pcarrell wrote: IT LIVES!!!!!!!Finally, after 10 months of construction, the Autumns Ridge Railway & Navigation Co. is back in business!
IT LIVES!!!!!!!
Finally, after 10 months of construction, the Autumns Ridge Railway & Navigation Co. is back in business!
The Trackside Weekly was also there to witness the event. Though lacking saficent landscaping and rolling stock, the load engine was quite the sight to see rolling through a blue desert of foam.
Good morning all!
I'll have some toast with butter, a cup of fresh coffee and a tall glass of Ed's OJ please!
Thanks Chloe!
Here is my old Suydam roundhouse and Atlas roundtable in place.
The "master plan" is to bring this 30+ years model renovated and up to modern modeling standards. I have started the foundation with the inspection pits:
Next step is to cut the base plywood to fit the inspection pits.
Garry, I saved a few blueberries for you! Interesting thing about all this China trade stuff huh, now not only do I look at expiration dates on all food, but look if it has Made in China on it too! I like that observation car too, nice work! Sorry to hear about Wes, the stories and wisdom he told and that you shared with us are truly gifts that we can all cherish. My condolences to you and his family, thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Sue, sounds like you put a lot into that bridge. Nature has a way of making everything unique don't it, especially when it comes to modeling in small scale. Thanks for the descriptions on the flowers and bushes too! Now I need to start collecting various plant materials in my yard! BTW, the video works, but that was one bumpy ride huh!
Jerry, I just picked up six of those magazine binder holder thingy's at Staples for about $5.00 each and want to start organizing all the boxes of railroading magazines I have. I cannot see me ever cutting up my supply, even though I have boxes and boxes full of them.
PC, congratulations on the inaugural run on the layout! And what and impressive work in such a short period of time! Those main line runs are great too!
Paul, 35 years of tarp cover and now a solid roof for your 7 ½ equip should be easier for you too! Not all the uncovering to do now!
J.R., lots of steel in Pitt huh! How about a short video link there!
Jeff, I know you guys are getting a lot of rain; can you ship a train load of it up here? We are 5" below normal for rainfall to-date!
Luc, nice work on the station and Gloetown!
Thoughts and prayers to all in need!
- Ryan
Ryan BoudreauxThe Piedmont Division Modeling The Southern Railway, Norfolk & Western & Norfolk Southern in HO during the merger eraCajun Chef Ryan
Please & Thank You! Early start here, for a night owl like myself.
Jeffrey, you have us beat by 10%...only a 60% chance of thunderstorms here. Seems they more often go around our little valley. If you have any extra, please feel free to send it our way. Water tables are still quite low.
Will clean up and test an old relic (Atlas F9) I picked up. Could not resist the blue on silver colors and thought it might work to assist a steamer down the road. Rob
Morning All!
All kinds of rain here, but it's OK. We needed it!
What's going on with all of you?
Gerry, let me ask you something. This is leading somewhere, so run with me a second, OK?
Have you ever had one of those moments when the clouds just opened up and the sun shone through? Have you ever thought to yourself, "How could I have been so thick?"
Well, that was me last night.
I'm sitting there watching one of my loco's go round and round and I decided to get busy on fixing "The Deep Chasm" (said in a big, ominous voice). While fixing the spot on the end of the first turnback loop your words kept coming to mind. You kept mentioning "spots" that needed fixed. Now being the thick headed Neanderthal that I can be sometimes, your words really didn't register until that moment. Long story short, I found a few more places that could use some "insurance", and so I fixed those too. Thanks for gently nudging me to look deeper into the situation. Sometimes it takes another set of eyes to see what's right in front of you all along, huh?
Coffee please.
Not much going on here. It raining. It is apt to rain off and on all week. Oh well, better get ready for work.
Sue
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
Good morning.
Just a quick weather post before I hit the shower.Today High: 88 Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning...then showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s. Light and variable winds becoming south around 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation 70 percent. Tonight Low: 72 Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 70s. Light and variable winds. No breakfast for me this morning. I'm going in for a ct scan this morning.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Good Morning All,
Another nice morning, moderate temps and a bit of a breeze. I'll have a cup of Lucs' coffee cream no sugar, and one of Bills donuts please. Thanks guys.
Still putting the DPM buildings together but I'm not crazy about the windows. The frames seem too thick and shaving them with the x-Acto knife doesn't do it for me. For now it's dark colors and hope for the best. I have a half dozen kits to do and they are well on the way to becoming backround buildings unless I get ambitious and do a bunch of bashing. Live and learn I guess.
