# What Trains are You Running Today / This Week



## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

This time of year, I run trains in the morning before it gets too hot in the attic. Today it was my Reading GP9 (a Reading shell on a newer PS3 chassis). GRJ rewired this one after the shell swap so it started up with short hood forward. I also dusted off my trusty 2010 vintage Railking K4s and matching Madison cars. This loco has 1370 scale miles on it. From the old to the new, I got the LV RS-11 in April. Lastly a B&O F7 AB. GRJ also had his hands on this one to fix a balky switch and install a sound file that didn’t have obnoxious blower whine.

So, what are you running?


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

My small N layout is in my basement, so I don't worry about the heat, I haven't done anything with the layout in over a year, no scenery or even running of any kind...just lost interest. Yesterday I went down and dug out one of my Kato D&RG PA-1s and started running it. First thing I had to do was clean the track! Then I discovered several places where the loco would derail, so I worked on the track. After a couple hours I have it running pretty well, but there are still a couple spots where the track needs a tweak or two. Felt good to be back at the throttle!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Supposed to get hot and steamy Bob, I feel for you.
Get one of those portable ac units?
I am in the basement but have been doing other things, trains are waiting for me.


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## superwarp1 (Dec 13, 2016)

I keep putting out my 3rdrail B&M Berkshire on the point of a freight but the next day my son parks it and puts a MTH challenger at the point. Drives me nuts. 

With upper 90's perdicted for New England this weekend, I'll have to spend some time in the basement.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Big Ed said:


> Supposed to get hot and steamy Bob, I feel for you.
> Get one of those portable ac units?
> I am in the basement but have been doing other things, trains are waiting for me.


I looked at a few Freidrich portable ACs, but portable ACs are not very efficient. And installing the hose(s) through the attic roof would be a giant PITA. Instead, I put a window unit in the staging area a few days ago. I ordered a Broan 380 CFM room to room fan unit and I’ll rig that up to blow air from the staging area to the attic. Probably won’t do the trick on super hot days, but it should be good when it’s less than 90 outside.


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

I think it would take a huge unit, amount of energy to keep an attic cool with the summer sun beating down on a roof. They do make insulation devices for attic ceilings. They use plain ol' pink insulation but, IIRC, these plastic panels allow proper moisture control / ventilation of the insulation..


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Uh, all of them.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Millstonemike said:


> I think it would take a huge unit, amount of energy to keep an attic cool with the summer sun beating down on a roof. They do make insulation devices for attic ceilings. They use plain ol' pink insulation but, IIRC, these plastic panels allow proper moisture control / ventilation of the insulation..


It's insulated, but still gets stupid hot if the gable fan isn't on. It was 110 degrees F a few days ago. In the winter, a 1500W space heater will do the trick on all but the coldest days. Time will tell if the window AC and fan make it livable in summer.


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## ERIE610 (Jan 19, 2015)

I have not been able to run/work on any of my trains since May. Been busy working on several vehicles due for their state safety inspections for license renewal. 2019 taxes were worked on. Yard work & Garden soil prep & planting was performed. Busy summer for sure but I still found time to acquire some new to me prime movers. Now the heat is becoming intolerable. I must perform outside chores before noon before it gets to hot. Very nice looking rolling stock in them pics there Lehigh74.

LATER


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Lehigh74 said:


> I looked at a few Freidrich portable ACs, but portable ACs are not very efficient. And installing the hose(s) through the attic roof would be a giant PITA. Instead, I put a window unit in the staging area a few days ago. I ordered a Broan 380 CFM room to room fan unit and I’ll rig that up to blow air from the staging area to the attic. Probably won’t do the trick on super hot days, but it should be good when it’s less than 90 outside.


I didn't know you had a window.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

House is a split level. The window AC is in the third floor staging area. There is a hole in the wall to connect the track in the staging area to the attic layout. I’ll suck air through that hole to cool the attic.

*But doesn’t anyone have pics of trains they are running?*


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

Lehigh74 said:


> House is a split level. The window AC is in the third floor staging area. There is a hole in the wall to connect the track in the staging area to the attic layout. I’ll suck air through that hole to cool the attic.
> 
> *But doesn’t anyone have pics of trains they are running?*


Where is the air return?


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Supply through the track access hole and return through the doors for the attic and staging area.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Lehigh74 said:


> House is a split level. The window AC is in the third floor staging area. There is a hole in the wall to connect the track in the staging area to the attic layout. I’ll suck air through that hole to cool the attic.
> 
> *But doesn’t anyone have pics of trains they are running?*


Sure...


