Running Bear's October 2019 Coffee Shop

[Beady]

In a wildly uncharacteristic effort to be on-topic, here are some photos of a local passenger station. I remember meeting my grandaunt here in the mid to late 1950s, when she visited from Chicago.

 

[montanan]

Good afternoon. Started off today at 36 degrees and we've had light flurries all day long. The perogies were so good last night, I had some for lunch also.

Beady - Those are some really nice photo. Thanks for posting.

Garry - Nice photo. I always liked the CNW paint scheme. Rode the CNW a number of times when I was going to school at Great Lakes in the Navy and visited my relatives in Indiana.

Joe - Nice photos of the Baldwins.

Willie - Looking at the photos of the lower level, I can see why you might need some more structures.

Patrick - My grandmother that lived in Indiana used to also make keilbasa from scratch. Never tasted and that were as good as hers. We do have a locally owned meat shop that is like the old fashion shops that also makes their own keilbasa as well as other sausages. Unfortunately, it looks like the owner, an old German from Europe may be retiring soon. The city is wanting to widen the street that his shop is on and may need his property for street expansion.

Louis - Good photos as usual. Like the SP steamer and the Lionel photos.

Terry - Waiting to see some more photos of your new N scale layout.

Greg - Glad to see that you had your last visit from the PT. Another hurdle conquered. Also happy that you were able to get downto your train room. Seem to be finding treasures you forget you had. Like the G&D box car. Seeing that it is so modern, I think John is rolling over in his grave. Thanks for the festival info. There were so many that I attended, but was more interested in the food than the name of the festival.

Curt - Nice photo. You do have some interesting rolling stock. Found this photo and you were the first person that came to mind.

I did manager to get down to the train room today. Had to move a lot of trains around in order to run the track cleaning car around on the hidden staging tracks. Ran the NP F units around for a while and got the longest track clean.

Had over 35 cars behind them so that wasn't a problem but in the middle track I had three different trains parked. Had to find places to park them so i could run the track cleaning car through the center track. Parked two in passing sidings and one in the Logan yard which allowed me to run a train through that track.

One locomotive was capable of pulling the train if the track cleaning car wasn't on the train, but as soon as it was added, the weight needed and additional locomotive to pull the grades.

I did notice a difference after cleaning the track. I would have to clean the wheels on some of the locomotives from time to time before the clean car was used, but haven't had to clean wheels since. Ran the RDC around for a while and then did some switching at the grain elevator at Gallatin Junction.

Later

 

[Greg@mnrr]

When I first saw that G&D box car I wondered what John Allen would of said if he could see it. But then again, what different techniques and methods now available might John have used had he still been alive today.

He wasn't opposed to change and the many stages of planning he did before the layout's track plan was completed proved that fact. So maybe in today's world, John would have accepted single diesels and consists running on his G&D pulling "plastic" box cars through the mountains. Or, perhaps not.

John had a sense of humor so I don't think John would be offended by seeing this model.

Greg

 

[montanan]

When I first saw that G&D box car I wondered what John Allen would of said if he could see it. But then again, what different techniques and methods now available would John of have used today had he still been alive.

He wasn't opposed to change and the many stages of planning he did before the layout's track plan was completed proved that fact. So maybe in today's world, John would have accepted single diesels and consists running on his G&D pulling "plastic" box cars through the mountains. Or, perhaps not.

John had a sense of humor so I don't think John would be offended by seeing this model.

Greg

As far as I know, the only time John had a diesel on his layout was for a Tyco ad he did. He was a die hard steam lover.

 

[Beady]

Hey, I finally got down to the basement! It'd been so long I had to re-teach myself how to work the turntable.

Everything works, so now I guess it's time to get myself back into winter mode and spend all my time down here. Sigh, I've still got so much to do, but completion of my mancave is in sight.

My two most recent acquisitions, plus the Big Boy.

The Silver Streak Zephyr in the foreground and the FEF4 on a siding in the far background.

 

[Texas Hobo]

Hey, I finally got down to the basement! It'd been so long I had to re-teach myself how to work the turntable.

Everything works, so now I guess it's time to get myself back into winter mode and spend all my time down here. Sigh, I've still got so much to do, but completion of my mancave is in sight.

My two most recent acquisitions, plus the Big Boy.

View attachment 40876

The Silver Streak Zephyr in the foreground and the FEF4 on a siding in the far background.

View attachment 40875

Sure glad to see someone else using Kato track.

 

[Beady]

Sure glad to see someone else using Kato track.

Things are only in the roughest stages. I'm trying to figure out how to hide the wiring without drilling through the table. It'll probably be a combination of Woodland Scenics Blended Turf, and pieces of the grass matting trimmed from the edges. The bump caused by the track running over the wires doesn't seem to cause any problems, so I'll probably leave that alone.