Hope everyone else has a sparkling day. Time to pick up tools and get on with it. An aside from last weekend, the stupid fuel pump now seems to work perfectly on the Lotus 18. Guess it really just wasn't my weekend. CUL, J.R.
Good morning
Happy MRRing
Good Morning ! from Tipton IN
07-17-07
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
Evenin'!
I'll just have a coke...
Sue: That stinks. Just a bit away (7 blocks) I have my LHS. Its actually two in one, American Eagles Hobbies (Everything except trains) and North End Trains, which is in the basement. Theres lots of stuff down there, at least a hundred engines, they have lots of brass, woodland scenics, lots of details, tons of rolling stock, and lots of different brands of track. Definatly a good shop. Oh BTW, yeah today it wasn't very nice weather, cloudy, 60* F, not like yesterday... 80*F to 90*F... I can't stand that.
Still saving up, $15 closer to the big boy...
Mark
Thanks, Luc, for buying. I will have a root beer float, too.
It is so exciting to have structures finished. That looks like a pretty big station. I'm jealous because we are no where near doing buildings. I tried one laser-cut church and tiny laser-cut junction station.
I am working on the stock yards. I did a couple of panels for the chute and made four gates tonight. When you scratch build, it an experimental puzzle. Oh, well, I am having fun. That is what the hobby is about.
Time to put Pearl to bed. She was lounging in her new kiddie pool when I last looked.
Evening Gang: I got the creek crossing finished. I must have dug out 40 yards of silt. Now we have to patch up the concrete.
Mary Ann and I went to Lowes ( sorry Dick but they are on our side of the interstate and accesable by back roads) to pickup some 2x4s, insulation, and siding for her pump house/wash house. I managed to slip in a sheet of 3/4 inch blue foam and a sheet of 1/8 inch Luan plywood. The blue foam is for the Sunday Lake mine area. I can't find anything thicker then 3/4 locally. The plywood is for making patterns for the sheet metal parts of a 1 5/8 inch scale hopper car. Yes, I've got too many projects. Tomorrow I've got to get John and our friend to help me get some old counter tops and particle board out of the basement and put in the storage container. I'll use that to make shelves and work counters for Mary Ann in the container. Of course getting that stuff out of the basement will make it easier for me to work on the layout.
Garry: Nice job on the observation. If you made some goofs I can't tell. It looks great.
As far as getting hurt by tools I've got the nail gun award. Actually it was a brad nailer. I shot myselv in the left leg just above the knee with a 1 1/4 inch brad.
It's time for bed here so I'm off.
Good Night All
Good Evening All,
Thanks for the dinner invite Luc but I'll just have a nice rootbeer float and sit for a bit in the corner. Got back from Pittsburgh around midnight last night. Funny trip and a long drive back with traffic delays. I didn't have a brilliant weekend though overall it wasn't bad for the rest of the drivers we supported. Saturday am the car started misfiring so i brought it in and we changed the spark box coil and plugs as the plugs had a funny tint to them that usually means electric troubles. Sat afternoon it ran well for qualifying but I never got a clean lap with all the traffic (40 cars on track at once) and ended up third but first in class. Sunday warmup the fuel pump failed in the pits but we revived it with a hammer (really - just a tap to wake it up) and the session went well. We replaced the fuel pump for the race, but the car died on the pace lap and I finally was able to limp into the pits to retire after a bit of drama. I guess after winning four years in a row I can't complain, but there you go. All the other cars we brought finsihed with my friends grandson winning my class in another car we built and prepared so my loss was a great gain for him. Christian(the driver) is a nice young man whom we've brought along in the sport and his win was well deserved. The overall winner (several classes race together in one group) was a fellow whose bad luck has let me through to win twice so his win was well deserved as well. If it comes out we may have video of qualifying to post soon.
Not much else doing right now except for DPM building construction. PC - that layout is really coming along well. The trackwork looks gorgeous and smooth as a babies behind. I love the way it loops back and forth and the large radius curves look very realistic. Nice job !!!! Well got to toodle on along and get some done on the buildings. I'll try to check in later. CUL,J.R.
Cox 47 wrote: Jeff....Two inches an hour...How much is total rain fall per year there where you live?
Jeff....Two inches an hour...How much is total rain fall per year there where you live?
Hi,
I've competed my weekend project.
Yes, Gloetown now has a station/depot
I'll be adding a news stand in that scene, the one from Woodland series. I like it
Mark,
The hobbyshop in Tumwater has minimal HO stuff. They have a little woodland scenic stuff. Their main draw is remote controlled cars and airplanes.
The hobbyshop in Centralia has the tools and some MR stuff, but the only one that has scale lumber is in Lakewood. The other Tacoma store is very reasonable on rolling stock and has a great Woodland Scenic Figure selection.
