Running Bear's Coffee Sbop LXIX

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PRR Modeler

Well-Known Member
Afternoon All,

High today is supposed to be 68 F. It's a little less than 20 degrees cooler than normal. It's a nice break from the heat. Did some chores this morning then I finished up the current part of the current project. I'm not sure I am happy with it, but I'm living with it for the time being. Tomorrow starts the Hallothanksmas season.

Garry- Great pumpkin patch photo. Yes I talk with Phil usually weekly and then every 3-4 weeks we meet at Jon's. Lately he has been dealing with some fatigue issues.

Justin- Nice layout picture.

Karl- Sorry to hear about your NCE issues. I started with Digitrax through luck of the draw since that is what the club used when I first got back into MRR'ing.

Toot- Congrats on your new acquisition.

Ken- I hope you get some relief soon. Great layout picture.

Sherrel- I'm sure your wife will start talking to you after the series:). Enjoy the peace and quiet while you can! LOL.

Joe- Is putting on diaphragms on a option?

Johnny- The woodworking looks good.

Willie- It sounds like your neighbor did well with the goats.

Chet- Nice pictures. It got cool enough last night that I got up to turn off the bedroom ceiling fan. The track shot is great for the start of the Hallothankmas season.

20171030_135252.jpg

I hope everyone has a good night.
 

Raincoat2

Well-Known Member
Johnny- I really like the "stuff" that you have on display. I have always wanted to do something along those lines, but seem to fill my time with non-productive items. What sort of prices are on some of those items? Inquiring minds want to know?

Let us see if I have learned anything about the photo re-sizing!

Garry - Here is a 1/1 model to go along with your 1/87 model.

View attachment 63597

Sherrel: The Tree Trios, Carousel Horses, and Duck Trios go for $15. The others vary in price from $6 to $12. It covers the better grade pine boards I cut them out of and the little bit of paint and stain I use (which were left over from last year).
 

bnsf971

Gomez Addams
Staff member
Are the ones that Terry posted the same that is used to replace "cracked axles" on the P2K locos?
I have a bunch that I have never run ... may need some replacements.
Those should work, unless the engines are the E units. They are somewhat different.
 

Boris

Beach Bum
Joe - With the trucks so close to the back of the F units, it can be a real pain to try to get a close coupling. I have on a few locomotives cut off the back of the Kadee coupler box to get the clearance for the truck to have room to swing. I have a a pair of Atlas FP-7's. They have the short shank coupler and still have way too much room between them. The photo (which I have posted before won't upload) Does not look good at all. I am really happy with how close the two units are. One problem is that the Northern Pacific usually used an A-B-A arrangement on the North Coast Limited. I guess I could look for one and custom paint it. With the two units together, they have more than enough power to pull a full length NCL. Cars for the North Coast Limited are scarcer than hens teeth. I have been searching for a dome car, baggage car and diner for a long time and have yet to find one that I like.

Chet: You're right about how much of a PIA this is. I also have an Atlas FP7, which has a short shank coupler. It still has a wide gap no matter what I couple it to. Normally, I run it as a single unit. The gap between the Bachmann Baldwin RF16s is worse. The Stewart Fs share the wide gap issue. I noticed that the coupler draft gear box extends beyond the pad which itself extends to the end of the buffer plate. If the screw hole on the pad was set back a sixteenth or so, it would narrow the gap without much trimming, especially using the Kadee short shank whisker coupler. of course this is theoretical, so I need to find an older BB F7 frame, to experiment with...

Curt: Diaphragms are a viable solution, especially now that the gap is narrowed.
 

GarryCBQ

Well-Known Member
Sherrel, Johnny, Curt ..... Thanks for comments about the pumpkin patch scene.

Sherrel .... I would get some 1/87 Peanuts characters if available ... Maybe, I could just cut some out of paper next year. ... I like the unique Santa Fe articulated doodlebug. .... I think I heard Santa Fe donated it to the CA RR Museum in Sacramento, but it was never restored. I'm not sure about that however.

Chet ... There are probably dummy F7B's for sale on Ebay from time to time if you wanted to do your idea.
 
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Sirfoldalot

Days Gone Bye!
Staff member
DRAT - My neighbor (that I work with occasionally) borrowed my caliper a couple weeks ago and now he can't find it!
I was going to check the diameter on those P2K locos - have an S2, RS2, F3, F7, FA1+FB, GP7, and an old-old Athearn gp7 - that I had started rebuilding by getting rid of the DB and adding another fan where the winter hatch was and filing off grabs, and, and .... I Think I sold my GP35 that I was planning to add the torpedo tubes on top (sigh). So much to do - So little time!

OK .. just ordered a cheapo digital caliper .. anyone know if they are worth the podwer to blow them up with?

curt- Slience is Golden, but I'm getting so deaf that all I think I hear is another instrument to go with the band that plays in my head most of the day! Your coaling picture there is nice. Somewhere I still have the first RMC I ever bought. In it is a NYC ramp built like a trestle leading to a large building like yours with 3 or 4 chutes and an RS unit (lighting stripe) shoving a couple 2-bay hoppers back towards the door opening. Next to the chutes is parked a NYC Niagra with a centapied tender. Never got around to building that one, but I still think about "what if".