So, here's a short but boring video. I just wanted to get something up and running.

 

[Beady]

LOUIS, these are for you, by Billy and the Boingers, formerly known as Deathtongue:

 

[chadbag]

The bump caused by the track running over the wires doesn't seem to cause any problems, so I'll probably leave that alone.

With my N-scale KATO track, where track runs over wires on my test layout, I just make a little hole in the track bed wall with my wire snips to allow the wire to pass under without being lifted up. On N-scale, the effect is worse when the wires go over the track unless it is very narrow wire.

 

[Beady]

With my N-scale KATO track, where track runs over wires on my test layout, I just make a little hole in the track bed wall with my wire snips to allow the wire to pass under without being lifted up. On N-scale, the effect is worse when the wires go over the track unless it is very narrow wire.

Argh! I was thinking round file. Your way is better. Thanks.

BTW, my entire set up is/will be a permanent test track.

 

[wheeler1963]

Did clean up my model work shop a bit after see some of the Forum members shops. I still have a way to go. I showed the Mrs. a picture of Jerome's organized work area and she only said we have to get going on our basement, thank you Jerome for the extra catalysis to help get the Mrs. moving in the right direction.

Greg, I did nothing!! I'm innocent!! Karl did it!!!

 

[MikeInHubCity]

Good afternoon. Started off at 41 degrees with overcast skies this morning, but the sun came up and new we're in the mid 50's.

IBKen - Hope your wife is improving.

Louis - Good photos as usual. Like the photo of the old place. Trick or treaters must have enjoyed it. I have been here for 42 years and have yet to see any kids stop by on Halloween.

Beady - Really like some of the old train ads you posted.

Chad - I like your collection of trains. Sure wish I had the time to ride on them when I visited the country. You brought up a sore subject for me. Language and present day immigrants. My grand parents on both sides came over from Europe and like most immigrants who came through Ellis Island like mine did, the learned English and were proud of being able to learn the language and became citizens. When I was a cop in Florida, we had an officer who had parents come to the US from Cuba before Fidel took power. He also did not want his kids to speak Spanish when they had company and they got a good a## chewing if they did. They all spoke excellent English without any accent.

Johnny - Hood photos. I picked up my lumber yard close to 30 years ago. That kit has been around for a long time and has excellent detail for the time it was introduced.

Willie - I just can't say enough about the variety of buildings and businesses you have on your layout. You cease to amaze me. View attachment 40835

Patrick - I am also Polish. Funny you should mention ethnic food. The reason I am checking in is because I've spent a bit of time in the kitchen today. After having to visit the vampire again for another blood draw this morning, I made another batch of perogies. Here are some of them. They are a pain in the but to make so when I do make them, I make quite a lot and freeze them. When I was living in Florida, I could get some and I did help both of my grand mothers make them when I was a kid. When I moved back to Montana the only way I could get any was to make them myself. After a couple of tries I got the recipe down. (it is not written, but in my head) Love them. Guess what's for dinner tonight. Think we'll have some keilbasa with them.

View attachment 40836

I did learn a lot of the language but not having used it for many years, rusty doesn't cover it. At one time I did speak 8 languages. Had 4 years of French in school and picked up Italian and Spanish (European) quite easily. From the Polish Ukrainian and Russian also came fairly easy. I was quite fortunate to be able to grasp languages easily. In the Navy we travels to 73 different countries and was able to get along quite well in many of them. I never missed the chance to enjoy the ethnic meals when I was over seas. Louis mentioned food festivals. I attended three different electronic schools in Great Lakes, Illinois and loved going up to Milwaukee for their festivals. Greg could probably chime in and tell me what the name was.

In Europe, it is quite common for people to speak multiple languages. One thing I always tried to do was to learn and use the language of the country I was in if at all possible instead of expecting people to understand English.
Gotta get out of here and clean up the kitchen before the wife gets home.

Later

Chet- that last part about the expectation for people to understand the non-local language is the issue I have with many of the immigrants of the past couple decades. We get some callers at work who seem to have the attitude that we are inconveniencing them by not knowing their native tongue. I offer to help them the best I can via their broken English. I also let them know that we can help them if they have a relative/friend who can translate for them or they can order online or via mail in form.

 

[chadbag]

Argh! I was thinking round file. Your way is better. Thanks..

Round file is actually a good idea if you wanted to do it on a more permanent nice layout as it will make a nicer looking notch. But the snips are definitely faster when you are working on a wiring job.

BTW, my entire set up is/will be a permanent test track.