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

I finally got around to completing battery replacements in my PS2 locos. Put some BCRs in 5V locos and SBRs in 3V locos. Ran the P5a modified and RK Decapod with the 5V boards. Also ran the B&O C-Liner.


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

Bridge scene 👍


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

I haven’t run my Reading Passenger train for a while. I thought I would try it on the third loop that goes from level zero to 3”. I don’t remember running 18” passenger cars on that loop before so I ran slowly to check for clearances. Good news is the 18” cars cleared. Bad news is that the one powered F unit would not pull the non-powered BBA Fs and 6 passenger cars up the 2% incline. So I ran it on loop two.


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## briangcc (Oct 11, 2012)

No pics but you can check my layout thread for video...

Right now it’s either my Lionel tinplate diesel w/matching freight cars OR if the boys want a steamie running then it’s my Ives 1661T w/matching 3 car passenger set.

Anything beyond that is whatever my boys want to run....Weaver Baldwin Sharks, Lionel GP9 (late 70’s version), Williams Berkshire, Williams FA.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

Actually I am not running anything. Very frustrating!!. I've had to cut the power to the layout as I complete installaton of the final section of my wire-guided (Faller or AutomotionFX) Country Road for cars and trucks on my layout. It's getting rather involved moving wires and such to make room as I must . . .


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Lee Willis said:


> Actually I am not running anything. Very frustrating!!. I've had to cut the power to the layout as I complete installaton of the final section of my wire-guided (Faller or AutomotionFX) Country Road for cars and trucks on my layout. It's getting rather involved moving wires and such to make room as I must . . .


Yep. That’s the downside of making improvements to the layout. I’ve had a few projects on the layout that caused me to stop running trains. After a week or so I was jonesing for train time. I’m planning to do some work on a few switches today, but that should only knock out one or two tracks and it shouldn’t take too long.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Decided to run my PS3ed Williams GG1s. The Tuscan 5 stripe is pulling a 5 car Madison set plus a 2 car add set on from 2003. The Blackjack is pulling a 5 car set from 2014 plus an R50B express reefer. For a few weeks, I’ve been looking for some MTH 18” streamlined cars to go with these motors. I haven’t found anything I with detailed interiors yet at a price I was willing to pay, but I’m sure something will turn up.


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

Nice consists. The heavyweight Penn colors are classics.

I have 7 Williams Crown Edition Aluminum passenger cars in SP Daylight. A matching Williams F7 ABA w/PS1 upgrade and a Williams GS4 in daylight to pull them.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

A train of snowbirds. Seems like the two C628s should be pulling more cars. I ordered a cylindrical hopper yesterday and I’ll be looking for more when I can go to train meets again. I thought that the outdoor Kutztown meet on 3/27 would be too cold, but I might go after all.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

My cousin from Minnesota was in town last week. Her dad worked for PRR in Philly and she is crazy about GG1s having seen them many times as a kid. So, I ran a military train and a passenger train pulled by motors for her. Today I switched the power back to steam.


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## Krieglok (Sep 7, 2013)

Nice assortment there, Bob! The black B&O Pacific is a hard one to find these days it seems.

Who made the GG1s? I am working on a military train of M4 Shermans being shipped from the factory. Just gathering Corgi Shermans and a few flat cars I need…

Tom


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

The B&O steamer is a Mikado (MTH 20-3075-1). I got it from Pat’s Trains a few years ago (NOS complete with a Pat’s homebrew BCR). The prototype for that cab number is at the Baltimore RR museum.

The GG1s are Williams upgraded to PS3 by John. I’ve posted them before in this thread, but since I was running them last week…

Most of the flat cars in my military train are Menards 14” cars. They work well once you adjust the gage. The only Sherman tanks I have are 1:48 Tamiya kits. They just fit on an old MTH Premier flat car. Where are you finding Corgi Sherman tanks in 1:48?


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## Krieglok (Sep 7, 2013)

No, they are 1:50 and they just fit two tanks on a 40’ flat car. I am collecting the tanks and repainting them into a basic olive drab, like they were when they came off the assembly line. This is a Lionel car with the tanks being test fit...










Here are two Lionel 40’ flats with all the wood chocks and timber’s in place. The tanks will be another project on their own. The wood will be darkened slightly with plank grooves scribed into the chocks…



















Tom


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## pjdog1 (Jan 3, 2013)

I ran my new WWII army train today. I have assemble 11 Tamiya 1/48 scale early Sherman tanks, added some Menard's jeeps and ambulances.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

Very cool pjdog1. I love trains with military loads. Tanks!!!

