I hope so too.
I have an older version, it has truck mounted couplers. Now that I think of it, it might be a Riverossi.
My slump lasted about six and a half years, and got me completely out of the Hobby for that time. It was a culmination of things, Marriage going south, relocating from North Carolina to Northwestern Vermont, remarrying having a couple Kids. But one good thing about our Hobby it has endured over the past sixty some years. I am now working on a new Modular layout in my basement, I have discovered a very friendly (even if they do think I talk funny) local Modeler community, and I have gone from a place where everyone pretty much modeled the same Road in different Eras (Southern/NS/C of G ) to being the only Guy that Models the Southern/NS in the state. Sometimes taking a break...even putting the hobby away for a bit can be the best thing in the long run.
Well, Altoona Railroader I got out of my slump this last 4 days and hope you can do the same!
Main things that keept me from working on the new section.
1. I have to many engines and rolling stock? They covred the new section to the poit I had no room to work. Finaly boxed them up so I had some room.
2. I love watching the trains, and brew makes it better yet! Stopped running the trains, so I was not watching anything so I worked! Brew you ask? Well there is only so much a married man can give up at the same time!
Spiking again, Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Well it's good to know I'm not alone by any means. I did end up having a great train weekend, although I didn't get much accomplished scenery wise, I had all Saturday afternoon to play away. In the middle of that I wanted to go to the LHS to see if they'd buy some cars off of me, old junk that I just didn't want. (shhhh, tyco stuff ) So he gave me $10 for a bunch of tyco cars and resin kit cars. Bleecch!! Anyhow, I turned right around and spent that back plus a few dollars more and bought some metal wheels and finally broke down and picked up a few packs of KD's #148's. Had a blast converting a few of my cars and my GP-9. Which I needed to do because the horn hooks were getting caught on the front and pulling the next car off the tracks because they wouldnt' swing enough. WOW, those KD's ARE great!!! No more of that problem now. That was Saturday.
Sunday there was a model train show, a little one and I was kind of disappointed with the lack of HO vendors and too much Lionel, no offense. But I had the wife with me and no baby so we took our time and I ran into some good deals.
The one that brought me out of my slump????.....wait for it.......a Atheran GP-9 Dummy that I've been looking for for almost two years to match my PWD GP9 !!! Whooo hooooo!!! That made my day!!!!! I also invested in two Proto 1000 cars, a Conrail 100 tonner hopper and a 60' hi cube in PC green with CR lettering. !!! Niiiccccccccccceeee!!!!! Then I went home an had all the time I needed to play the day away!!!
Gotta Love this hobby!!!!! I should have posted pics but I'll try to do that later. That GP-9 head to head pulling 7 cars with KD's and metal wheels really makes the experience that much better.
PIC's coming soon.
SLUMP OVER!!!!!
Altoon, to bad we don't have a section here to post iteams we don't want any more! I enjoy converting the old Tyco rolling stock to great and easy pullers.
1 Cut off the coulper boxes off the trucks.
2 Add kadee couplers boxes to the frame, the coupler boxes come with Kadee # 5's. (I do like the 148's as well).
3 Clean the boosters and add Proto 2000 33 inch wheel set.
4 Weight the rolling stock to NMRA specks.
Then you will have a car that will pull as well as a RTR Athearn and you have the fun of learing and working with your hand as well.
Right now I have the A, B and new C lines running and pulling around 120 cars. There are 20 Tyco's in the mix. I all so may have the largest collection of Tyco Old Dutch Hoppers around, 31 of them in fact.
Cuda Ken
Hey Ken,
I did do exactly as you were describing with a Bachman UP Gondola. It had the pop-on trucks with built in couplers. I pulled the trucks first off and pitched them. I then mounted #148's with new draft boxes. I had to go get a piece of 1/4 dowel rod to put in the holes where the trucks used to pop into. Perfect fit so far. I then drilled out a hole in the wooden dowel and mounted a set of trucks with metal wheel sets back on. Wa-La!!!! A very nice metal bodied UP gondola with metal wheels and KD's. The coupler height is a little off but not bad enough to come un-coupled, even on my poor track work. LOL I gotta say, I really like tinkering with the freight and changing these over, then when you get that sucker to roll nice it's a good feeling.
Dave Vollmer wrote: My slumps come in two flavors:1. Other hobbies jump out front (like golf).2. Mired in a project that's no longer fun (like lettering a PRR X31a in N scale - "kitbashing" the dimensional data - ack!).Usually I get a sudden flash of inspiration that sends me running back to the layout room after a few weeks. Often times that inspiration comes from something in a forum.
My slumps come in two flavors:
1. Other hobbies jump out front (like golf).
2. Mired in a project that's no longer fun (like lettering a PRR X31a in N scale - "kitbashing" the dimensional data - ack!).
Usually I get a sudden flash of inspiration that sends me running back to the layout room after a few weeks. Often times that inspiration comes from something in a forum.
Yo, Dave. Here's some inspiration. Get back to work on your layout before we have to form a mob and show up at your house with pitchforks and torches.
Andre
Oh Brother, I've been there and the only fix is too do just what you did, log onto Trains.com, it never fails me.
I live In New England and have been buried in snow since mid December so the weather does have something to do with it I'm sure.
Chin up and Spring will be here in no time, best of luck.
Jess.
New section is moving a long but hit a small set back. Seems I may have to relay some of the crock in the center toward the moutains in the rear. Part of the the turns is 22" and part is 18". Hum, I was not enjoying the brew either?
Good news is the new section is DCC now! My E-7 PK2 is running fine around the out side loop. Reason that is good news? E engines with there long trucks are pickey! If an E can make it around 8 wheel drive steam should no be hard pressed.
Hi, I'm Jesse Red Horse,
I was reading through this thread and got caught looking at the pic of your cement plant, that is AWESOME work, you should be proud of the craftsmenship I can see in the pic.
Keep up the good work now I must return to this thread to find out what happens next.
Happy Rails,
Have been in HO since late 1950's. Discovered garden railroad in 1989. Now have both. I notice I "start slumping" about this time of year as far as the HO layout, and I start getting the garden engines ready for service, cleaning, tuning up. In another month will be outside working on roadbed, etc, and making test runs. The cars are all stored outside in a building, so they will be seeing daylight again. The HO Santa Fe will become more dormant, while the Garden Santa Fe will spring to life.
In late September, the process will reverse as the leaves making running outdoors almost impossible. The HO, which will have seen minimum activity during the summer, will get a cleaning, plans made for first operating session, and the garden stuff will go into storage.
Actually working with two different gauges, and two different layout situations, keeps the hobby fresh for me.
Bob
Paster Bob, boy I wish I had the time for a out door layout. But with the hours I work I get home after 9:45 5 days a week. But I do like running in the dark inside.
Got a little more cork down, had some problem spots I had to fix. Should have 2 more turn outs down Sunday and 6 more feet of track. Sorry Paster Bob.