I call mine my "temporary test track" even though it may end up being another year or more, as I've been using it to test run trains, and test DCC wiring concepts (my DCC setup is a lot more complex than needed as a learning experience with a Digikeijs DR5000 base station with Fleischmann Z21 wireless WiFi throttles, and a Digikeijs booster and a couple Digikeijs RailCom detection blocks and some Digikeijs switch controllers and a Digitrax WiFi loconet thingy so I can use a phone or iPad throttle. I don't need a booster right now but wanted to see how to integrate one -- don't need detection right now but wanted to figure it out) It is just a 4x8 blue foam tabletop on a frame with a shelf on one side for the various equipment, with a green table cloth over the foam and track just sitting on the foam. No real scenery or anything.



The goal for this test layout is to put a layer of foamboard down on the foam tabletop instead and start to put some scenery and more "permanent" track as a learning experience for layout building. We'll see how it goes.

The goal is to have a nice train room in the new house we are building next year and to eventually have a layout that goes all the way around the outside of the room. 4' wide with space between it and the wall so you can stand and access that side. And some peninsulas sticking out here and there. That will be my hobby to build out form now until I die What I am doing now is preparing by learning.

 

[MikeInHubCity]

Patrick, I knew some of those ethnic "associations" and did honest work for some of them in Baltimore. From what I knew they started with good intentions; helping new immigrants, provide funding for ethnic small business, etc. The problems began when greedy and power hungry people gained control. Kind of like Washington DC today.

Louis- BITD, there were “associations/rackets” of virtually ever ethnicity- not just the I-talians that Hollywood & pop-culture have imfamized. Just look who the biggest monster that “controlled”/corrupted Fulgencio Batista in Cuba in the ‘50’s. Meyer Lansky(along with Lucky Luciano) was with the Jewish Mob.

 

[Beady]

Greg, I did nothing!! I'm innocent!! Karl did it!!!

Personally, I'd blame Louis.

 

[Beady]

Round file is actually a good idea if you wanted to do it on a more permanent nice layout as it will make a nicer looking notch. But the snips are definitely faster when you are working on a wiring job.



I call mine my "temporary test track" even though it may end up being another year or more, as I've been using it to test run trains, and test DCC wiring concepts (my DCC setup is a lot more complex than needed as a learning experience with a Digikeijs DR5000 base station with Fleischmann Z21 wireless WiFi throttles, and a Digikeijs booster and a couple Digikeijs RailCom detection blocks and some Digikeijs switch controllers and a Digitrax WiFi loconet thingy so I can use a phone or iPad throttle. I don't need a booster right now but wanted to see how to integrate one -- don't need detection right now but wanted to figure it out) It is just a 4x8 blue foam tabletop on a frame with a shelf on one side for the various equipment, with a green table cloth over the foam and track just sitting on the foam. No real scenery or anything.

View attachment 40881

The goal for this test layout is to put a layer of foamboard down on the foam tabletop instead and start to put some scenery and more "permanent" track as a learning experience for layout building. We'll see how it goes.

The goal is to have a nice train room in the new house we are building next year and to eventually have a layout that goes all the way around the outside of the room. 4' wide with space between it and the wall so you can stand and access that side. And some peninsulas sticking out here and there. That will be my hobby to build out form now until I die What I am doing now is preparing by learning.

My goal is to get something, anything, up and running before I crap out. It's taken 6-1/2 years to get this far, and I've got another 4-1/2 years before I reach the age when my father died (otoh, add another 10 years for one of my uncles). I'm developing tremors in my hands and should probably be working in HO rather than N, but I like N. All of which is to say, I have neither the time nor the ability to be as meticulous as, say, Willy (who I'm absolutely in awe of - or in whom I'm absolutely in awe - and I want to have his child).

 

[Boris]

Sure glad to see someone else using Kato track.

Hobo: Using Kato track is not all that uncommon, I used it exclusively on a layout I had 10 years ago, (HO). The only issue I have with Uni-track is the inflexibility with the switches, (turnouts). Kato#4s and most US style freight equipment don't mesh well. The #6s are great, but the rigid cast, particularly with the manual make some track arrangements difficult. Otherwise, it's great, and once weathered looks as good as any other.
The curves work out as templates for plotting out flex track also. Good stuff.
Boris

 

[Bruette]

The new Ford Ranger looks pretty good as well.

View attachment 40854

I haven't seen that one yet, but from the picture it does look good!

 

[Bruette]

That is the low-budget version of the one I’ve had the transmission troubles with.

Is that the transmission that is a joint project between GM and Ford?

 

[Bruette]

Hiya gang!
The problem with the Colorado and the Ranger is that they are almost as big as a full sized truck, cost as much, and get worse mileage!
(Yes, I still love my little S-10)
But if I was gonna buy a new truck......

and I work for Chevy!

That looks good too!

I had an S-10 company pickup in the 80s. Great little truck, a bit small for my oversized frame and not the best for hauling truck and off the highway tires, but it never gave me a bit of trouble.

Reminds me of the little Toyota pickup I drove when I worked for the coal sampling company. I had to open the drivers door to have room for my long legs to operate the clutch.