Precision Scale Co. is putting out a B&O C-16 0-4-0T in brass for only $1675. I'm sure that it will be an exquisite model, but wow. I suspect that Bill Gates will get a few.

http://www.brasstrains.com/NewBrass/Proj...-16-0-4-0T

This is information on the MCHS Model Railroad Museum in Anderson Indiana and it's many attractions. It is in the basement of the Madison County Historical Society, Inc., and is open any time Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9AM to 4PM. We are on exhibit after Thanksgiving until the first of the year.

We are on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mchsmodelrailroadmuseum

Baker Valve Gear
There is a mock up of a ¼ scale model of the Baker Valve Gear ready to operate on a New York Central Railroad steam locomotive. This is a large wooden setup built by Maurice Lewman, a retired engineer.

HO Scale Layout
Our HO Layout started out as a 3’x 6’ yard layout. It was exhibited seven years ago. Two years ago we added a 4’x 8’ and this year another section was added to it. There are numerous buildings, houses, and a couple of factories. On the other side is a water tower, a coaling tower, a control tower, a station, several houses, a business and a farm. The layout is divided to separate the small 1950s town from the older town. We have now added a roundhouse and a diner.

On30 Scale
The On30 is a 4’ x 6’ O scale layout operating with an old time steam locomotive and rolling stock painted with an American Flag motif. This was built 5 years ago when the train was purchased with a power pack and track. A small layout sets it off. This is the 1900-1910 era. A push button must be held to make it run and it stops when you let off.

O Scale Traction
This is a 4’x 8’ setup. What is traction? It was what your grandmother and grandfather rode from about the turn of the last century to 1941. It was THE way to go. There were 5 trains each way through Anderson from Indianapolis to Muncie and vice-versa. There were trains running through Anderson to Marion and beyond. This was the method of passenger transport through much of Indiana.

O-27 Gauge
What we have is an on-going display. We are using old Lionel & Marx locomotives and cars. There are a number of buildings and scenery on the layout. It is amazing what was done in earlier days. The background scenery came from the late 50s.

N scale
The N scale layout is a long setup and includes backdrop paintings from Norm Reimondo’s old N scale layout. This is actually the biggest layout that we have. It has a large yard at one end and there is a siding for the passenger Station with a city on the other end.

S Gauge
These are American Flyer trains on a 4x12 layout with buildings and autos setup. It has a number of lighted buildings and a lake with a boat.

There are numerous photos on the walls representing railroads from the early 1900s right up to today. Many are from the steam era, but there are also numerous photos of diesels. The Big Four (New York Central) ran through Anderson both east and west and north and south. The Pennsylvania Railroad ran north and south and the Central Indiana Railway ran east and west. In Alexandria, there was the Nickel Plate running east and west, and the Central Indiana ran east to west. And there are displays and drawings depicting the glory age of Railroading.

Hi All & Faraway Reinhard
Here's a link to my LAJ plan in Dropbox: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/rt1dss4b0qwbir4/1-LAJ%20PLAN%209-2-13.jpg">https://www.dropbox.com/s/rt1dss4b0qwbi ... 9-2-13.jpg</a><!-- m -->

If you click the "+" it'll be big enough to see the 10 X 10 grid lines. Learned to use engineering grid working w/ the Santa Fe civil engineers on their Star Lake RR project in NW NM '76-'82. So no architect ruler for this guy.

Here's a Dropbox link to an aerial map of the LAJ in Vernon CA. The Leads to be modeled have * next to them. It also shows ATSF & UP tracks but not the PE/SP tracks just off the south edge of the map:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/v7j7tbdvi8ftrvv/5-LAJ%20AERIAL%20VERNON%20LEADS-%20KEN%20JOHNSON-001.jpg">https://www.dropbox.com/s/v7j7tbdvi8ftr ... ON-001.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Ken Johnson of Trak Works (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.pbase.com/dh30973/image/149692350">http://www.pbase.com/dh30973/image/149692350</a><!-- m -->) provided me w/ all the RRs on it w/ the wording, etc. being mine.

Reinhard now you can show your friends & say "I've been there".

Well, it’s that time again. We’re at the end of another challenge and ready to cast our opinions on those that entered. I do not want to make a judgment on who finished far enough to warrant being in the voting poll, so everyone that entered will appear in the poll, even those that never got to do all that they wanted to. If you want to see a person's project, just click on their name above and it will take you to their challenge thread. All entries are listed in alphabetical order since I found out how to do that easily.

You may select one or as many entries as you like. Note that anyone who did more than one project has each one listed separately. Vote as you wish, but consider everyone’s effort in achieving their goals, the complexity of their project and how well they accomplished what they started out to do. Someone might not have finished, but might deserve a vote based on their performance. Also, only consider any posts that were made before the September 15, cutoff date. Any posts after that are great for follow-up only, and are appreciated. If you're undecided, you can vote for everyone if that’s your wish, just that we'd appreciate your vote to show that you support everyone's efforts.

This poll will run until the end of September. As always, there will not be any prizes awarded, but the top three will get a Big Blue award certificate and have bragging rights.

If, for some reason I didn't include your entry, misspelled your name, got your project or link wrong, or screwed up in some other way, please let me know so I can correct things. but do it quickly since the last time I edited a poll, we lost all the votes up to that point. I can't help that; it's the way the software works.... :oops:

From my local newspaper......

Breezing along on the California Zephyr:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.delcotimes.com/lifestyle/20130915/breezing-along-on-the-california-zephyr">http://www.delcotimes.com/lifestyle/201 ... nia-zephyr</a><!-- m -->

We finally have a confirmation.
I can now confirm that the 2014 GBTS will be at the Jim Archdekin Rec Centre on 3/4 th May 2014.
(Brampton, Ontario)

More details next week.

Here are 2 pics of the subject of my next adventure in kitbashing(note first kitbashing will continue for awhile before I discombobulate this train.


  kb2b.JPG (Size: 48.9 KB / Downloads: 1885)


  kb2a.JPG (Size: 49.85 KB / Downloads: 1782)

I have a difficult question that I yhope to get an answer to. To start out, any technical things I say are just things that boil over thye pot. (1) Is windows 7 much different (read difficult) than Vista? My Vista has a vius (amware, alware, etc) and will cost a fortune to get rid of.m I now have an XP that is fast, and OK, but the wife likes my XP. So I am in a quandry. (2) Do I get the ista fixed? O Buy a refurbished windows 7 and hope for the best? I think a 3-4-250 or so. (Don't question that, I got no answers.

You will converse with an I don't know twitter, text, Ipod , or none of that stuff

Thanks in advance
Lynn :? :?

Got the new modules set up Yesterday, and am heading back this morning for the first day of the "show".
"model railroading in the "Goat Building" ", at the fairgrounds.
It's the closest thing I intend on getting into, to HO scale "outdoor layout operation".
I should have a couple of pictures tomorrow. Got to run, it's an hour drive to the fairgrounds, and have to be there about 8:00 AM for the opening.