This is a great thread to reprise. Been a while. Today I am running aBluetooth-Legacy Lionmaster Big Boy pulling a train of all-diecast metal cars - ten freight and a caboose. It is a heavy train but one that runs so smoothly . . . but required a big heavy loco to pull it.


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## pjdog1 (Jan 3, 2013)

Very impressive Lee. I had a MTH Big Boy, Challenger, J, two K4’s & two Mikado’s. But had a brain fart and sold them. Wish I had not. Can’t afford to buy them back.

Do you have a video of the Big Boy in action. My three 2026 Postwar Lionel are hard pressed to pull the die cast load I have. Wheel spin getting going? But once they get them moving they are All right. It also helps to oil the wheels no the postwar Lionel flat cars.

You have allot of remotes


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## pjdog1 (Jan 3, 2013)

Yesterday and today I ran the same consist just changed the engines out from Postwar Lionel to modern (2016) Lionel LionChief plus Mikado & Hudson. Postwar Lionel seems to need 11 volts to work on my small layout. At 11 volts they are way to fast. But the Modern Lionel with the little remotes can crawl around the layout with no problems. I really enjoy the Mikado. It's a great puller a slow speed. I enjoy that allot more.


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

Very nice payout and consists.

Last night I watched a documentary on American industry's during WW II. The production of war machines (as in your consist) made possible by the auto & other industries' experience with mass production. By 1942, America was outproducing Germany by an order of magnitude. For example, over 360,000 Jeeps were produced during the war.


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## pjdog1 (Jan 3, 2013)

49,234 Sherman tanks where produced by 10 American company’s. Including 4 companies that where Locomotive companies. Like Alco, Baldwin, etc. % different engines. The best being made by Ford. The GAA which was a V8, 4 values per cylinder, twin carburetors, double overhead cam? It was reliable which in combat was real important.


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

pjdog1 said:


> ... It was reliable which in combat was real important.


That was mentioned in the documentary. Along with standardized parts for easy field repair.


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## pjdog1 (Jan 3, 2013)

I will normally go to the garage early in the morning to mess with my O Gauge trains. Generally around 6:30 AM after Taking care of my wife how has allot of health problems. Been trying to fix a MTH RailKing Hudson that's been giving me trouble. Every time I think I've got it fixed it will fail again. I gave up for today and put a Lionel LionChief plus Hudson in it's place. A little time to relax before facing life's trouble. My trains are therapy for me. Don't know how I could get through a day without my dog and trains.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

That's a nice O layout. I think your videos would look much better without the wide-angle lens distorting the frame.


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## Bryan Moran (Jan 15, 2017)

Thank goodness for high resolution photos, better than magazine photos. Well, just moved into new home on July 9. Still not completely settled in. I am not wasting time though. Electricians have been here and installed 8 can LED lights and additional outlet in my mechanical room which will serve as the work room. I put up 2 of my 4 LED shop lights in the mechanical room, built 2 of 5 shelving units. More this weekend.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

The layout looks good pjdog1. You have a lot of Shermans.


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## pjdog1 (Jan 3, 2013)

Thank you Lehigh74. I have 11 Sherman’s. One with the long barrel 76.8 MM. Fun to assemble and mount on a flat car. I like to run them early in the morning before anyone’s up. Coffee and trains in the morning. Michael Thinks I should set a different lens but I can’t tell the difference. My best friend said I should use the wide angle lens? It’s great therapy for these hard times. Guy was here working on the house. He would not leave the garage. Loved the trains. Guess his dad was a train person. Said he was going to see if any of dads trains where at dads house?


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## pjdog1 (Jan 3, 2013)

It's with heavy heart that I say I have had a M2 50 cal. machine gun stolen off my lead Sherman M4A3 tank. The train was parked at the coaling station waiting on another train coming from the east. When the clear to go was given to the military train I saw that the M2 was missing. I call the FBI this morning. The train is now stalled waiting on the inspector to do an investigation!




  








Stolen M2 machine gun.JPG




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pjdog1


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Aug 15, 2021


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2



Lead Sherman tank M2 gun missing


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## BigGRacing (Sep 25, 2020)

pjdog1 said:


> work on my small layout


Pjdog, I see the other steam engines on the inside of your layout, do they link into your inner track ?


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## pjdog1 (Jan 3, 2013)

No Big. That is just a place where I park the Steamers. I have neighborhood kids that sometimes show up for a little O Gauge train action. I find the best place for my engines is on the back side of the layout. title hands can cause allot of damage. Another place is over the work bench. I park my Lionel prewar Streamline JR’s over the work bench.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

I haven’t been spending much time in the train room. But I do run them for a while most mornings before it gets too hot. Been running the same trains for a few weeks. A Susie-Q RS3 pulling covered hoppers. A B&O passenger train led by C-Liners. An LVRR RS11 pulling TOFCs. A B&O GP7 and F7 with a manifest. And a CBQ VO1000 with a candy train.


