Running Bear's May 2019 Coffee Shop


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Good afternoon. Started out at 55 degrees and got up to 78, but now clouds and rain is moving in.

Went to physical therapy this morning and then detailed a few of the cars in the shop after a long winters nap. Took the 59 Bel Air to therapy and enjoyed driving the stick shift.

Dave - Another good photo.

Willie - You cease to amaze me with what you're getting done.

Here's a photo of an eastbound Montana Rail Link train along the Clark Fork River near Plains, MT.


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Later
 
I atmosphere for every 6 feet... Sea level,= 14.696 psi, 6' = 29.392 psi
35,000 / 6 =5,833.3 atmospheres. 85,726.17 psi or 42.9 tons per square inch.

Now that you mention it -- I did briefly hear the number of 80,000 batted around. Couldn't hear from another room too well, but I guess they were saying what you just quoted of 80,000 psi - whew!
 
I'll install Atlas' Dual Mode 342 Decoders since they are drop in replacements for the original Atlas light boards. I'll solder all the headlight and motor leads rather than use the rubber friction wire holders. These inexpensive decoders are great for road and switching locomotives that do not require a lot of functions in a decoder.
I knew there would be someone here that had experience of them. Think there may be one in the ATLAS SD35 I just bought.
 
Good morning. It's sunny and 48.

Ray, those old Lenz decoders don't support the V start, V mid, and V max speeds like more modern decoders. You'll need to enable speed tables, and configure them to match your other stuff the old-fashioned way--trial and error.
 
Good morning. It's sunny and 48.

Ray, those old Lenz decoders don't support the V start, V mid, and V max speeds like more modern decoders. You'll need to enable speed tables, and configure them to match your other stuff the old-fashioned way--trial and error.
I found a review from a 2001 MRR'er mag on the net before I bought this model and while it didn't mention those shortcomings specifically, it was obvious it was pretty basic DCC by present standards. It's a Seaboard Coast Line #1907, March 2003 production, comes in it's box, listed as new. The plan will be to repaint into MRL #705, the only 1 of the 3 left, currently still in service and the only one of them repainted with the new red dot logo. I have 3 Athearn RTR Quick Plug GP35's with dynamic brakes as well awaiting the same operation.
I also bought some time ago, 3 decal sets in that same logo and 3 Tsunami TSU-1000 567D decoders for them. I subsequently found out all of the 6 GP's were upgraded by MRL early on to 645's, and that only the 2 non-dynamics #401 & 402 have been repainted. #403-406, still have the previous, large white W logo.

When researching the other SD35 (MRL #703, US ebay) as to the motor type, I eventually found that info on MRL itself's site, where these locos are on their surplus equipment for sale list and it revealed the motor as still being their original 567D. So, 2 of the decoders will go into the SD35's. The other has already been installed into a P2K GP20 (UP). I used a HTC one M8 speaker with a Balsa wood enclosure. Doesn't sound too bad. (only because I couldn't find the sheet of styrene I'd bought).
 
Good Morning All. 64° and sunny. Expecting upper 80's again today and tomorrow, then thunderstorms and 70° high on Saturday. They are giving it a 99% chance, rather certain. I'll take a breakfast burrito this morning Flo, well make that two. Sausage, egg, cheese, potato and salsa should do it.
The quarterly doctor visit yesterday went well for me, he did however manage to sell my wife some CBD oil for the pain in her knee(s). Quite unexpected from him as he is not known as a "snake oil doctor" in the 14 years that I have been seeing him. Too soon to know whether it works. Of course the insurance doesn't cover it so I am quite a bit poorer today.
Since it finally dried out a bit, I did get some quality time in the garden. Managed to get a few more tomato plants into the ground and installed the posts for the first twelve tomato cages for the plants that I got in last month. No cages yet, just posts. Onions look like they will be ready for harvest in about three weeks.
The endless week of out of town trips continues today with the grocery/beer trek this morning. Stops include Wal Mart for pool chemicals and the traditional drugstore for a "new" BP prescription for my wife. Aging, SIGH! I'll be mowing later this afternoon working on my tan/melanoma.

