Modeling ideas needed

[tom mann]

I'm trying to model a portion of the Galaxy Railways.  There is a short video depicting operations here:

/>
How would you support the tracks and transition to trackless areas?  Can I use a cutter?

[Robbman]

I'll let you know when I finish modeling the Great Space Coaster

[wm3798]

I did a model sort of like that...  I think it was a Bachmann U-36-B...  I threw it out the window.

[sizemore]

UP was way ahead of its time.

[Nato]

    This is a wonderful Anime Si Fi series (anime another  Hobby I have) based on the Manga (comic book) series Galaxy 999 by famous creator Lenji Matsumoto who also created Space Pirate Captin Harlock there were two anime movies based on the long running comic series first released on VHS this led to a TV series that ran for two seasons now available as a DVD boxed set. One wonders how the main character could stand on the open platform of the last car in the vaccum of space with out a sute,yet in some scenes where the space trains get wrecked or destroyed the passengers don emergency space sutes. Now here is the really neat thing. Micro Ace produced in N Scale a model of the 999 train with its Hudson locomotive, cars and yes even minature figures of the characters in the series, including the robotic train conductor, and the glass waitress (see thru) from the restaurant car. I was able to track down one of these sets thanks to Doug Coaster at Japanese Model Supply in Austrailia. It is pretty cool. No way cool. The locomotive poweriing one of the rescue patrol trains is "Big One" obviously based on a Big Boy. The locomotives are actually space ships inside with propulsion gear (think engine room on Enterprise) and bridge controls, but they can be uncoupled from the cars amd the trains land on tracks on various planets and operate then like a conventional train stopping at stations on teh various worlds visited.                   Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah.

[asciibaron]

Nato = super dork

[Mr. G]

    This is a wonderful Anime Si Fi series (anime another  Hobby I have) based on the Manga (comic book) series Galaxy 999 by famous creator Lenji Matsumoto who also created Space Pirate Captin Harlock there were two anime movies based on the long running comic series first released on VHS this led to a TV series that ran for two seasons now available as a DVD boxed set. One wonders how the main character could stand on the open platform of the last car in the vaccum of space with out a sute,yet in some scenes where the space trains get wrecked or destroyed the passengers don emergency space sutes. Now here is the really neat thing. Micro Ace produced in N Scale a model of the 999 train with its Hudson locomotive, cars and yes even minature figures of the characters in the series, including the robotic train conductor, and the glass waitress (see thru) from the restaurant car. I was able to track down one of these sets thanks to Doug Coaster at Japanese Model Supply in Austrailia. It is pretty cool. No way cool. The locomotive poweriing one of the rescue patrol trains is "Big One" obviously based on a Big Boy. The locomotives are actually space ships inside with propulsion gear (think engine room on Enterprise) and bridge controls, but they can be uncoupled from the cars amd the trains land on tracks on various planets and operate then like a conventional train stopping at stations on teh various worlds visited.                   Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah.

Sounds awesome.  I've never seen it, but I think I'll be adding this to my Netflix queue. 

[lock4244]

I was into Robotech as a geek, err kid. As an even younger kid, G-Force, Force-5, and Starblazers. Never heard of this thing before. Tom, at the risk of sounding cliche, why not wait a while for MT to do it... since it's fantasy.

[pfs]

I would do this.

1. Completely empty your train room.

2. Go to the local high school talk to the shady kids around the back about amp/crank. Buy some.

3. Procure some Holiday lights and some sheep. Per this thread:
http://therailwire.net/smf/index.php/topic,17935.0.html

4. Light the sheep and put them in the train room. Turn out all the lights.

5. Consume the items purchased at the high school.

6. After a short amount of time the sheep will look like the trains in space.


To recreate the war scene I would suggest waiting for the local Police to enter your house, but that has a different set of instructions.

Hope this helps.

[AlkemScaleModels]

Sounds awesome.  I've never seen it, but I think I'll be adding this to my Netflix queue. 

Caveat Emptor. Just for yucks, I put a Netflix anime on my iMac while I was doing taxes last weekend. It was called Desert Punk or something like that. It was so bad. It should have been called Desert Junk. Thank goodness for fast forward.

But Netflix streaming is very cool. My wife has been going through all the episodes of Murder She Wrote. Thankfully I am not required to join her.  I've been watching back episodes of Extreme Engineering. The Transatlantic Tunnel episode was cool.  It would use  3000 MPH trains in a 3000 mile vacuum tube.They estimate it Would take the whole world's steel output for a year.   That would be an economic stimulus.

Back to the topic, the challenge of modeling the rail-less railroad. The Faller highway system seems to come to mind, maybe with ample doses of the right mushrooms and a few Hallmark Christmas ornaments?

[lashedup]

Back to the topic, the challenge of modeling the rail-less railroad. The Faller highway system seems to come to mind, maybe with ample doses of the right mushrooms and a few Hallmark Christmas ornaments?

Ok I understand the mushroom part, but do you eat the Hallmark Christmas ornaments or smoke them?

I always learn the best stuff on Railwire!

[lock4244]

The ornaments would be to occupy your hands after consuming the mushrooms. Fidgeting is a major side effect of mushrooms, or so I've heard, so the ornaments will keep you from getting in trouble. After a while, you'll forget about the space trains, wonder where your pants went, and go to the ends of the earth for a Twinkie.

I wouldn't recommend mixing mushrooms and sheep, either... or fireworks. And certainly not a woodburning stove or a gravel quarry. Stay away from Coyotes, too. I've said too much.

[3rdrail]

We had a "railless railroad" at the Veterans Administration Forms & Publications Warehouse back in 1980-81. There was a wire embedded in the floor that the cart train followed. it was only operated when the brass from downtown DC showed up...

Houston's Hobby Airport used to have a similar system that ran between terminals carrying passengers. It was not working the only time I went through there.

I always wondered how the North Shore went from third rail to trolley pole at 60 MPH, having tried to put a pole to wire a time or two myself.

[Bob Bufkin]

The Air Force used to have a similiar system in the Pentagon back in the late 60's for their mailcarts.  It would stop at the various offices because of a break in the rail.  Insert your key to place or get your mail and push to the next rail.  Us Navy people had battery powered carts that we drove.  Of course, we had to derail the Air Force carts when we got a chance just to piss them off.

[AlkemScaleModels]

Back to the topic, the challenge of modeling the rail-less railroad. The Faller highway system seems to come to mind, maybe with ample doses of the right mushrooms and a few Hallmark Christmas ornaments?

Ok I understand the mushroom part, but do you eat the Hallmark Christmas ornaments or smoke them?

I always learn the best stuff on Railwire!

I was thinking about the NYC Hudson Xmas ornament someone gave me a few years back. Never know what to do with that thing. In my scenario I would hold the ornament in my hand and wave it around while making choo-choo sounds (it only works after doing the mushrooms).