Running Bear's March 2019 Coffee Shop


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Good morning, everybody ...

Chet, Curt, Boris, Willie , and anyone I missed. .... ... Thanks for commenting on my photo.

Dana .... Nice seeing you here, and I like your photo of the UP train.

Boris ... You asked about the MRC F7's.... I think the rivet counters are way too critical. The only problem I can see is the horns are oversized. If that bothers somebody, they can easily replace them with scale size horns.

Chet .... I enjoyed your video of the SD9.

Willie .... I like the grain train. ... I see your mainline track is very straight. Excellent track laying.

Sherrel .... I like your Frisco photo. One of my coal hoppers is a Frisco 2-bay hopper like the one in the picture..... The SP roundhouse switcher is unique.
 
So, I don't win the prize, huh? Well, I had an Aunt who lived to 102 and neither did she! I think every year from the time that I left home for college that she entered the PCH sweepstakes - at least from the very beginning!

I was just reading about the little town of Silverton on a couple of FB pages. They have been snowbound for almost a week - the road out to the North they have no idea when it will be opened again, and they are having a tough time keeping the South towards Durango open too! What bothers me is that when all this snow starts to melt - they may have flooding take out some of the RR track down the canyon. That has happened several times in the past!
After the fires of last summer - it could be very bad for the RR and the locals who depend on the summer traffic.
I hear that the owner of the RR is looking to have some .. cough, cough .. diesel locos to use as standbys for when the dry season comes around again. I don't know if he has found any as the last 3 foot gauge diesels were built for the WP&Y wayyyy backkkk when. I hate to see that happen, as the diesels will slowly edge out the steam - and there is NOTHING that sounds like the steam whistles in the canyon and elsewhere. Besides, I used to get covered with cinders hanging off the platforms to get photos and smell the coal smoke ... there is nothing like it in the world!

Thanks Boris, Chet, Willie, Garry, and anyone else I may have missed on the photo. Frisco used to sandwich a B Unit between 2 SD-45's like that as well - and other U-25's - whatever they needed to make up a train.
Boris, I appreciate that fact about the axels -- I did not know that!
Dana .... Nice seeing you here, again!
MIKE - Looks as if Winter's not going away for you?

That's all for now -- OH YEAH - Spousal UNit's flying to Ft Lauterdale this morning for a 9 day cruise with 23 other folks from the women's club + several of her clients. Tomorrow will be our 28th? anniversary - Boo Hoo!
Oh Well - the pups and I will toast her anyway, and share a steak dinner from the grill - don't tell!
We are out of the 50's and will be high 60's and into the 70's by the end of the week. Another Dang DR Appointment tomorrow morning.
 
Michigan is currently in Fake Spring.
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Good Morning Everyone...sunny and very mild here in my part of Wisconsin. The first black birds arrived this morning and if like most early Springs, the rest of the black birds will be here tomorrow.

Ran some trains yesterday and wanted to move a stalled train off a grade. Found out the locomotive was struck on some Puff Ball shrubs...well the problem will be removed tomorrow and replaced with ground foam. A long reach, but needs to be done.

I been noticing that my six axle diesels need care when placing them on the track. I found that sometimes one axle usually it's the leading front axle will not be properly re-railed and may run fine for an extended period of time, but will cause some problems at some time. This is happening most of the time on a Proto 2000 SD-9.

Created some Clearance Cards on the computer yesterday. Only problem is my HP Printer will not print the 3 X 5 inch Index Cards that I purchased to use for the cards. I may just use good bond paper and cut out the cards.

Off to the doctor this afternoon. Blood tests this morning were ok!!!

I sure liked Jerome's toilet paper tube method to hold rolling stock and locomotives while painting!!! Thanks.

Working on a list for Walthers if I go tomorrow. The streets in Milwaukee are like a war zone with all the ruts and pot holes.

Later...

Greg

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The S-1 Northern Pacific #713 crossing at the grade near the village of Pine River...population 3! -Greg
 
Boris ... You asked about the MRC F7's.... I think the rivet counters are way too critical. The only problem I can see is the horns are oversized. If that bothers somebody, they can easily replace them with scale size horns.

