Weekend Update 3/6/11

[milw156]

Rick,

What a great looking bridge and another iconic scene to add to the layout. I love the wide open spaces...reminds me of a the good old days before the area was overrun with Bears fans. 

Best wishes, Dave (Cheesehead in exile)

There seem to be a lot more bear fans when they're winning! Still have to weather & ballast the bridge, and will probably have to find a place on home layout for it, or I just spent a quarter of a lifetime building a bridge that will never carry any traffic!!!! It is not near 100% accurate, but it looks "right" compared to photos
Rick

[Dave Schneider]

Rick,

I should have said "over populated with Bears fans". Just looking how the suburbs have closed in around the tracks today vs. the open spaces as modeled.

That is really a great looking bridge, but I can completely understand the irony in spending so much time on it without having it "hooked up" somehow. It also strikes me that the entire MiNi-Modutrak idea might be a bit cumbersome at times (like all module based layouts). I have seen it in action in Milwaukee a couple of times, and it occurred to me that you guys put so much effort into something that can only be completely assembled in a large area at a show. Then you spend a bunch of time trying to keep people from wrecking it. Don't get me wrong. I am glad that you do it...please keep doing it! I just wanted to say that I appreciate the effort.

Best wishes, Dave

[Kevin Yutz]

Visited the Conrail Historical both at the Greenberg train show. (They had a nice setup btw) Wasn't looking for a Conrail Autorack per say, but how could one resist (especially when the wife said just buy it)

Looks like it will fit in perfect


but its 2011 and its being pulled by..eh….um… CSX Gevo. Now I need to roster a CR unit and make this a legit scene. unitl then, I'm sure I'll be forgiven...

Thanks for stopping by!  I was one of the guys at the booth, probably lurking behind the table or at the computer there.  We have N scale motive power too ( hint hint) lol

Glad you like it!!

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Made me think:

[johnhale]

Spent the last week working on my oNeTRAK module. This module was a rebuild of a module I got from a club member who left the area. The oNeTRAK line is a run between the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia and Ohio.

This oNeTRAK module is of a factitious mine in Western Maryland.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Awesome John, I'm glad that's coming back online! it was always one of my favorites:


https://picasaweb.google.com/ed.kapuscinski/BOMuseumShow2007#

[Mark5]

FOOB or not...  bring it next time you stop by... I got a car card and way bill for it....   I will throw it in with Lee's LV's...

Let the rivet counters have their rivets, I am here to run trains.

EP

Alas, this car is finally a victim of my periodic fleet upgrade - the hopper is on the block. If it doesn't sell though, I'll bring it on over. ;D

[milw156]

... the entire MiNi-Modutrak idea might be a bit cumbersome at times (like all module based layouts). I have seen it in action in Milwaukee a couple of times, and it occurred to me that you guys put so much effort into something that can only be completely assembled in a large area at a show. Then you spend a bunch of time trying to keep people from wrecking it. Don't get me wrong. I am glad that you do it...please keep doing it! I just wanted to say that I appreciate the effort.

Best wishes, Dave

I think we all do it because there are people out there who do appreciate it. It's not at all unusual to have someone walk around the layout several times, or come back several times to look for things or take more pictures of things they didn't notice the first time. Thanx for the comments!
Rick

[skytop35]

It also strikes me that the entire MiNi-Modutrak idea might be a bit cumbersome at times (like all module based layouts). I have seen it in action in Milwaukee a couple of times, and it occurred to me that you guys put so much effort into something that can only be completely assembled in a large area at a show. Then you spend a bunch of time trying to keep people from wrecking it. Don't get me wrong. I am glad that you do it...please keep doing it! I just wanted to say that I appreciate the effort.

