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How three neighbors shared their model railroading in a unique way!

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Posted by kasskaboose on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 10:51 AM

Bravo!  What a great joke.  If only it was true.

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Posted by Mister Mikado on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 10:48 AM

rrinker

And yup, those three names on the first line should have tipped you all off!  Now who can guess which three notable model railroaders I parodied?

 

George Sellios, John Allen, and Dave Frary are my guesses.

                    --Randy

Randy, you got them all correct.  Kudos!  -Rob

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Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, April 1, 2019 3:51 PM

I don't know much about the names, The Dave Frey, I think I have a scenery book by him, but I don't know the Gods from the past of MRR, never paid attention.

Mike.

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  • From: Reading, PA
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Posted by rrinker on Monday, April 1, 2019 3:48 PM

Mister Mikado

Thanks Mike!  I would love to write the April Fool articles for MR, that was quite a compliment!  OK everyone, now I can reveal  my post's history.  This was an article I actually submitted to MR awhile back for the April issue but they rejected it.  So posting it here for you all was the next best thing.  Almost as many readers will set eyes on it.

And yup, those three names on the first line should have tipped you all off!  Now who can guess which three notable model railroaders I parodied?

 

 George Sellios, John Allen, and Dave Frary are my guesses.

                    --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by York1 on Monday, April 1, 2019 3:24 PM

This sounded great to me, and I was actually wishing there were pictures.

York1 John       

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  • From: Staten Island NY
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Posted by joe323 on Monday, April 1, 2019 3:13 PM

I actually could see this scenario happening in thr attached housing I grew up in. (Queens NY).

Joe Staten Island West 

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Posted by IDRick on Monday, April 1, 2019 3:09 PM

LOL, oops got me as well!   Ahhh, I'm originally from Minnesota so yeah, Minnesota Nice and a few beers, yeah, they could do it!

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Posted by Mister Mikado on Monday, April 1, 2019 2:50 PM

Thanks Mike!  I would love to write the April Fool articles for MR, that was quite a compliment!  OK everyone, now I can reveal  my post's history.  This was an article I actually submitted to MR awhile back for the April issue but they rejected it.  So posting it here for you all was the next best thing.  Almost as many readers will set eyes on it.

And yup, those three names on the first line should have tipped you all off!  Now who can guess which three notable model railroaders I parodied?

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
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Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, April 1, 2019 1:56 PM

That's it, Mr. M's going to have to write the April fools thing for MR from now on!

I have to admit, it had me going right to the end.  I fell first!  Laugh  Oh well, all in fun.

I probably would have hung on to this, right up to where they all get together to use weathering pods.  Confused

BUT.  My niece and her family live in a small development in NW Minneapolis, houses and the development look they were built right after the war, just about all the same, and it can't be more than 10' from one basement wall to the neighbors wall.

Mike, the fool  Laugh

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  • From: Reading, PA
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Posted by rrinker on Monday, April 1, 2019 12:55 PM

 I seem to recall something similar in the past - the way past, before DCC. This was kind of an updated version.

                                   --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
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  • From: Northern NY (Think Upstate but even more)
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Posted by Harrison on Monday, April 1, 2019 12:21 PM

Good one Mister Mikado, You had me convinced until I finished and thought about how unlikly this is. Great joke! BowBig Smile

Harrison

Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.

Modeling the D&H in 1978.

Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"

My YouTube

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Posted by steemtrayn on Monday, April 1, 2019 12:08 PM

davidmurray

 

 

 
IDRick
Fun times!

 

I wonder about the time stamp on the orginal post.

Dave

 

 

The names sound suspicious, too.

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Monday, April 1, 2019 12:07 PM

Pictures or I call shens!

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, April 1, 2019 12:05 PM

OK, I see what your saying, jokes on me!  Surprise Well, anyway, it could work, and wouldn't be that hard to do, IF your in sandy soil like where I am at.

Somebody always has to ruin a good story.

Mike.

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Posted by davidmurray on Monday, April 1, 2019 12:01 PM

IDRick
Fun times!

I wonder about the time stamp on the orginal post.

Dave

 

David Murray from Oshawa, Ontario Canada
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, April 1, 2019 12:01 PM

Neat story.

.

I guess they all agreed how high benchwork should be.

.

Too bad Albert Mackellan did not live in the same neighborhood.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

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Posted by IDRick on Monday, April 1, 2019 11:37 AM

Fun times!  I do agree though, how to handle derailments will be a significant challenge, particularly if super detailed rolling stock/locomotives are used.

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  • From: SE. WI.
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Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, April 1, 2019 11:34 AM

Cool story!  I got what might be going on right away, as I read, and before I finished reading, I was wonder just how a derailed train could be retrieved.

Hopefully they had the forethought to use LOTS of Atlas re-railers,  and the pipe is big enough to allow some options, such a camera car, light, and a retrievel device.

Can't wait to hear "the rest of the story" on derailment retrievel.

Mike.

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    September 2010
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How three neighbors shared their model railroading in a unique way!
Posted by Mister Mikado on Monday, April 1, 2019 11:19 AM
Three suburban neighbors in Minneapolis,
Minnesota have combined their HO layouts in a
unique way, forming an expansive railroad empire
that has many NMRA members voicing the familiar
adage "Now why didn't we think of that?"

George Sellers, John Aleck and Dave Fray have
more than adjoining houses in common.  All three
are avid model railroaders.  But it took years
for George to convince John to re-enter the
hobby.  Constant invites to help run his basement
layout didn't quite do the trick, but John's
retirement finally spurred his decision to plunge
ahead.  Now two basements were off limits to the
family cats, with John mimicking, and sometimes
seriously improving upon, George's
around-the-walls achievements in HO.

That left good ol' Dave, who hadn't run a train
since the old American Flyer set got packed away
in his parents' attic.  When his neighbors'
enthusiasm became overwhelming, Dave broke down
to inspect both layouts in a single evening. 
Being a computer programmer must have broken the
proverbial camel's back.  One hands-on session
with George's DCC system later, and Dave was
hooked like a spring trout on a new fly. 

They devoted one night a week to traintasking,
alternating from basement to basement.  When John
suggested expanding operations to Tuesdays and
Thursdays, George considered but Dave, still a
breadwinner with two little girls, hemmed and
hawed.  None of three recalls who came up with
the "idea", but its arrival over coffee after a
train session on a cold winter's night knocked
them out of their chairs.

It was a simple inspiration, but one requiring a
bit of physical labor in the form of pickaxing
rock-hard ground and hammer-drilling six inch
square holes through four basement walls. Why
four?  If the reader can guess that, there's no
need to explain the rest!  

John's house sits between George's and Dave's and
required two holes, one at each end of his
basement.  You guessed it!  An added siding on
each of the three layouts later (ah--two on
John's of course),permanent connectivity was
achieved in the form of insulated PVC
connecting tunnels that now allow them to share
engines, rolling stock and dispatching jobs
(exchanged by smartphone). Closer communication
is done by three walkie-talkies.  During
Minnesota winters when even a short walk to the
house next door can be a royal pain in the
fingers and toes, George, John and Dave now enjoy
presiding over a triple-sized railroad empire
without ever leaving their own basements.  They
have yet to set aside a little time, however, to
discuss the eventual derailment in those
"intercellar" spaces.   

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