Running Bear's May 2023 Coffee Shop.


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santafewillie said:
Mike (Migalyto) - I have done both metal and asphalt shingle roofs Both relatively simple, but climbing up the ladder with all of those individual bundles of shingles was a bitch. The metal I could just lean up and then pull it up from above. Any more, and I pay someone else to do it. House needs a new roof right now.
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Willie-The local farmers coop where I purchased the shingles from ended up being a little more than a dollar a bundle more than Menards, or Home Depot, It was well worth the extra$100. They brought a boom truck and a couple of guys to help unload and spread them around. They hoisted the whole pallet up in the air and held it a couple inches off the roof. three of us made pretty short work of it.

I totally agree with you. Now I will pay someone to strip and do the next one.
 
migalyto said:
I had a similar one, except mine was in N scale. I was in 5th grade when my parents got it for my Birthday.
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my first train was a hand me down Lionel Steamer of some sort. Probably from 1940s or early 1950s. Had been my uncles’ train. It was banged up but fun. All steel body. I foolishly sold it when I was around 12-13 and had gotten into the AFX slot cars.

my younger brother had a similar Tyco H0 set when I was a teenager and a friend of mine and I tried to make a layout on an approx 4x8 board (left over siding from the neighbor who had a modern style home) complete with mountain of plaster Paris. I had huge lists of trains (locomotives and rolling stock) I wanted to buy. Nothing ever came of it besides a half built mountain.

starting in the 1990s I started looking at the Arnold digital N-scale (used Märklin system) but ever had cash or space. I did collect the catalogs. I started looking at the Japanese N scale in 2003 when we first went to Japan ad a a family but my son was only 9 months old so I though it better to wait. We did get him set up with some Tomy PLA-RAIL trains, both Japanese and Thomas. They are approximately H0 not to scale and battery operated. They also sold US prototypes at one time and sold the Thomas in the US. In the US, Mattel took over the rights for Thomas and changed the track from blue to gray and changed the connector. Same actual trains. Tomy kept the Thomas line in Japan and also releases constantly new Japanese prototypes. My son got a huge collection over the years and occasionally still picks one up when we are there.

I finally made the plunge into Japanese N scale in Dec 2017 as I thought the kids old enough and we had a little space. I also started getting German and related (Austrian and Swiss) N scale and it has gone down hill from there.
 
Santa brought my first train when I was three. A Marx 0-4-0 with four metal cars. A few days after Christmas Santa came and took the trains back. I think mom told him I was too young and didn't know how to play with electric trains. Also she worried because I would drop them in the bassinette so my baby sister could play trains. Eight or nine years later dad was building a table in the basement, said it was a ping pong table. Christmas morning I went to the basement and there was a Lionel 2-6-2 with 5 or 6 cars on a up and over layout. And in the middle of the table, Santa had returned my Marx 0-4-0.
 
Hey you all around Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc. This weekend is the NMRA Thousand Lakes Region convention in Minneapolis, and my club is on the list of available layouts to see on Friday, the 19th. Anyone attending and planning to stop by the Hennepin Overland RHS?
 
Garden update...

Cutworms have decimated my tomato plants... The worst I've ever had... I planted over 20 plants, and I'm down to 5 remaining. 2 nights ago, I put toilet paper rolls around the base of the plants. Went frm 7 remaining down to 5. Last night we didn't lose any of the 5 remaining... Those little bastards are hard on seedlings.

Hopefully those 5 plants survive. But teh bigger problem is all my wife's flowers are also gone... Every single Strawflower and Coreopsis plant (over 40 plants) have vanished. Apparently, the little F-ers don't like Zinnia plants, as those are the only ones they haven't killed. It's been a rough couple evenings at home with the wife wanting to kill every worm this side of the Mississippi. I'm surprised she hasn't called in the artillery yet.

Oh, and they don't like spinich.. go figure..
 
JeffH said:
Garden update...

Cutworms have decimated my tomato plants... The worst I've ever had... I planted over 20 plants, and I'm down to 5 remaining. 2 nights ago, I put toilet paper rolls around the base of the plants. Went frm 7 remaining down to 5. Last night we didn't lose any of the 5 remaining... Those little bastards are hard on seedlings.

Hopefully those 5 plants survive. But teh bigger problem is all my wife's flowers are also gone... Every single Strawflower and Coreopsis plant (over 40 plants) have vanished. Apparently, the little F-ers don't like Zinnia plants, as those are the only ones they haven't killed. It's been a rough couple evenings at home with the wife wanting to kill every worm this side of the Mississippi. I'm surprised she hasn't called in the artillery yet.