Oh by the way, I did end up going north to get my 2 x 6's. I am on a roll with my stockyard.
Is is muggy in Seattle, too?
Heartland Division CB and Q wrote: I'm still enjoying looking at Philip's layout pictures. to Philip!
I'm still enjoying looking at Philip's layout pictures. to Philip!
Thanks, but it's just a blue desert. It doesn't look a lot like Maine yet.
Hello...
Thanks for remarks on "Silver Fountain" observation car. There is more information in a thread I posted about the car if you are interested. The dining section will have eggs benedict on the menu tomorrow morning if any of you happen to be traveling.
Glad you liked the weathered freight cars, Sue. I weatherd about 45 fright cars a couple of weeks ago including some NP cars. The box car in the photo, I think, is a CB&Q car.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Morning folks!
Another day of sleeping in...
Garry: Nice observation! Good enough to roll with the Broadway Limited Cali Zephyr!
All: Did I miss something about Fergie? Has he injured himself with tools? Or is he notorious (SP?) for it?
Sue: Is there no hobby shop down there, or is the one in Tacoma really good?
Also, do you plan on going to the Puyallup Train Show in November, and the Trains Trains Trains meeting in April '08?
Rob,
Standard Atlas track (code 80) is DCC friendly right out of the box and the stuff is available everywhere. And yes, you can run virtually anything on it (flangewise) and it'll work great. Thing is, it leaves a little to be desired in the looks department and I don't think there is a powered frog version, but I could be wrong about that (I've only seen plastic frogs). The tie spacing is a little far apart, the ties are a bit oversize, and the rail height is large. It can be made to look good with proper ballasting and weathering, but care must be taken to make it look right if you ask me. On the other hand, the stuff is virtually bulletproof and so it works real well for hidden areas like helix's and staging yards. About 65% of the track shown in my video is my staging yard and so it's code 80.The code 55 Atlas stuff looks good, is DCC friendly, is quite reasonable on price, and you can power the frogs or not. I would recomend that you concider using powered frogs for the reliability factors involved (no stalling & the ability to crawl across a switch). One word of caution though with the Atlas code 55; you can only run low flanged equipment on it! If you try to run larger flanges on it, the flanges will hit the ties and you will be rumbling along the track. Just make sure your equipment is NMRA RP25 compliant on the flanges and you'll be fine. Lo profile wheelsets will do the trick for the rolling stock. They offer #5, #7, and #10 (!!!) turnouts, and they look great! About 30 seconds into my video you'll see the train cross a single Atlas code 55 #10 turnout.
There are no commercially available track pieces that I'm aware of that allow you to go from code 80 to code 55, but it's not hard to make them. You simply slip a rail joiner onto the code 80, then use some pliers to flatten the end of the joiner thats sticking out. Then you lay the code 55 on top of the flattened joiner and check the rail tops to see if they line up. It should be close, but you might have to bend the joiner a little to make it perfect. Once you've got it set, just solder the the thing together and you're home free. And curves are no problem. Both of my transitions are on curves. One of them is on my minimum radius curve of 17.5".About Peco track, a lot of people like it very much. I don't use it so I don't know a lot about it. The tie spacing is a little far apart to be correct (about like the Atlas code 80 really), although some careful ballasting will go a long way towards hiding that. I know that it costs about the same as the Micro-Engineering stuff in my area and the ME stuff looks WAY better IMHO. The Peco track can be had in powered frog and non-powered frog types. One thing about it that is a very good selling point is that the code 55 is really code 80 that is just buried deeper into the ties. You can run deeper flanged equipment on it. They do offer four different sized regular turnouts and even some curved turnouts.
Micro Engineering makes some great track too, but it needs some work to be DCC friendly. They make code 80, code 70, code 55, and code 40. They make bridge track as well with the correct length and spacing of ties (I'll be using their code 55 bridge track on all of my bridges). The down side is that they make only #6 turnouts. I have tested some of my large flanged equipment (that I won't be able to run on the new layout) on some ME code 70 and it worked fine, so that might be some food for thought. The thing about the Micro Engineering stuff is that it is quite expensive comparitively, and sometimes can be a little tough to find.
That's about it for my research into N scale track. If I were you, and I already had a handful of the code 80 Atlas stuff, I'd go for it. Just ballast it up and weather it good.
Some of that "stand up on it's own" coffee to go please.
***Philip, I was so glad to read that you used some code 80 track. I have been under the impression here that code 50 was the way to go, but all the track I have stored away is the Atlas code 80, (along with a little Kato unitrack). Isn't code 80 the best choice for running all brands of older n scale trains, without the need to replace some of the wheels that have the deeper flanges? If I understand this wrong, please clarify. Thanks and again, impressive start to what is obviously going to be a very cool layout.
