We made it up in time to chase the 4449 today...






Tomorrow we'll be going into the festival...I'm really excited about seeing the Leviathan...a brand new 4-4-0.

There is a major change in the schedule up here: the 1225 has experienced problems and is now cold. The 765 will replace her on tomorrow's excursion. It is a bit sad as the previous time they were together, the 1991 NRHS Convention, the 1225 had problems and the 765 had to tow her plus 34 passenger cars through the mountains. It is always sad whenever a group of volunteers suffer through something like this. At least they've sold out all their excursions and the festival is well on its way to a huge success.

I've heard all sorts of stories about what is wrong, several of which I know can't be true as they wouldn't sideline a locomotive, but I'm under the impression that the exact problem is yet unknown from an inside source.

With the 1225 down, there will be a guest engineer for part of the trip tomorrow, Doyle McCormick of 4449 fame. My dad says that he pulled the 765's throttle back in 1980...but he grew up on the NKP and is a major reason that the NKPH&TS has a Portland chapter.

Tonight we're going to have a railfan trip to the depot at Durand, MI...and the modern 4-6-2 parked there. Earlier today, I was unsuccessful at locating the old pacific in Jackson, MI. We will have a shorter night due to the 765's excursion tomorrow.

If you see us there, say hi...
I'll be wearing a brown shirt... I'm young, 6'2 and thin. My wife is 5'10" and similar. We'll have our baby in a running stroller...probably be a part of a group of 9.

Found a link on the internet with dates for the 2010 High Wheeler model train show in Palatine, IL.

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Please go to the Shorpy's site and check out thw 1864 train station, depot and engin yard. It is small, detailed and fabulous. It's foot print would translate well into the early 20th century. Enjoy

This one involves kitbashing grain hoppers.What I am doing is taking two of these ,



and making one of these.



Current plan is (by the way there will be two of them) to paint them for CSX though the idea of doing them for the GVR is starting to sound pretty good to me. If my Oldtimer's disease behaves itself when I start the second car I will take some pics of the process.

I am currently involved in getting the roof hatches in their proper places or at least close to where they belong.

A few detail photos I took in Cadillac, Mi. I think the line is exx-Ann Arbour but might be exx-PRR. Currently Great Lakes Central, was Tuscola & Saginaw Bay.
A series of rail joints along a siding as the rail decreases 2 sizes.
   
   
   

Besides of a rail crane is there any other way to load these coils onto coil cars? Does anyone have pictures of this process or have this modeled?


Here is one from a crane

To be short, I have found out, that in Central/Eastern Europe there is no such thing as N-gauge.

Or barely, at most. I've been traveling a bit here and decided to visit as many as possible model railroad stores in Hungary. Been to one non-model railroad modeling shop to get some information, but I already know that the store in Bratislava (that'd be the capital of Slovakia) has about three freightcars and one building available (ok, maybe ten cars and three buildings) in N-gauge while there is a pretty good selection of H0 and TT (TT is hugely popular around here). Having looked through websites of shops here there is only H0 and TT available (which almost is bringing me to the point of picking up some models in scales that I don't model...yet..as the models, that is, Hungarian Railways ones, which won't win a beauty contest, are pretty affordable (less than 100 dollars for an engine, 15ish for a passenger coach, from the top of my head)..fairly exotic too..). Will at least pick up a kit of a Budapest tram if I can find one... Oh, and train shops around here aren't very big at all if one compares them to, say, ones in Germany (or the US, I guess, never having been there)

The lack of N is a bit strange as people don't live in huge houses around here and space might be better used for N-gauge, but on the other hand TT has a strong historical presence here and maybe there is no room here for two smaller scales (Eastern Europe being one of the two traditional havens for TT modellers)

Oh, on a sidenote, I'll post some nice train pictures in another thread when I'm home.

And for anyone happening to end up in Luxembourg some time, there is a nice rideable garden railroad in the valley next to the old town. (didn't ride it although it was free and everything, regretting it immensely)

So much for now

Hi guys, im looking for some help with a helix idea that i have. Im not good with measurements and such, so im hoping i can get some help from you guys

You might have seen my M&ET plans in the Layout Planning forum. Well im redesigning parts of it, its going to be part layout and part modules. It needs to be a double decker layout in order to bring the size of this massive project down, which i do not have a problem with and i think would make it more interesting.

If you have not seen the plan, you can see it here in THIS THREAD

The specifications for the helix are pretty simple.... i think LOL

~~I would like the helix to be 22 or 24" radius.
~~Single Track would be fine, but double track would be great, but it is not necessary....
~~Im thinking that the helix would have to travel 14" down to the bottom level, 14" between top and bottom level should be sufficient room for all structures while also leaving enough "sky" room
~~Not sure how much space would need to be between each spiral of the helix....
~~Anything else??? I know im missing alot of stuff for the plans lol

The reason i only need a 22 or 24" radius on the helix is because i wouldnt be running anything longer then a 60' car down to the bottom level.... The engines that i would be running up and down would be 70 Tonners, SW1500's, and Gensets so there fairly small locos and could handle 22 or 24" radius with no issues....

Im looking for any and all advice here on this helix design/plan. I know there is probably some stuff that i left out that needs to be known, so please ask away and feel free to post your thoughts. Thanks in advance

A friend who shall remain nameless was harassed while taking photos of trains working a local power plant.
He was on a public highway.
These pertain to the U. S. and it might be smart to print a couple of copies to carry with you in case it happens to you.
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There are some folks that get carried away when a uniform is worn. Barney Fife comes to mind.
Charlie