Oh, and they don't like spinich.. go figure..
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Even with the toilet paper tube collars, I still lose a couple of plants here and there. This year I lost 7, but I had planted over 60, and had a few backups that I started in the house. They got one Bell Pepper plant out of 6 as well. I have had years that I didn't lose any, as a matter of fact, I never lost any until about 8 years ago and that's when I started using the collars.
 
santafewillie said:
Swal - Whether asphalt shingles or a metal roof, a layer of roofing felt, commonly called tarpaper, is your first step. Asphalt shingles are probably readily available at most big box stores like Home Depot, Menards or Lowe's - depending which one is in your area. Metal roofs, at least here have about a 1 week lead time, but every piece is cut to fit and they supply all of the screws, trim and bird guards; included in the cost. You gotta drill your own screw holes, but they gave me a written guide for the entire process.
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Thanks Willie but I was looking for some help with the layout. I know there's something about the 1st row and staggering the shingles so you end up with the correct spacing. I looked at a few videos and found This Old House the best for what I was doing. This is how it's going so far.
Swal

Shed_Roof_02.jpg
 
Welp... sold off enough game parts that I wasn't going to build in the next five years and decided I'd redirect it into tools.

See, when we moved from our house in Indiana, out to an apt in Los Angeles, I didn't need a lot of tools. Sold off the tried and true Black and Decker saws. Not bad for decent around the house stuff.

But when we moved from LA back to Indiana, I knew I'd need some of the basics again. Headed to Menards (Big Box Hardware and Lumber store in the midwest USA) and bought the cheapo set (aka Tool Shop brand).

BIG MISTAKE

That brand is crap. Both the jig saw and the circular saw drift horribly as they cut. When you make B&D look like pro quallity tools, you know they're crapity crap-crap.

So, after selling off some game-stuff, I got a Bosch Jigsaw at Menards. Hot Digity Darn. Pro quality stuff!

Opened the box... and realized someone in the warehouse had put the big shipping lable over the arse end of the saw on the photo front of the box.


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My decent deal on a quality saw was about to cost me more. This one was cordless, and was saw only. Crap. How much is a charger and battery? $132 AFTER rebate????

Dug the receipt out of the trash, took it back. Dude at the return desk was nice. "Yep... get that a lot. People don't realize we have cordless in one aisle, and corded in the next aisle over..."

Got the one I went after yesterday, but was one aisle off kilter. Should have figured it out... but my brain wasn't working that well. Now I have this one.
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Going to make some pretty curved cuts tonight when the wife is out for her walk and I can make noise.
 
Afternoon All,

Started out with a walk at 73F and humid. It's supposed to get into the 90's later with some rain possible. Tomorrow is supposed to be our rain day this week. Today I vacuumed the pool and cleaned the pool filter twice (before & after). After that I completed 14 more trees and planted them. I also sprayed 17 more that still need foliage added. On the layout I started out with about 70% pine trees and 30% leafy trees. I want to reverse those numbers. Tomorrow, I need to chauffer Dad to a VA appointment and in the evening MOH and I have an event to go to.

Todd- I hope things get better for you.

TomO- It sounds like a fun trip.

Willie- Nice new toy. I'm sure Arlene loved the planter. I have the larger substation. For the chain link fencing I used Tule sprayed with Aluminum colored rattle can. I think it worked well.

Troy- I use Milwaukee power tools and am very happy with them.

Chad- You'll be moving in before you know it!

Hughie- Great Christmas story. I have a similar one.

I hope everyone has a good night.
 
chadbag said:
Today we do the last structure concrete pour. Everything at the bonus space level to the roof.

The city inspection (of rebar placement) is in about 3 hours and the pour is in about 5 hours. I’m headed up in a few to get last minute things done. A few places we need to still add rebar and also some beam pockets need to be made.

wish us luck!

these pics are a few days old and the one interior is older scaffolding arrangement.

View attachment 168566View attachment 168567
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Chad if we were neighbors, I could have operated the crane for you.

I wish you all the best!
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So with all the talk about AI, I thought I see what help it might be to building a N scale layout. The following is what I got.

User


Build a track plan for a 3 foot by 4 foot N scale model train layout. Must have one bridge and two sidings for industries.




