiming in. Don't work too hard.

Thanks Chet, your layout has all it needs, it's a masterpiece. Don't worry, I'm keeping a good pace and feeling good. I work an hour or 2 in the morning, come home and take a nap. Work another 2-3 hours late morning/early afternoon and occasionally work 2 hours or so in the evening, when I feel up to it.

Louis- I remember those. Good to hear from you.

Thanks Curt, tell Phil I said hello for me please.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Some doctors try to take liberties with us behind closed doors. Could be why my neighbor has so many doctor visits.

 

[chessie_system3]

Finally Friday! Been one busy week for me. Today will be just as busy. Leaking hub seals and low oil pressure issues I'll need to address today at work. That's before the routes start coming in. So yes Friday is a good thing. Day before my two day vacation. Nothing new to report on from the train room. I haven't worked on anything this week so far. Try to finish the mine tracks and put in my feeders tomorrow.

Justin

 

[santafewillie]

Good Morning All. 50° and totally cloudy. We're looking at a high temperature of 72° for the next two days, then back to the mid-60's. Followed up the grocery trek with some outdoor work on the estate yesterday. Many of the new tree seedlings that I planted in late December are budding now. Doing some maintenance in the garden to eliminate weeds early. No matter what I do, there are many wind-born weed seeds that land and sprout where I don't want them. So far, most of the rest of the garden is a success. There's a partial row of radishes that I planted really early that didn't make it past emergence. My philosophy is that if I don't lose something at each end of the season, then I am not doing enough to maximize results!
I need to spend more time in the train shed. I have a lot that I wish to do right now, but there is also a lot of other activities in my life right now. I did spend enough time rehabbing that second-hand Walther's structure that it is now ready for the layout. Not there yet as I am doing the ground cover in the surrounding area. OK now, I need opinions here. I'll repost a picture from the other day.

I cannot decide what to do with that triangular area between the main line and the backdrop. Here are my current thoughts:
1) Wooded area.
2) Hayfield.
3) Small rural grain/feed dealer.
4) Cow pasture.
5) Farmhouse.
6) Graveyard (?).
The area to the left is already slated to be a cow pasture and further left is a farmhouse and road. Tell me what you think. Or if you have any other suggestions. Remember that across the tracks is that distribution center and switch tower that I pictured a couple of days ago, so whatever I do must be fitting, i.e. no shopping malls.

Chet - "Could we be a bunch of dirty old men ?????

" I resemble that statement!
Curt -

But, but...it's the Santa Fe!

And do you have an issue with that?
Garry - Oddly enough, that H&R Block software is cutting into my wife's commissions. That and they offered free "EZ's" until March 1. I am also wondering about the cloth piece unraveling. I only use alcohol in my track cleaning car. Works well for me, but I no longer have an inhospitable environment in the train room.
Louis - Received the PM.

Everybody have a great day, and have a great weekend Johnny.

Willie

 

[gngsquared]

Willie: Just a suggestion, I don't have enough experience to be taken seriously, but I always liked those small family graveyards. The ones where the family in the farmhouse knew where their kin were buried. Maybe a small picket or iron fence to add interest in the scene and keep the cows out.

 

[montanan]

Good morning. 34 degrees and partly cloudy. Would say partly sunny, but the sun isn't up yet.

Garry - Excellent photos. Woudn't mind one of those track cleaning cars, but the one I recently picked up seems to be doing the job.

I have used acetone for cleaning wheels on locomotives for years. Put a little on a piece of paper towl and the plastics ties haven't been effected. Did this mainly because I happened to have had a quart can of it handy. Still have some left after many years.

Terry - The B&M box car you came up with arrived yesterday. Thanks for the heads up. I was a bit apprehensive about it fitting into my era. With magnifiers I could read the build date, 3-57. Works fine.



This one has the smaller couplers and also sprung trucks. The last few Kadee cars I got did not have sprung trucks. I am not a river counter, but I will always make sure that nothing is newer than 1957. Guess it will be added to a list of a few cars that need some weathering. I still need to find a few more freight cars for eastern railroads. I have one NYC box car from Kadee but looking at what I have, I think I will now hunt down a Pennsy box car with the keystone logo on it. Can't add many more though as room is getting tight in the staging tracks.

Louis - Nice to see you checking in.

Phil - I see I missed a call from you yesterday. Found out that I had turned off the ringer. Senior moment. The box car still hasn't arrived.

Justin - I'm with you. Fridays are good. My wife has to ge to Texas next week for some training for an update on a bookkeeping program that her company uses, so I am going to take next week off. Someone has to dog sit.

Willie - I think a wooded area with a farm house would look good in that space. Trees would hide the space where the layout meets the backdrop and the house would add a bit if detail interest.