Garry: Not surprised at all. I couldn't see anything wrong with them, other than they were DCC equipped and I was still running DC. Replacement horns are easy.

Boris
 
There is a heavy smell of wood smoke, as well as enough smoke about to irritate the eyes. I also noticed it leaving Hobby Lobby at the center several miles away. Yet there is no mention on local news outlets. They are obsessed with a TV celebrity getting out of jail and being turned over to INS to await Deportation, and some underboss being wacked on Staten Island last night... So much for priorities :rolleyes:

Boris
 
Afternoon All,

Did some chores today. MOH is at a Sewing Expo in Lakeland all day. Tomorrow I'm taking off at 5 AM to go to Gainesville where I'll meet some friends to watch NHRA qualifying and I'll spend the night returning home Saturday morning.

Dana- Welcome back. That is a interesting setup with the bridges.

Joe- Thanks for the interesting historical info.

Sherrel- Interesting locomotive lash up. What is the downside of learning Pennsy history?:D Happy Anniversary to you and your wife. I would comment on your butterflies but I'll refrain making a political comment, but I bet they're pretty.

Willie- Nice layout shots.

Beady- WOW. I never realized MI seasons are so complicated. In FL we just have Hot, Hotter, and Hurricane.

Greg- Nice looking NP S1.

I hope everyone has a good night.
 
I always remember MRC's F7s as being criticized for an appearance flaw. Exactly what was the problem with them?
They sit 6" too tall. When I first saw some I thought they looked really good until I took one out of the box and set it on the test track. I noticed that from a low side view one can see is that 6" comes from sitting too high on the bolsters so there is a noticable space between wheels and body. Gave them a really toy like appearance. At the time (1999) the price was quite high, so I passed. I was sort of bummed out.

Also for the rivet counters - It has the wrong number of vertical posts on the side grills so they are spaced wrong (I did not notice this). As someone already mentioned the horn mounting is wrong (I always replace the Wabco honkers anyway). Then finally they used a 48" dynamic brake so that limits the time period for the unit to post 1952.
 
Good afternoon, I am really late today. Hit a pothole and it actually blew the tire and tore a hole in the sidewall! bummer.

Greg-- Saxeville must be famous for their fire department. That is the photo Wickipedia has on their site!

Boris--I do not remember where I got the stock pens.

Dana-- Nice Trains

David Trussrod--the bales of hay are pre made, however I did see a youtube where someone was making them by hand. Seriously, they were not very expensive, maybe $6.00 to purchase. The pile there was intended for storage and they would rip open a bale and throw in some flakes for feed!

Willie, I like the school bus.

In line with the cow theme, here is my layout shot of the day:

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The shack on the right is scratch built, the one on the left a kit; in the photo the tabs show up (not normally visible)

Take it easy today, Dave
 
Just had a hell of a cloudburst. It only lasted a couple of minutes. It came straight down, so I didn't have to close the windows. The cats loved it.
 
Hi Beady, our cat is oblivious to anything weather related. All he cares about is getting some attention a few times a day, and having the cat food put out. He also makes a big announcement after he gets out of the cat box, I guess he wants it cleaned immediately.

Speaking of the weather, we have had steady rain all day, probably why we drove straight into the pothole, it was underwater!
 
This is the first time we've had the windows open since autumn, so both the boys were really into it.

I've only hit one pothole hard enough to do any damage; luckily, it only caused a flat. Like with you, it was under water.

Michigan's governor ran on getting the state's roads fixed, and battle has been joined over how to pay for it. Meanwhile, it's an embarrassment. The highways are in pretty good repair when you first cross into the state, but rapidly go to hell as soon as you pass the Welcome Center.
 
Good evening. It's cloudy and 72.
I just finished mowing the lawn.
Yes. Mowing the lawn. As in grass outdoors.
 
About 2 hours ago it was 63 degrees out. the wind switched to the North, and dropped the temps about 22 degrees in the last 2-3 hours, and much lower in the nighttime hours. I guess our 2 days of Spring was a teaser.
 
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