2 - 15 - 2000 --- Dave H creates the "Admin" name on the Gauge .com

12 - 17 - 2000 --- Shamus joins the Gauge

12 - 20 - 2000 --- ngauger joins the Gauge

12 - 17 - 2008 --- The latest incarnation of The Big Blue Train Forum is opened!

Time flies when you're having fun!!!!

It has been 18 years since I hopped on this local. I can't believe I missed my stop! 

Now, Big Blue is 10 years old 

Overall, this has been a great ride!  I have met so many people online and have learned so much!
From the comments ezdays & I receive, we know that everyone else enjoys being here.

There are a few things coming up in the near future.  One is that we plan to have a fundraiser auction for a Big Blue vintage logo mug. (see picture)   This is so we can keep Big Blue ad free!  So please donate (Paypal button at bottom of page) and we will make the auction announcement soon.

Thanks for being part of Big Blue! 
Don (ezdays) and  Mikey (ngauger)

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Merry Christmas everyone.      Charlie, Mary, and furkids Beck and Bonnie.

Hi. I just had to tell you guys and gals about a wild optical illusion you can see, too, right way. 
Go to YouTube, MSNBC for today, 12/14/18, and find "Meet The Press" with Chuck Todd. Check out 12:38 - 13:43 !
Tell me it doesn't look like Barbara MCQuaid is standing in the middle of a greatly scenic-ed HO, O, or G scale MRR !!! 
To our left it looks like a 1"x 4" bench stringer touching her right shoulder and at our right some sort of white painted horizontal industrial slab or roof. 
Though all the structures are 1:1 scale in the background (her home city, I guess), they look like scaled down, large, shallow-relief buildings; sort of a George Selios-like, layout. Really a rare or never scene before model railroad optical illusion, isn't it !?.....I hope you too get a kick out of this as I did, while watching a news show..Let me know if it does the same thing for you... It's only my particular neurosis that causes things like this.....
  

To moderators: I do think you'll agree that I'm not at all bringing up politics. Nothing Ms McQuaid is saying has any value in this OP. In fact, turning off the sound and closed captioning would be ideal..It's only for the odd, trick, visual-scenic relationship it has with our hobby that I'm citing.
Mark, So.Pas.,Ca.

WPMA-29 making a pickup at a warehouse in Chestnut Neck.

Bruce

   

We had our first snow of the season, was able to grab a shot of WPMA-40 on Division Street in Whiskey Point.

Bruce

   

I'm really having fun exploring what I can make using 3d printing.  Through shapeways (and I am sure other outlets) you can even print in steel!  I guess the process involves printing fine steel particles adhered together with glue.  Then they replace the glue with another metal, such as bronze.  I'm told there are other methods of 3d printing in steel, or other metals.  Here is a replica Baldwin builder's plate I designed and had printed in bronze steel.  It cost about $20.

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I'm looking for a razor saw to cut an electrical gap (to then be filled in with styrene or another insulating material) in a HO nickel-silver track rail. I'd prefer to buy just one, though I see that X-ACTO makes the saw set in this link:

http://xacto.com/products/cutting-soluti...ail/X75300

Zona also sells a number of individual saws, but from its website it's not clear which is appropriate - or best - for cutting rail.

I'd appreciate suggestions on Zona models that'll do the job, as well as other makes and models.

Thank you.

Hi again.  I completely respect everyone's assistance over my pix/vids concerns. And yesterday I thanked everyone and claimed I now get it.. But (you knew that was coming !) I can not find one actually moving/animated Youtube video.. I search 'videos' and only still-pix appear.. Is this due the same explanation about the major program-crash in the past; that lots of content was lost then ? What is the reason for little if no moving pix ? Am I not selecting them correctly ? Or is it that there simply are little to none ? 
Apologies for my continuing new-guy stuff, Mark

I've had this kit for almost ten years and finally have the opportunity to build it for my layout.



It's not a large kit, about 4 1/2X 3 1/4" so it's a nice model railroad size. Especially for a home layout.




The kit comes with milled walls, strip wood and a bag of castings. It is pretty obvious that it pre-dates any laser cut kits.

I have not had much time for model railroading lately, and most of my time on a railroad forum has been at MRH forum.  I don't know how much time I'll have to visit this or any forums, but just letting everyone know I'm still alive!