Interesting Items in old MR, part - probably 100 by now

[rrinker]

 Something was mentioned in one of the groups.io groups I'm a member of, and I was looking at some old MRs using my 75 year DVD. In particular, March 1956. 

 Notable was the first into to John Allen's third and final version of the G&D. The mostly photo article didn;t say how long he had been working on it, but I'm guessing well under a year at that popint. Granted, much of the previous two layouts was salvaged and reused. Interesting is that John said he prefers to work on various things at once, a little bit of this, a little bit of that, rather than build benchwork start to finish, then lay track start to finish - pretty much the way I work. He even had parts of the layout with nearly completed scenery but no track yet. Not even ties.

 Interesting item #1 was in the Bull Session section, mentioning a new way of diemaking - what's described is EDM - electrical discharge machining. Puts a date to the technology I worked with a lot at my first job post college.

 In the same Bull Session column, at the end, it is mentioned in reply to a letter that there is a shop selling decals tha read "Model Railroading - World's Greatest Hobby". Everything that's old is new again.

                                --Randy

 

[gmpullman]

rrinker

Interesting item #1 was in the Bull Session section, mentioning a new way of diemaking - what's described is EDM - electrical discharge machining.

I saw my first EDM in a guys shop way off the beaten path in an old barn in Washington, Pa. He was making dies for GM. This was back in 1971.

His shop was over a mile from the closest three-phase power and the only EDMs then were 3 phase. Power company wanted to charge him more than the machine cost to run a line up to his shop. Somehow he rigged an induction motor as a phase converter.

Clever guy. He actually worked for the P&LE railroad but did machine work on the side.

rrinker

Everything that's old is new again.

I agree, there really arent "new" ideas, just refinements of schemes that have been around for ages.

Regards, Ed

[BRAKIE]

gmpullman

I agree, there really arent "new" ideas, just refinements of schemes that have been around for ages.

Ed, I still lay track like I did 60 years ago.. I still use O Scale (2 rail) spikes  and check by eye balling the track to ensure its straight and that method still works..

I still nail my roadbed to the board. The only exception was when I used Woodland Scenics foam roadbed. I have built some ISLs without any roadbed.