***Fergie, may I suggest staying away from nail guns, or have you done that one too? Glad it wasn't worse. The human body is pretty tough, just keep the blood on the inside for best performance.
Rob
Cox 47 wrote: PC..Yes I was thinking the same thing that engine seemed close to the 1000 scale foot drop...your track work is much better than mine...What brand of track and turn outs are you using...What code?
PC..Yes I was thinking the same thing that engine seemed close to the 1000 scale foot drop...your track work is much better than mine...What brand of track and turn outs are you using...What code?
Thanks! The track is a combination of Atlas code 80 in the staging area where the video starts and then changes to Atlas code 55 on the modeled section. Probably about 65%-70% of what was in the video was staging. As for the drop-off, there's only one place that's real bad, and that gets fixed tonight if I can get the time.
Garry,
I like you weathering on the cattle car and box car. Is the box car NP by any chance?
Morning All...Its gonna be hot and humid here today with chance late for some of those pop up showers PC was talking about...I'll have a order of Biscuits and Gravey like Jeff odered and a cup of Luc's coffee and maybe one of Bill's dougnuts....please...Thank You.....
Gary....Looks like a good job on the car...What did you start the kitbash with?.....Do you have any other photos of your Fleet?
I have some small things i need to finish up then i think i will start another DPM building for my downtown....You all have a good monday...Jerry
Good moring diners......
If you're traveling across the Heartland Division of CB&Q. Keep in mind, the Prairie Zephyr serves breakfast aboard "Silver Fountain"
Good morning. You are welcome, Jim, but I hope is was not the same coffee from last night. We will call that truck driver coffee because it is standup in the corner strong.
I am still down in the dumps because I did not finish my cattle yard. It will be at least a week before I can get up to Tacoma to get more scale lumber. I would do it today, but I need to head south to get shots for two new kitties.
I will check in later when I am back from my walk with Pearl.
Thanks for the kind words all. There are plans to fix the giant gorge so no damage occurs to errant loco's.
There are some that are in need of prayer around here......well I guess we could all use some. Anyways, just know that you aren't forgotten.
Looks like we're getting a lot of the same weather Jeff.
TODAY: Warmer air the western U.S. will slide in today under a west-southwest wind. Highs will hit the mid to upper-80's. Then interesting weather will arrive tonight.
TONIGHT: Perhaps the best type of weather pattern (since we need rain) will arrive overnight, but it may bring some strong storms with it. Here is the forecast by 3am tomorrow morning. An explanation of why we are going to see this type of weather is below.
Many times in the summer months, a complex of thunderstorms will develop in the afternoon. Typically in the summer months, they actually provide a large percentage of rain totals for most of the Great Plains, and Midwest. Here is a map that shows the setup for this week. Wave one arrives tonight, with the next wave arriving by mid-week. If this patterns holds true, we could get over an inch of rain!
These systems usually don't have much severe weather with them, but occasionally they do. So there is a slight chance of severe storms tonight. Here is the Severe Storm Risk map for tonight.
EXTENDED OUTLOOK: This unsettled pattern will continue through Thursday, but the good news is that it looks to be nice again for the weekend! Highs will hit the lower 80's with low humidity.
Looks kinda similar, huh Jeff?
Good morning, Zoe. Just a cup to go, please. Thanks, Sue!
Paul W. Beverung wrote:Fergie: First soldering irons and now hammers and chisels. Soon you won't be able to touch any tools. I'm glad that you didn't have to stay in the hospital. Take care of yourself. Fergie - otherwise, you might need to relocate your house closer to the local hospital's ER. Do take care of yourself, and your Dad. I'll pray for his progress and healing to continue, - as well as your own.
Paul W. Beverung wrote:Fergie: First soldering irons and now hammers and chisels. Soon you won't be able to touch any tools. I'm glad that you didn't have to stay in the hospital. Take care of yourself.
Fergie: First soldering irons and now hammers and chisels. Soon you won't be able to touch any tools. I'm glad that you didn't have to stay in the hospital. Take care of yourself.
PC, I still need to go back and look at your pics, but I like the layout plans you posted.
We got a little bit of Jeff's rain yesterday, but must have been just the edge of it. Didn't last very long. Hope it runs out of rain soon for you too, Jeff.
Would like to write more, but need to get going. My supervisor is back from her vacation today, and I need to hit her up for some appointments for a few clients (before they all get taken).
Blessings and a good week (and a safe one) for all,
Jim in Cape Girardeau