Johnny - thanks for the info - see note to Curt above!
 
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Greg@mnrr

Section Hand
Just got come from the cabin and plan on a train day tomorrow. Nothing to comment on since I haven't read all the recent posts.

Curt: Nice modeling in the photo.

That's all for now, until tomorrow.

Greg
 

montanan

Whiskey Merchant
Joe - It is disappointing at the distance between the Atlas units. Don't have a good idea why I picked these up except that they are for the Northern Pacific. I am modeling 1957 and the Lowey paint scheme was introduced in 1954. Maybe I'm just too picky, but I like them. The Kadee replacement couplers for the Srewart F units, #450 did the trick as you can see.

20171030_154435.jpg Not so good, even with diaphragms.

20171027_145038.jpg Real good, and the diaphragms help.

There's just not a lot of room to shorten the distance on the Atlas units. These are already short shank couplers.

20171030_154522.jpg



Garry
- I have checked from time to time on ebay. Being that I am going to have to repaint the unit for the Lowey paint scheme, I have been looking for an undecorated B unit. There are decals for it in the same sheet that came for the A unit. By the way, excellent photo. Where are the kids picking out their pumpkins?

Curt - Another nice photo.

Justin - Here are the NWSL replacement wheels I have left. Some have a small extension of the outside of the wheel to fit into the side frames of some locomotives, and some are flat on the outside as some side frames do not have a socket for the little extension. Let me know if you are interested. I really don't need them as I don't foresee getting any more of the older Athearn locomotives, or locomotives of any kind. (Yeah, right).

20171030_154247.jpg

Later
 

santafewillie

Same Ol' Buzzard
Speaking of "Doodlebugs", here are two pictures that I took back in 2011 when they were starting to move the railcars from the old "Age of Steam" museum in Dallas to the new renamed "Museum of the American Railroad" at its new location in Frisco TX. This was moved under it's own power and towed a passenger car. It was parked on a "RIP" track about a mile from where I worked at the time. It was there from a Sunday until the following Sunday due to traffic on the BNSF track that it was using to get to the new museum. The RIP track was however a former team track on the SLSF, there is an interchange there.
03-23-11 033.JPG03-23-11 040.JPG
Enjoy.

Willie
 

GarryCBQ

Well-Known Member
Willie. ... I like the ATSF doodlebug. !

Chet ... I think I mentioned before I have two Stewart Lowey F9 AB sets. Combined, it is an F9 ABBA. However, I run it as ABA leaving an extra B unit on the shelf. The B units are not powered. ... this is one of my “round tuit” projects. I would like to detail the Stewart models as you have done with your F3A . Some day ........
 

D&J RailRoad

Professor of HO
Gonna be a chilly ride to work today. 40 degrees out there now which means probably 35 degrees along the way.
Got the resume finished last night so I'll have some time to run trains tonight after the Halloweeners come by.
 

santafewillie

Same Ol' Buzzard
Good Morning All. 42° and partly cloudy right now. Winds are gusting out of the east at 1.1 mph according to the Weather Underground. Traditionally here in this part of Texas, Halloween is not a great day weatherwise, today will be no different. Expecting a high around 56° with rain coming after lunch. Then a seven day stretch with highs in the upper 80's. No trick or treaters here today. They don't venture out this far. When our kids were younger, we took them to a close by town and canvassed some select neighborhoods inhabited with a lot of pleasant older couples. They knew that all of the nearby rural folks were coming and they thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Houses were decorated and many wore costumes...at least we thought they were costumes!
Wife came home yesterday after a two day babysitting journey, and began her usual litany about the stovetop not being cleaned; then noticed that I had done three loads of laundry including the bed linens, ran and emptied the dishwasher, vacuumed the living room, watered her houseplants and replaced the 37 year old door hardware on the back entry door; and then she stopped commenting. I even cleaned up her kitchen mess from baking two birthday cakes Saturday morning. Ah! The usual greeting!
Meanwhile out in the train shed, i spent more time painting windows in Merchants Row I, and admired the job I did Sunday with the ground foam. Added some weathering to a DPM structure that I've been randomly working on, I think that it's called "Carol's Corner Cafe" even though there's no signage included. My thought is to use it as either an auto parts store or a bakery.