Here's a rail photo for today. Sorry, no women.



Later

 

[Boris]

Good morning. Happy Friday! It's 33° and overcast.

Joe .... We've been using H&R Block software in recent years. Works oaky for our needs.

Garry: Yeah, that's the one I was referring to. In any event, last night, I started over with a clean Federal return There was another update, prior to my starting. This time, It behaved, and I was able to file last night. I'm probably going to try something else next year.

 

[GarryCBQ]

Good morning, everybody.

Acetone? Try putting a few drops of that stuff on the plastic ties of a scrap piece of track then check the track gauge in a little bit.
Also, does your cloth piece unravel on the Centerline track cleaner car? I have an elastic band that goes around it to hold the cloth tight to the drum.

Ken D&J .... Regarding acetone, I don't use enough to damage plastic ties. I use enough to clean the rails. The rails clean quickly with acetone. .... The cloth will unravel in the Centerline if I put the drum in the car backwards. So, if it starts doing that, I know to turn the drum around.

Louis ... Interesting you recall exactly where you had your first McDonalds...... My first was in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Curt .... I think alcohol is fine, but it works more slowly in my opinion.

 

[Raincoat2]

Good morning everyone. A little late today 'cause I had too many emails screaming for a response. Started answering them before I even had my first cup of coffee - boy, THAT was a mistake. You'd think at 70 I'd have my priorities straight by now

Anyway, 42 and clear and SUNNY here in SW MO hitting 65 today. Chance of rain this weekend, warming trend continuing next week (but nights in the 20's).

Willie - Keep sending that warm weather our way!!!
Garry - I see a dbl crossover in your photos. What brand is it and has it ever given you any problems?

We'll be picking up our 1.5 year-old granddaughter this afternoon to keep her tonight and tomorrow. Getting to be a regular thing, but we sure don't mind. Got a small gang of ten coming over for lunch tomorrow, so MBH will be working most of today and tomorrow morning on FOOD!!! Still getting road down in the town of Pine Valley. Got out about 10 vehicles and put them on the roads - boy that makes things look nicer. Got to get some people out there too.

A question along those lines - - I've been planning on gluing the people to the sidewalks with regular model cement. Good idea or not? What other methods do you guys use?

 

[GarryCBQ]

Willie .... Good to see your progress on the layout..... I can imagine do-it-yourself tax software does affect earning of people who make money from tax preparation. ... I suppose simplifying tax returns will have a similar impact.

Johnny ..... The double crossover is Shinohara . Sometimes the switch points have poor electrical contact, and I use tuner cleaner from Radio Shack to correct that.

Joe .... H&R includes a free state tax return which we use. If it was no free, I would not use it. .... Actually, taxes are more complicated than I have said because we do some for other family members too. This means we do taxes for other states.

 

[Sirfoldalot]

Oh joyous morning! Happy days are here again! The car passed the smog test and BOB, my mechanic, is scratching his head; he cannot remember exactly what he thinks he did -- anyway, he would NOT give me a bill, so this morning I will tackle the ATM, get a couple, maybe three hundred, and stop by his shop and "stuff" it in his hand. I knoe that he spent several hours on it and finally he had just about given up! In California there is no such thing as using a "salvaged" converter,which I do not understand; if it works I don't understand why it cannot be used?

Garry - photos are great! Those F-3's look as if they have been heavily used. Is that CMX cleaner car really worth the cost?
My kit built Ulrich seemed to do the job for me just fine.

Interesting rail pic there, Chet, don't recall seeing a double tie under a joint before?
I have not seen a KCS, Louisiana & Arkansas, or MKT car on your layout - have I not looked close enough?

 

[Greg@mnrr]

Johnnie: This product works great for attaching figures to the layout and remains tacky so the figures can be removed.

Greg

 

[santafewillie]

A question along those lines - - I've been planning on gluing the people to the sidewalks with regular model cement. Good idea or not? What other methods do you guys use?

Like Greg, I use the Scenic Accents Glue on most. There's a few figures that actually need more support such as people standing on one foot, where I use either Super Glue or Elmer's White glue. Like he posted, figures can be removed or re-positioned. Handy if you go back and either add or enhance paint or details behind them.

Willie

 

[GarryCBQ]

Garry - photos are great! Those F-3's look as if they have been heavily used. Is that CMX cleaner car really worth the cost?
My kit built Ulrich seemed to do the job for me just fine.

Sherrel .... I purchased a used CMX car on eBay for a lower price. It works well. The Weathers track cleaning box car normally runs in my freight trains, and keeps the main lines clean by itself. ..... We don't have inspections of our cars here thankfully.