I need white decals and I'm led to believe that "the APLS printer" is the only computer printer that prints in white. I've started looking for an ALPS printer and the appropriate Ink Cartridges and associated printer supplies cables, drivers, etc.
... Then I realized I have no clue what I am looking for ... hock: :?

... Which model ALPS printer should I be looking for? :?:

... What might an appropriate price be (and how much would be ridiculous and a rip-off?) :?:

... What is the concensus on how long can we expect the white ink cartridges to be available?

... What computer operating systems are supported by an APLS printer?

Yeah, I'm just a bundle of questions! 8-)

And the biggest question I have is ... What questions should I be asking ... and looking for answers to? :? :?:

........at least on paper. I have grown to admit that my current layout, while fairly large has it's issues and I am determined to rectify these and have a go at the tear down/reconstruction. My current layout has 2 main flaws. Too much hidden trackage: hard to clean and maintain. Too long a reach in some areas making it very difficult to scenic well. I have drawn and redrawn a bunch of layout configurations before settling on really the only way I can make this work in such a strange space.

The area comprises 16 feet x 31 feet. It must deal with an "L" shaped area and a support column. I'm settling on 3 extra long passing sidings to give the illusion of double track.

I sketched out the layout's configuration and drew in major tracks. The railroad will consist of 3 sections each with its own "blob" shaped ends to allow turn back curves on each. This should give a decent mainline run and allow for continuous running.

The way I am envisioning this is such: A train can leave the freight yard heading west through a gritty urban city scene and progress to the middle section after passing through farmlands. The middle section will have a double sided back drop down the middle and pass a small town, through a mountain tunnel and another small town on the other side before heading on to the 3rd (left hand section). This will be a coastal area before turning into a hilly rural area. This section also has to deal with the support column which may have to be hidden with another double sided backdrop.

I didn't draw in any other sidings or spurs at this point. I want to avoid big industry and concentrate on smaller lineside industries that can be switched along the way. I drew in a possible configuration for an engine terminal and a very basic freight yard. The yard measures about 10 feet long and will need to have an ice house and icing track as well. I would like to incorporate an interchange but don't have any ideas for such at this point.

Please feel free to jump in with criticisms, ideas and suggestions!



Matt

Not sure in which part of this forum to place this, but I think this is the best one.

I came accross this website today, which shows off some beautiful modeling including how-to's etc.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.all-model-railroading.co.uk/amr/">http://www.all-model-railroading.co.uk/amr/</a><!-- m -->

Enjoy!

Koos

I need a one off set of decals. Unfortunately it seems that the decals I need are copyrighted and will be hard to get made professionally. They are extremely simple decals, I have the artwork done, but they are white so I need someone with an Alps printer to make them for me.

Anyone? Of course I will pay a fair price.

Dave

I found this letter to the editor in a July 1958 issue of model railroader and got a chuckle:

To the Editor:

Three cheers for Ed Clarke's letter in the May issue of your decadent Model Railroader. You really had a magazine in 1935 and 1936 when I first subscribed to it. Now it is not a craftsman's magazine, but for boys only. I dare you to print this letter.

I have told you before your magazine stinks. Yes, stinks. I can't in a dozen issues find as much information as I did in one issue in 1936 - no Thornburgh stories, just toys and HO gauge kits at 1.29. What a hobby! Not even a snappy story once in a while.

G. E. Grove
(back in those days they would publish someone's address!!!)

Sorry, i don't have the May 1958 issue to read Clarke's letter that Mr Grove references, but gee does this not sound exactly like current complaints?

So, has the hobby been in a gradual decline since 1936, or is there some other phenomenon related to reminiscence of "good old days" The irony is, I was having a conversation with my dad the other day about how people remember "good old days" as always being better than today, and I ran into this letter while reading in the jon.

When Drew linked his URL, he missed the closing parenthesis, and the link didn't work.
I fixed it, and deleted the conversation about the non-working link.
All parties were PM'd about the changes.

Whats a good price for an Athearn Light Mikado these days? I was at a train show over the weekend anda crabby old guy was asking $90 and wasn't the least bit interested in talking price.

I haven't been posting as much over the past 6 months (busy with school/job search and family, mostly), so here are a few photos of various things I've been working on:


Step castings for 1879 DSP&P shop built passenger cars


36'2"x8' underframe for Oahu Railway passenger cars (On3). It is a spot-on match for the surviving prototypes...the correct end beams, steps, bolsters, and needle beams are in development.


The South Park's Baggage-Express car #40. I've concluded that the windows should have arched tops, not square, so I'll have to fix them.


The DSP&P's stock cars were few in number. They were the least numerous revenue cars on the freight roster...being about 1% of the fleet. I like stock cars, so I'll have a few of them modeled. My next stock car will be masters for an Oahu Railway stock car kit (no plans have ever been published, but I have enough prototype info/photos to create them accurately)