For any who are not aware of it, the July issue of Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine is now available for download. The issue includes an article by JBakko from the Gauge on using Sergents couplers. One point mentioned in the article concerns the fact that while the Sergents will couple to Kaddees, the limited coupler swing available can cause cars to derail going through curves. Have any of the modelers here who use Sergents couplers done any experiments to see what sort of minimum curve radius is needed for the Sergents to work with Kaddees. I'm thinking in terms of relatively short freight cars (60 feet or less) not passenger cars or long freight cars. On the home layout I'm planning, I expect to use 100% Sergents couplers, but on the modular club layout our standard couplers are Kaddee #5's. If I were to run the Sergents on the club layout at a show during an operating session (as opposed to "Christmas tree" running) I would probably have the need to couple 2 cars together where one car had the Kaddees and the other had the Sergents. Our module standards call for a 36" minimum radius.

On right now!
National Geographic Channel(Direct TV Ch.276)
Diesel Locomotives...Scrapping an SD40-2

Hi All,

After hardwiring to DCC my latest loco Kato RS2 in Chicago Great Western paint and fitting Kaddes i was looking forward to adding the irons and rails, after detaching a front iron from the carrier sprue it seems they are too short to fit around the front body of the loco and holding them in tweezers i'm not happy at the thought of the carpet monster eating them should they deided to launch off into space.
How do these fit better and have any of you guys fitted them successfully, or are there better iron kits out there for it ?




Here is a good shot of the grab irons and how they fit around the front of the loco.

Well. Ive been thinking a bit about the layout, and havent touched it in months. I got an idea last night though. Im kinda at a roadblock scenery wise, and although I like my layout and have a lot put into it, the more I think about it, its not much more than a big circle, and when done probably wont leave much operating intrest, I have a very tight corner that all my 6 axle diesels have issues with, and other things as well. Id love a littel extra space in the basement as well. I dont want to be done or anything, but Im thinking of scrapping the layout and rebuilding something different. Something smaller, and more operational intreset. When I eventually move out I have MUCH bigger plans for a massive shelf style DMIR layout.

Ive been scouring around some trackplans, and the redrock northern comes to mind. Ive always likes this, and although it wouldnt be much along the lines of anything DMIR related, I could try and incorperate some DMIR to it, or just build it pretty similarly, since it looks pretty fun to operate.

What do you guys think of this layout?
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=1235">http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=1235</a><!-- m -->

Lastly, anybody ever find a good way to keep balast since I have alot of that layed and dont want to toss it all out?

to all the "Canadian content" at Big Blue!

Andrew

:cry: Where has the time gone? it has been 3 years today when my boy went to be with the lord. as most of the older members here remember my son. i cant see 3 years form that day. his locos will make his run today as his video plays and when video is done his locos will retire to his spot on the shelf . this 4-8-4 big boy and the set of gp 38 -2 only see the rails once a year. they are the only locos that go to keegen's pass on the layout nothing else heads that way. it sits their waiting for these locos. this will be the last run to keegen's pass as i am going to remove it after this run this eve. and turn it to a new yard. that may be one thing keeping me from finshing .


well guys i thought i would share this with the older guys here that where their with me here is something that i have been reading the past 3 years.

here is the poem i had wrote to help with caring for my boy keegen this was also read by me at his service. :cry:

I AM THE CHILD



I am the child who cannot talk.
You often pity me, I see it in your eyes.
You wonder how much I am aware of -- I see that as well.
I am aware of much, whether you are happy or sad or fearful,
patient or impatient, full of love and desire,
or if you are just doing your duty by me.
I marvel at your frustration, knowing mine to be far greater,
for I cannot express myself or my needs as you do.

You cannot conceive my isolation, so complete it is at times.
I do not gift you with clever conversation, cute remarks to be laughed over and repeated.
I do not give you answers to your everyday questions,
responses over my well-being, sharing my needs,
or comments about the world about me.

I do not give you rewards as defined by the world's standards -- great strides in
development that you can credit yourself;
I do not give you understanding as you know it.
What I give you is so much more valuable -- I give you instead opportunities.
Opportunities to discover the depth of your character, not mine;
the depth of your love, your commitment, your patience, your abilities;
the opportunity to explore your spirit more deeply than you imagined possible.
I drive you further than you would ever go on your own, working harder,
seeking answers to your many questions with no answers.
I am the child who cannot talk.

I am the child who cannot walk.
The world seems to pass me by.
You see the longing in my eyes to get out of this chair, to run and play like other children.
There is much you take for granted.
I want the toys on the shelf, I need to go to the bathroom, oh I've dropped my fork again.
I am dependent on you in these ways.
My gift to you is to make you more aware of your great fortune,
your healthy back and legs, your ability to do for yourself.
Sometimes people appear not to notice me; I always notice them.
I feel not so much envy as desire, desire to stand upright,
to put one foot in front of the other, to be independent.
I give you awareness.
I am the child who cannot walk.

I am the child who is mentally impaired.
I don't learn easily, if you judge me by the world's measuring stick,
what I do know is infinite joy in simple things.
I am not burdened as you are with the strife's and conflicts of a more complicated life.
My gift to you is to grant you the freedom to enjoy things as a child,
to teach you how much your arms around me mean, to give you love.
I give you the gift of simplicity.
I am the child who is mentally impaired.
I am the disabled child.
I am your teacher. If you allow me,
I will teach you what is really important in life.
I will give you and teach you unconditional love.
I gift you with my innocent trust, my dependency upon you.
I teach you about how precious this life is and about not taking things for granted.
I teach you about forgetting your own needs and desires and dreams.
I teach you giving.
Most of all I teach you hope and faith.
I am the disabled child.

Now that I am entering the final stages of my layout construction,I thought it might be a good idea if I asked the forum members their thoughts on using people on their layouts. This is one element that I never gave much thought. Do they tend to add or detract from a scene? If for example their is a scene at a freight platform and there are people but no trucks or freight cars, does having people in the scene make any sense or not?
I'd be interested in hearing your views.
Bob