Thanks for the likes and comments on the Magnuson structures yesterday; Jerome, Justin, Sherrel, Dave, Patrick, Phil, Chet, Tom and any other folks that I may have missed.

Another day of limited train shed time yesterday, because the rest of my day was full. I was able to get the parking area painted for the two new warehouses on the left side of the peninsula.
05-16-19 003.JPG

This is simple paint on plywood method. It's now ready for striping and additional ground cover to fill the gaps.
Elsewhere I started the first and easiest of the grade crossings.
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Haven't run a full train through yet, but the test truck works.
05-16-19 002.JPG

Stay tuned for more.

Sherrel -
Willie - Nice job on the "warped" building; never know it by looking at the photo.
It took a lot of effort and time, but I really like that and all of their structures and I was determined to make it work.
Patrick - You should be able to accomplish a lot with that much time off unless "other stuff" interferes!
Chet - Recovery and rehab seems to be going well for you. I know that you are pleased to be able to get back to work on the cars.

As I am finishing this post, I can hear the local crop duster at work nearby. Distinctive plane and distinctive sounds as he makes those very low level passes over the fields. This same fellow has been doing this around here for all of the 38 years that I have lived here, although he no longer flies under the power lines! My guess is that he's fertilizing the emerging sorghum or Sudan hay fields prior to the expected rain. Too late for additional fertilizer on the wheat fields as they're starting to "head". Great day for it as there is absolutely no wind. I don't know whether it takes more skill to fly a crop duster or a Boeing 747? What do you say Sherrel?
Here's a picture of him from last year.
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Everybody have a great day.
 
Good morning all, 65 and sun. We had a real thunderstorm last night, windows rattled and woke me up even!

Willie-- seems we use the same glue, also the same method for grade crossings, although my boards usually have a more primitive look somehow

Mark, Terry, Toot, Boris, good to see you up and at em this morning.

Todays layout photo is my Silver Streak kit Great Northern caboose. Nothing like the AMB model, but was way easier to assemble and did come with some nice details:

Caboose kit by silver Streak.JPG



Those are the Central Gems conifers in the background, deciduous are the Super Trees.

more later, Dave
 
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Good morning .

I have been too busy since we returned from Utah Tuesday night..... So, just touching base here now.... Hopefully, I will get free time this weekend and participate more here. I should have more pictures then.

Happy Model Railroading
 
Good Morning where it is 58 degrees and heading upwards to 65 today. The record high this date was 102 in 2008.
The 100% chance of rain has been downgraded to 60%, and my money is on zero to 10% before the morning is over?

RAY - I have a hard time keeping up with your time -- I know where you are and what the time difference is, however it seems that your body clock is all over the place? Anyhoo, it's always glad to see you postig even though most of the time you are posting "Greek" (to me) with all the decoder stuff.

DAVE - Think you blew it on the photo today - that looks more like a caboose than a loco?

Willie - I learned from the best! The man who taught me a bottomless pit of knowledge about flying was an older gentleman who owned the "not so local" flying service and a spray business. I worked for him quite a while during my college years and took my pay in "airtime" with him doing the instructing. He even taught me ag spraying as well ... him in his Stearman and me in a suped-up, 90 hp CUB. He would finish up a field by doing S turns under the power lines going accross a field!
I owe that man a lot in the knowledge he shared with me. He drummed into me countless times: "Never do anything in a plane that you don't have an exit stragety planned".

Got the CRV back yesterday - now to learn how to hook up all this "stuff". I donno - seems to be quite a bit of prep and a "learning" process involved?
 
Morning all,

Pushing HR to get me the new users that start while I'm out and finishing up everything else at the office that can't wait for me to return.

Willie: You'd think that but the wife has other designs on most of my time. There is guttering that needs to be put on the shed, so I can build the flower bed she wants beside it and get that back filled and partially planted. It is having a mix of annuals and perennials. I think she wants to go out of town for a day or two.......I will have some time.
 
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