Garry - Are you making the pumpkin pie? I'm hungry since I missed the cook-out at Chet's Saturday night! That Doodlebug that I pictured is real interesting closeup. For these pictures, I did not trespass on RR property, but took them from the adjacent street. I have seen it up close at the museum before.
Johnny - I enjoyed my build of Merchant's Row V. While the instructions are better than most Walther's instructions, they still leave a lot to be desired, I had no major problems putting it together. Here's a couple of pictures for inspiration.
10-30-17 013.JPG10-30-17 015.JPG

Curt - My neighbor does well with his goats. He can generally fit 125 into his trailer and sells them out before noon each day. He does this a few times a year, Cinco de Mayo, July 4 and Labor Day besides the Day of the Dead. His customers keep them in garages, backyards and even in the house until butchering time. Pit-cooked goats are a traditional holiday feast for the people of Mexican heritage. I have enjoyed it with them many times over the years. I think that it can be a bit tough at times though.

Happy Halloween and have a great day.

Willie
 

Raincoat2

Well-Known Member
Good morning everyone. 28 and partly cloudy here in SW MO. Supposed to rain later this evening, which might put a damper on some of the Halloween activities. Rest of the week is supposed to be in the 60s and 70s, with 50s at night. like i said - a fall roller coaster.

Willie - That's a nice Merchants Row V. Thanks for posting it. Your middle shop is a plum color, which is something like what the kit box picture shows. I don't have that color on any of my other structures and I'd like to have at least one. Do you remember what color you used, or is it a mixture?

Well, let's see what the Dodgers can do tonight. I'd love to see a 7th game between these teams.

Have a good day everyone.
 

montanan

Whiskey Merchant
Good morning, ready for a hot cup of coffee this morning and a sweet roll. coffee.gif 23 degrees with an expected high possibly in the 50's, but is is forecat to go down hill from there.

Willie - Some really nice photos you posrd. I really like the Santa Fe doodlebug. The merchants row buildings are sweet. Nice job on the windows especially. Really make a big difference. Well done.

Ken D&J - doesn't look like a good day to ride the Harley. Winter is on the way. Where we like we don't have any trick or treaters. I think we had ONE in the 40 years that we've been here.

Garry - I am interested in the B unit. Sent a PM.

Now for the rail photo for the day.

sm_dsc5160_hdr.jpg

Later
 

Boris

Beach Bum
Good morning, y'all. 44° and sunny.

Today is also Reformation Day, the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's posting his 95 Theses on the door of the Church in Wittenberg. An apparently insignificant act that changed the world.

Chet: Nice photos. The Atlas FP7s had their flaws, but were the only FP7s available until the Athearn Genesis came out. As with virtually all Atlas locos, they are great runners. I have one painted and lettered for the Reading, which frequently ran single FP7s on trains between Philadelphia, and the Coal Region. They ran Back to back sets primarily on the Philadelphia - Jersey City Featured Trains. I also have a pair of Reading FP7s from Athearn Genesis, which couple nice and close. I should really take a good look at the way those couplers are mounted.

Now for the rail photo for the day.

sm_dsc5160_hdr.jpg

Note, the bridge guard rails. There is no uniformity as to how the ends of these are built. Conrail, began removing them, as there was little evidence of their worth, in the event of a derailment. My theory, there must have been a valid reason for them as every bridge had them.

Watch out for Goblins Running About.
 

montanan

Whiskey Merchant
Joe - Thanks for the input on the guard rails on the bridge. Interesting. you are right about Atlas being the only company to release FP-7's for quite a while. The Northern Pacific only had two of them, 6600 and 6601. These are in the old pine tree paint scheme, as I mentioned, replaced by the Lowey paint scheme in 1954. I recently come across these two locomotives in the Lowey paint scheme but after seeing the price and also only being offered in DCC, decided against them.

You are also right about how smooth they run. I don;t know which drive is in them, but once Atlas released the first Alco units, I was sold on them. Never touched another Athearn locomotive until I got the Genisis F-7 in the Lowey paint scheme. The Atlas FP-7 are strong locomotives. Could probably pull up tree stumps. When working on the layout, I do let trains run if I can and these FP-7's can easily handle 20 cars up the grades that I have.

I was very pleasantly suprised at how well the Genisis F-7 ran. Right up there with the Atlas RS units. I think the Genisis line was needed for Athearn as other manufacturers were leaps ahead of Athearn.
 

Greg@mnrr

Section Hand
Good Morning everyone....

Chet: Are the wheels from NWSL just pressed fit into axle and gear assembly or is some type of adhesive required? Just before Life Like went out of business I wrote the company and told them that I had numerous Proto 1000 and Proto 2000 locomotives that were new in the box and I was worry that some may have defective axles. They send me a dozen or of their wheel assemblies at no charge.

You're right about all the improvements made to the Athearn line of locomotives.

Willie: Speaking of goats....I knew of a business that raised goats and had several thousand goats. Most were females and people purchased the goat milk if they couldn't drink cow's milk the others sold for meat.

Short train day today, going out for dinner to night to eat Ocean Cockroaches (lobster). Guess the kids are out of luck for treats. Some years we when all out for treats only to have less than ten kids show up.

Going to have to remember to put turnouts back in their normal position after switching. I have two trains coupled together on a hard to reach area of the layout.

Closing the cabin this weekend so that will leave a lot of time for the layout.

That's all for now.

Greg
 




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