December 2015 Model Railroader mag

[chutton01]

DavidH66

I don't think thats a baby seal, probably another Pigeon. It's a scale model of a small bird, you can only get so detailed.

I realise it wasn't a baby seal but it sure looks like one. (Hmm - maybe a trained pet seal from the Oxnard zoo? Nah...)

On photo four of Rick Stern's layout there was a train on the lower track carrying a few gondolas. One of these Gondolas (visible just above the bridge) has a grey circular load. What kind of load is this?

I'm fairly sure that's a vinegar car, not a gondola. I think they look fairly cool myself, although they don't fit into modern era revenue service.

[DavidH66]

I don't think thats a baby seal, probably another Pigeon. It's a scale model of a small bird, you can only get so detailed.

 

Also I had a question. On photo four of Rick Stern's layout there was a train on the lower track carrying a few gondolas. One of these Gondolas (visible just above the bridge) has a grey circular load. What kind of load is this?

[chutton01]

Was that the last column Mr. Sperandeo wrote, or did MR shuffle things around a bit - it does seem a rather fitting column to end on the series on.

Now onto something more mundane. Lous Sassi wrote and took the pictures for the "Freelancing through the San Fernando" concerning Rick Stern's Santa Fe layout. And it has a 2 page opening spread of PA's leading a passenger train into the interesting looking Oxnard station. OK, looks pretty good, detailed...until you look at the couple on the bench in the lower right. The lady seems to be feeding pigeons, and one pigeon seems keeled over on its side, dead (there also seems to be a baby harp seal between the couple). Also, the nearby bench by the telephone booth seems to be maybe 12ft long, with no support frame in the middle. Sorry, that just takes you right out on that image.
Why couldn't those details have been removed for the shot?

At least the Pelle article was decent this month.

[dknelson]

And it has that last ever "The Operators" column from Andy S.  

MR did a special issue on operations some years back that reprinted some of Andy's columns, interspersed with some other reprinted articles, but I think a thorough collection of the columns, that perhaps re-edits or combines the topics he covered more than once over the years would make a very useful book and a great memorial to him at the same time.  

Dave Nelson

[Jimmy_Braum]

Well done issue, very well done! I love the article about building repaired cars especially, as well as the send off to Andy, and the new question section.