Sure! I can help you design a track plan for your 3-foot by 4-foot N scale model train layout. Here's a layout that includes a bridge and two sidings for industries:
Track Plan:
markdownCopy code
_________________________________________________________________
| |
| Main Line |
|_________________________________________________________________|
| Industry 1 |
|_________________________________________________________________|
| Bridge |
|_________________________________________________________________|
| Industry 2 |
|_________________________________________________________________|

Legend:
M - Main Line
I1 - Industry 1
I2 - Industry 2
B - Bridge

This layout is a basic oval shape with two sidings for industries and a bridge on the main line. Here are the key features of this track plan:
  1. Main Line: This is the primary track that loops around the layout. Trains will run along this line continuously.
  2. Industry 1: This siding is designed to serve an industry or a station. You can place a small building or loading dock to represent an industry that receives or sends out goods.
  3. Bridge: The bridge is positioned on the main line, providing an interesting visual element. You can design the bridge to span a gap, a river, or any other feature you desire.
  4. Industry 2: Similar to Industry 1, this siding can represent another industry or station. It provides an additional spot for trains to stop and switch cars.
Please note that the design of the industries, placement of structures, and scenery elements will depend on your specific preferences and available space. Feel free to modify this track plan according to your needs and imagination.
Remember to consider the scale and compatibility of the track pieces you have or plan to acquire to ensure they fit within the 3-foot by 4-foot space.

User


show me the track plan you built




Apologies for the confusion. As a text-based AI, I'm unable to provide visual representations directly. However, I can describe the track plan in more detail:
  1. Main Line: The main line forms an oval shape around the layout. It should loop back on itself, allowing trains to continuously run on this track.
  2. Industry 1: Place a siding on one side of the layout to represent Industry 1. This siding can be a short track that branches off from the main line, leading to a small industry or station.
  3. Bridge: Position the bridge on the main line, preferably on one of the straight sections. The bridge can be a raised section of track that allows trains to cross over a river, valley, or any other feature you choose to include.
  4. Industry 2: Similar to Industry 1, place a siding on the opposite side of the layout to represent Industry 2. This siding should also branch off from the main line and lead to another industry or station.
To visualize this track plan, imagine a rectangular layout measuring 3 feet by 4 feet. The main line would be a continuous loop around the perimeter, with the bridge positioned on one of the longer sides. Industry 1 would be situated on one side of the layout, while Industry 2 would be on the opposite side.
Consider using flex-track or appropriately sized pre-made track sections to achieve the desired layout within the available space.
 
Afternoon all,

The start of server upgrades has begun. I finally have the command lines working properly for moving the data to the new servers. I am used to using PowerShell in Admin mode. Windows 11 calls it Terminal. Seems that Admin mode doesn't recognize network drive mappings, unless you use the command like to map the drives in Terminal. Of course Windows 11 no longer has the command prompt as a choice, but you can use cmd in Terminal to switch to command prompt, but the network issue remains. Once I finally figured out that Microsoft is once again changing things that aren't broke, but they gotta fix...

But once I get the initial data copied, the subsequent data copies will be faster, so less downtime moving to the new servers. Right now I have the first drives starting.

BBL
 
Welp... Just signed up for NMRA.org membership.

They seem stuck in the 1950s with membership approval:

Screen Shot 2023-05-17 at 3.22.09 PM.png


Credit card charge hit right off. And I purposely avoided the print subscription. Hoping a real person actually sees the transaction, and pushes the button so I can get the login and start reading past issues of the magazine soon.
 
Patrick said:
Afternoon all,

The start of server upgrades has begun. I finally have the command lines working properly for moving the data to the new servers. I am used to using PowerShell in Admin mode. Windows 11 calls it Terminal. Seems that Admin mode doesn't recognize network drive mappings, unless you use the command like to map the drives in Terminal. Of course Windows 11 no longer has the command prompt as a choice, but you can use cmd in Terminal to switch to command prompt, but the network issue remains. Once I finally figured out that Microsoft is once again changing things that aren't broke, but they gotta fix...

But once I get the initial data copied, the subsequent data copies will be faster, so less downtime moving to the new servers. Right now I have the first drives starting.

BBL
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Patrick:
Tis amazing what Micro$oft thinks and does. At least we do not loose the workgroup every once in awhile as it happened before w10. IIRC Terminal was used with NT Server or what ever was next. Of course, you had to have *multiple* licensing for that. If I had linux versions of a couple of programs, windoz would be pitched from this house.

Later
 
troyphoto said:
Welp... Just signed up for NMRA.org membership.

They seem stuck in the 1950s with membership approval:

View attachment 168585

Credit card charge hit right off. And I purposely avoided the print subscription. Hoping a real person actually sees the transaction, and pushes the button so I can get the login and start reading past issues of the magazine soon.
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Troyphoto: Ya, still on the fence of rejoining again. I am not sure the $75/year price is worth it for what you get. Tried sometime last year and the web widget would not take my/any credit/debit card for the transaction. Even called and they could not do it. I spoke to a wanna-be-geek and he did not have a clue. Blamed the ...um... new web software install. I asked if it was tested first and the answer was NO.

Later
 
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