Capt Carrales' Challenge: What would you do with $10,000? (equal value in your currency)

[Capt Bob Johnson]

And I'm sure that the boss has told them to change the look from time to time. I'd expect they might show up in gov't issue stuff one of these days!

Editor Carrales will know he's being watched when he sees that Dixie D logo on the door of that F-150!

[thor]

Its not really all that much when you stop to think about it, is it? I could easily blow that on locos alone, a Lionel Shay and a Heisler and an MTH Climax, a Challenger plus the necessary track and some operating accessories plus cars and STILL have nowhere to run it all! OR - more sensible, I could buy a couple of switchers and cars and a lot of track and use the rest to build a really solid layout out in the garden. Hmmmm, its quite a hard choice because on the one hand there's the fantasy pike but I did that once and was pretty bored with it once it was done. Turned out the real fun was to be had on the floor with hands and knees, endlessly rearranging track to play games with the kids and that rules out most of the really spectacular locos that wont run on tight curves and accessories that really need to be fixed down. So I guess ten grand would be best spent on a ton of track and robust locos and wagons!

[tangerine-jack]

That's very true, Thor! I'm thinking that money is best spend on the infrastructure of the railroad rather than rolling stock that has nowhere to go. A well constructed garden/roadbed and interesting track plan will serve for many years as rolling stock is added to piece by piece.

I am working on my plan to be very much operator oriented with a long point to point plan with one closed loop (for visitors), elevated track, with multiple areas (gazebo like) to provide senic fields of view for operators and spectators. Involved is a large pond with a bridge for trains and pedestrians, and walking paths through the railroad itself so I can "railfan" my own trains as they work. I daresay most of the money will be spent on building the railroad itself, power and control will come later, maybe batt/RC and some live steam.

[grandpopswalt]

TJ,

It’s unfortunate that we’ve come to this sad state of affairs. I appreciate your generous offer to help with the collection of this debt but as of this morning the matter is out of my hands. The aggrieved party, a Mr. Vinny Testosterone, has agreed to cancel our contract to landscape my backyard. He is only seeking compensation for out-of-pocket expenses incurred thus far in the sum of $4,997.32 USD. He will be pursuing Capt. Carrales for payment. He feels that the owner/publisher of a news publication with international distribution will be able to, as he puts it, “come up with the cash”.

I feel terrible about the way this whole thing has developed. However, it was, after all, the good Capt. himself who made the initial offer to finance his fellow forum members. Only after many of us had already entered into contractual agreements did he callously strip the greenbacks from our outstretched hands, very cold, very cold indeed.

Walt

[tangerine-jack]

Walt,

I understand your dissatisfaction with the corporate management methods of a certain Capt. Carrales. It is indeed unfortunate that he chooses to engage in conduct that is most disrespectful to the legitimate business world and members of my family.

It is my understanding that the contract enforcers of the Dixie D SL have made contact with Mr. Testosterone somewhere in central Texas this very afternoon and have come to an agreement for the collection of funds that will be mutually beneficial and avoid any unpleasant misunderstandings between our interests.

I cannot begin to express my sympathy to you for the way you were treated. Perhaps at a better time we can discuss an offer I know you won’t be able to refuse for the landscaping work you need done.

Regards,

TJ

[Anonymous]

Captains? Uh....nothing but Lieutenants here...

As for Ford F-150s with Rebel flags...er...things aren't that bad over here in Oilton, Texas.

[grandpopswalt]

TJ,

Thanks for your kind offer to help with the landscaping project here on the W&DR RR. As you know all work has just recently come to a sreeching halt. However, I'm going to have to say "thanks but no thanks". This whole experience has been so traumatic for me that the mere mention of the word "landscape" brings on violent constrictions in my lower bowel.

Walt

[Anonymous]

Being new to G-scale....