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## Krieglok (Sep 7, 2013)

Nice consists Bob. The B&O freight mix is very typical…they ran everything together.

The viaduct is impressive too. Is it based on a DL&W bridge?

Tom


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Krieglok said:


> The viaduct is impressive too. Is it based on a DL&W bridge?


It’s modeled after the Manayunk Viaduct over the Schuylkill River.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Lehigh74 said:


> It’s modeled after the Manayunk Viaduct over the Schuylkill River.


It most certainly is, and a pretty good representation.  OTOH, yours is much too "clean" looking.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

I haven’t changed what’s on the layout for a while so I took almost everything off and changed things out. Mostly to passenger trains. Some of these, I have posted here before, but this is what I’m running now.

A Railking K4s/4 car set with an added coach.

A D&H PA1 ABA with 5 car set.

An ATSF PA1 AA with 5 car set plus 2 dome cars.

A PRR SW1 with Menards M&M cars.

A B&O F7 AB with 5 car set plus 2 car set.

And I’m still running the LVRR snowbird train. I really like this train.

I also ran the ATSF train with a Menards F unit pulling it for a while. The loco doesn’t look bad pulling these cars, but it would look better with a dummy F unit. As most here know, the Menards loco has jackrabbit starts and stops. The stops were so bad that it derailed the trailing passenger car 2 out of 3 times and caused a short. Don’t think I will be running that loco too much.

SOOOO. What are you guys running?


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## Krieglok (Sep 7, 2013)

D&H PAs. Nice! Did you obtain a matching passenger set?

Tom


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Krieglok said:


> D&H PAs. Nice! Did you obtain a matching passenger set?
> 
> Tom


Yes. I got a 5-car set from John. He actually had two sets. I've been looking in vain for a 2 car add on set. I think you tried to talk me into getting a set for a more popular road and painting it in D&H colors. I thought about that for a while, but I'm too lazy/chicken to try it.


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## Firewood (Nov 5, 2015)

The layout's in limbo at the moment as I have a major scenery section removed to work on it. Since it has a piece of the main line on it, operation is somewhat hooped. Can't wait to get this gang back on the rails again.
FW


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> OTOH, yours is much too "clean" looking.


It should be. It represents an ealier time


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## seayakbill (Jan 16, 2016)

No trains running for the past year due to the dismantling of the Seattle & Yakima RR version #5. Hopefully version #6 will be in some type of operation by Jan 1 2022.

Bill


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

seayakbill said:


> No trains running for the past year due to the dismantling of the Seattle & Yakima RR version #5. Hopefully version #6 will be in some type of operation by Jan 1 2022.
> 
> Bill


Good luck with it. Having no trains to run is like a day without happiness.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

I think I’ve had my LV C628 snowbirds on the platform since I started this thread. I have built up my snowbird roster so I now have 11 freight cars and 2 cabooses. I really like snowbird color scheme, but it’s time to give the snowbirds a rest and run some stuff that hasn’t seen track in a few years.

The C&O AS-616 is MTH (2003 V2). I got it ten years ago and got the dummy a few years later. For some reason the dummy has the same road number as the powered unit. I pulled some MPC boxcars out from under the platform to run behind the Baldwins. I don’t know when I last ran these cars and I don’t remember them being almost weightless. I’m afraid to put a caboose on the end since it might cause a stringline.

The RBMN SD40 (MTH 2016 V1) is a nice looking loco, but the blower whine is obnoxious even with the volume turned way down. I’m running it with the engine sound turned off. It’s pulling a few Menards RBMN cars, a few K-Line box cars and a few MPC boxcars.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Running DGLE today.

A Williams conventional GG1.









A PRSL mixed train. NOT prototypical, but I don’t care. PRSL didn’t have AS-616s and MTH never made AS-16s. PRSL also didn’t have ex-reading cabooses, they used ex-Pennsy cabin cars. But it was good enough for Holley Beach Train Depot…and me.

















An SD-9 and SD35 pulling a manifest freight.

















An RS-1 with heavy loads.


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## seayakbill (Jan 16, 2016)

The Union Pacific Heritage SD-70 Ace's finally unboxed and running on the S&Y RR. Closing in on winter now so will be working the next few months on placing buildings in their permanent locations and scenery. Fun times on the S&Y RR.


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