Best wishes, Dave

Dave,

Not true. The modules DO NOT need to "only be completely assembled in a large area at a show". I set New Lisbon up in my basement with return loops and run trains between shows. Jaime also sometimes sets up the 4 corners and his modules to run trains. Keith uses his outside in natural sunlight as photo dioramas. With some planning a few modules could fit into and be part of a home layout. Other guys just don't have time or space for home layouts so without modules they would be "armchair" model railroaders. All things considered, I think they are pretty versatile.

Not sure what you mean about "spending a bunch of time trying to keep people from wrecking it". Occasionally we have to ask people not to touch or lean on the layout but that's about it.

Hope this shows another point of view and more thoughts to ponder.

Cheers

Bill D.

[Dave Schneider]

Thanks for the thoughts Bill. I realize that maybe my comments came out wrong. I mostly wanted to just thank you guys for putting in all the time and effort to build and display the layout (and to poke a little fun at Bears fans, but that was just a bonus). I agree on modules being versatile and as a means of doing something other than armchair modeling. I am trying to use them in the same way with my Beer Line, and once again you guys are providing the inspiration.

Best wishes, Dave

[jmlaboda - RIP]

"but its 2011 and its being pulled by..eh….um… CSX Gevo. Now I need to roster a CR unit and make this a legit scene. unitl then, I'm sure I'll be forgiven..."

Unlike locomotives rolling stock with their former owners' name and/or markings usually do not see repainting nearly as quickly.  Sometimes upward of 20 years plus rolling stock of defunct lines can still be found in aged paint and in the service that they were intended for.

I know a few of the Central of Georgia twin-bay covered hoppers with The Right Way slogan were still around into the mid-80s despite the line being merged into the Southern Railway System in the early-60s.  And I am sure that there are numerous other examples.  The one problem you might encounter is the rack being one of those that went to NS... but having old markings is not unusual, especially so for cars like autoracks because of their use typically not allowing for frequent shopping and repainting.



Lee, those are some really nice "Wild Mary" locomotives!!!  How'd you do that slug... it looks really great!!!

[mcjaco]

Thanks for the thoughts Bill. I realize that maybe my comments came out wrong. I mostly wanted to just thank you guys for putting in all the time and effort to build and display the layout (and to poke a little fun at Bears fans, but that was just a bonus). I agree on modules being versatile and as a means of doing something other than armchair modeling. I am trying to use them in the same way with my Beer Line, and once again you guys are providing the inspiration.

Best wishes, Dave

I'm one of those armchair modelers.  I don't have room in our townhouse for a layout, so the module was the way to go.  In fact it's not even a region I thought about modeling or any railroads I thought about either.  I'm the right/left wing guy of the group with my C&EI and Soo Line stuff.     It's allowed me to model railroads I'd never thought of taking on, and having a reason to purchase that stuff (at least that's what I tell my wife). 

[davefoxx]

Visited the Conrail Historical both at the Greenberg train show. (They had a nice setup btw) Wasn't looking for a Conrail Autorack per say, but how could one resist (especially when the wife said just buy it)

Looks like it will fit in perfect


but its 2011 and its being pulled by..eh….um… CSX Gevo. Now I need to roster a CR unit and make this a legit scene. unitl then, I'm sure I'll be forgiven...

Smike,

Perhaps this photo taken at the Spring 2009 Conrail Historical Society Rail-B-Q on May 2, 2009 will make you feel better about running an unpatched CR auto rack in the 21st century.  They are still out there:


Dave Foxx

[wm3798]

Lee, those are some really nice "Wild Mary" locomotives!!!  How'd you do that slug... it looks really great!!!

Thanks, Jerry.  The frame is from a gen 1 Atlas VO-1000, and I bashed the shell out of a Bachmann H-16-44 that oddly enough died an untimely death.  I fabricated the handrails from a set of C630 railings (long enough to run the length of the carbody, just had to a little melty melty to get the step end grab to go down properly.)


The reverse headlight is a 1.5v grain of rice bulb soaked in gloss mod podge and buried in a Micro Trains bolster sleeve.