Since I don't even have a permanent track up yet, that would of course be first - plenty of turn-outs and fiberglass mountains to build - $2,000
Loco's and cars and power - I have little kids, so my dream of steam will have to wait, so it's RC everything - $5,000
Pond - always loved the water features and bridges...somehow I'd incorporate Koi into it all (mosquitoes are killer around were I live). Maybe I'll have to build a nuclear power plant to explain how the flushed goldfishies become as big as whales :D - $1,500
Need to send the Capt on a "thank you" cruise to the bahamas for letting me win the contest - $1,500

[tangerine-jack]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cwhuntersr

Being new to G-scale....

Since I don't even have a permanent track up yet, that would of course be first - plenty of turn-outs and fiberglass mountains to build - $2,000
Loco's and cars and power - I have little kids, so my dream of steam will have to wait, so it's RC everything - $5,000
Pond - always loved the water features and bridges...somehow I'd incorporate Koi into it all (mosquitoes are killer around were I live). Maybe I'll have to build a nuclear power plant to explain how the flushed goldfishies become as big as whales :D - $1,500
Need to send the Capt on a "thank you" cruise to the bahamas for letting me win the contest - $1,500

Welcome to the forum!
Quick question, why fiberglass mountains? Why not use real dirt? Just wondering what your thought process is on that.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tangerine-jack


Welcome to the forum!
Quick question, why fiberglass mountains? Why not use real dirt? Just wondering what your thought process is on that.

Thanks - I guess I didn't mention the tunnels in my first post[:D] I was thinking that it would be easier to incorporate trap doors in fiberglass than dig out a tunnel in case of a derailment, but I'm always open to suggestions!

[tangerine-jack]

Tunnels are usualy built with PVC or concrete pipe before any dirt is put in place, including access hatches and such if required. Normaly a G scale tunnel is wider than normal and only as long as your shortest arm times 2. There is a thread somewhere that explains "how to" in pretty good detail, but I can't find it right now. It's not as hard as it would seem, and a lot more permanent and cheaper than fiberglass. But hey, if glass is your thing, then go for it!

[John Busby]

Hi Capt Carales
Ball park that should just about pay for a rather nice Aster 4-6-2 locomotive
and postage from the local Aster dealer he is only a couple of states away[:D].
Might have to make the loco smaller and get some broader curves[:(]
regards John

[Ray Dunakin]

Hmm, ten grand to spend on my railroad? For starters, I'd hire someone to rip out all this darn iceplant and haul it away, and then carve the hill into shape for me. Then I'd buy a whole truckload of rocks to turn the barren hill into a desert mountain range in miniature.

Whatever's left would be spent on tracks, trestles, trains and control systems.

Now back to reality...
Since I don't have $10k, I'm hacking out 20x50 square feet of iceplant a few yards at a time by hand. Then on trash day I go up and down the street dumping as much of it as possible into every trash I can find that isn't full. In between times, I'm chopping away at the hill, which is composed of layers of sand and silt solidified to near-stone; and slowly building a retaining wall of concrete blocks and rock. And for the next couple of years I'll be driving out to the country 2-3 times a week and loading up my SUV with as many rocks as it can haul.

It's a lot of work, but hey, at least I'm losing weight!

[Anonymous]

Hey Tangarine have you looked up Turkey yet their curency was about $20 US converted into about 1,000,000Turkish franks (I think its called a frank) (and that was several years ago, unfortuanely for them their economy is in the toilet) so lets see, grab the calc and you have a railroad worth 500 million -you would have a RR worth more than many 1:1 shortlines.....

OK now to spend the $ , 3G on track, 1G on roadbed, 1/2G on the garden, hey Im 1/2 way there and no loco's or cars or buildings hmmm,
I havent done the math because it scares me how much the locos and cars , r/c systems/sound systems I want cost but I bet it is close to the other 5G -if not more.

Unfortuanely I have done the math on the track and roadbed, prelims on plants, get back to me in about 5-10 years and I bet I'll have spent that if I can aford to.

[Anonymous]

First, I'd probably have to give half of it to Beth. Second I'd have to find a place to put down tracks again...Divorces suck.

Then I'd probably build over again what I had.