Your worst Nightmare...

[SpaceMouse]

a tenderfoot with a book.

I got my first real RRM books from Amazon today.

Track Planning for Realistic Operation: Prototype Concepts for your Model Railroad, by John Armstrong.

and

Easy Model Railroad Wiring, 2nd Ed, by Andy Sperandeo.

Thanks for the recomendations pards.

And I hope you don't think that just because I am getting book learning that I will stop with the stupid questions--it just means that the questions will get harder to answer [:D]

[mikebonellisr]

We'll do what we can....and in the process all of us may learn something new.Are you having fun yet?

[tstage]

Chip,

You're not only a hoot, your a breath of fresh air! I been having fun reading, answering, and living vicariously through your posts ever since you came on board 12/27. [:D]

I think it's great that you've found something that both you and your son can do together. And, that you've also included your daughter in the layout plans, as well. How's your wife dealing with all this?

I was pleased to hear that your son was able to go to the MRR club with you last night. I had wanted to ask you if he was going to be able to do that.

Hey, if I ever find myself in or around Indiana, PA, I sure would enjoy stopping by and meeting all of you. Keep up the good work but...GET SOME SLEEP, YA' WILD MAN!!!

Tom

[twhite]

Spacemouse, I'm with the other Tom about your posts. I hope you keep us all informed about your progress with Hogwarts, MDC 2-6-0's and whatever 4-4-0's you acquire. I think I speak for a lot of us when I say "Glad to have you aboard, guy."
Tom

[Anonymous]

Spacemouse,
I'm with those guys, too. I've been enjoying your posts and have found all of them quite interesting, if not entertaining. It sounds like you are definately having fun, even if it's costing a little more than it should to do so. From what I can tell, it seems you're having a blast at this point. There is a certain amount of excitement about getting involved in a new hobby, isn't there? When you make it out to the LHS you mentioned in another post, what ever you do, stay away from the Walther's Catalog (or reference book, as they call it). If you think you're spending too much now, you won't believe all the things you can spend money on once you learn about them. (The catalog itself isn't cheap at about $23, but all the stuff inside will cost an arm and a leg, so to speak!) Keep havin' fun, since that's really what it's all about!

[SpaceMouse]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tstage

Chip,

You're not only a hoot, your a breath of fresh air! I been having fun reading, answering, and living vicariously through your posts ever since you came on board 12/27. [:D]

We all do what we can.

QUOTE: I think it's great that you've found something that both you and your son can do together. And, that you've also included your daughter in the layout plans, as well. How's your wife dealing with all this?

She'd freak if she knew how much money I've spent on this so far. But she is an artist. She says that her artist time is too valuable to use on the MRR, but when it comes time to paint the backdrop, you know I just won't get it right. I counting on her to help me make the mountain contours look good as well.

QUOTE: I was pleased to hear that your son was able to go to the MRR club with you last night. I had wanted to ask you if he was going to be able to do that.

They enjoyed him being there. As a friend of mine put it, he's got good mojo. Everyone likes him. Unfortunately, on Wednesdays, he has a person help him with school work until 7:15 then he has to eat and be home by 8:30 for bed. The club meets from 7 to 10. My daughter thinks she might want to come down to run her new DCC 4-4-0. As far as I know, it won't run on the home loop set. My broadway will.

[Jetrock]

I'll chime in too, chip--thanks for providing me with the opportunity to feel smart! If you get sick of my wiseacre responses to your questions let me know--I get a little bitter sometimes but I really do like sharing this sort of knowledge (sometimes TOO much.)

"Track Planning for Realistic Operation" is a classic--enjoy it!

And besides, the harder-to-answer questions are more FUN!

[rrinker]

Good choice on the books. One interesting thing is that the John Armstrong book goes WAY back, but John was (unfortunately he recently passed away) WELL ahead of his time with his design ideas, and that book is every bit as relevent to designing a model railroad today as anything you'll find. There's a LOT of good common sense in there as well.

I'm about halfway across the state from you, toiling away onmy first really big layout. I built a bunch of smaller ones int he past, over many years of this, and I was at one time a memeber of one of the locla clubs here.

As for that DCC 4-4-0, depends on what brand of decoder is in it, it could just be a programming issue that could be cleared upa t the club, where it's set not to work on DC. Most fairly recent decoders have the ability to work on DC or DCC and automatically switch when they detect the DCC signal or lack thereof. Those that do also have the ability to switch this off, and if switched off will just sit there on a DC track.

--Randy

[mikebonellisr]

It's a great time to get your wife involved with you and the kids in the hobby.You can appeal to her artistic talents.Get her to paint the backdrop,chose a color for the fascia board,have her build and/or paint a few buildings[it will bring her back to her dollhouse days]set up a few scenes with the cute little Priser figures,etc.

[Anonymous]

Spacemouse, You are a courageous person to get book learning! You are a example to anyone who is new to MR. Amazing how a junker/dead engine purchase on Ebay can light up such a wonderful story as yours.

No question is too DUMB. What is DUMB is not to ask.

[RMax1]

The John Armstrong book is fantastic. I haven't read the other. I'm an airline brat that's had a facination with trains since I was a kid so I'm fairly dumb as to the way things work in the railroad business. Reading is a great help in understanding.

RMax