Alabama Rail Gang (ARG) Meet: Dec 6


Everyone but Mikey can enjoy a good sob while we run trains, Rex. :) I'll be bringing my DCC and sound-equipped UP P2K GP-7 that runs long hood first so I can fit in with those Southern engines. :D
 
Ok Jim, that will free up your tudor for another mindless job. (Uh, I run my Southern SD's cab forward :eek::rolleyes::D.) I got tired of people asking why they were running backwards.

Looking forward to meeting you in person. Didn't I give you my cell# in case you need directions?

Who was that guy from the Banana Republic that made the post about shirts made from Alligatoridae?:rolleyes:

Scott: Wish you were nearby and you could come over. You would have a lot of fun.
 
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Almost time for the ARG. The weather will be cool, but 54 deg and partly cloudy. Right now, it looks like 6-7 of us for the session. (Mikey, you still going to make it over?) That will be a good number allowing for plenty of train running and still piles of BS :rolleyes:.

:)Looking forward to seeing everyone!:)
 
Rex, I've got your cell number and got your address programmed into my GPS. God willing and the creek don't rise, I'll be there. Looking forward to meeting you also
 
Ok Jim!
Steve, we will let Jim run a couple of trains for you. I will be the Dispatcher and try to direct him through the maze without harm. :D

Hey ERIC: You did know that you are the official photographer...right? Jim/Mikey, you better wear your new bibs. LOL :D
 
Rex- will all that now be melted by saturday morning?

They delayed school opening by two hours this morning in my county.
I don't think a snow flake fell on the whole county.:eek:

Tell the teachers and the kids that their prayers were not answered and they DO have to go to school today!:D
Mikey
 
Mikey, the snow plows have cleared the way and all is well.:rolleyes:

Actually, I looked hard for a snow flake and failed. Unreal!
 
Rex's address in the GPS: Check
Camera and tripod in car: Check
GP-7 in box in the car: Check
Gas in the car: Check
Scanner programmed and hooked up: Check
Alarm set for 7:30: Check
Roads plowed of non-existent snow: Check
Junior Ranger Badge for Eric: Dang! I knew I forgot something. :)

See ya in the morning, Rex.
 
I hope that yall have fun. I would love to be there.:(:(

Right now sitting in my daughter's living room, on her computer, and it's raining! In fact, we may have to leave early tomorrow, (Sunday), instead of Monday because they're supposed to have sleet and freezing rain starting tomorrow.:mad::mad::mad: I don't drive in ice very well, chains or not.

If it does ice here, I'm not looking forward to the drive across and south of Memphis. They're under the same forecast, at this time.:mad:

Yea, Eric, you better have pix!
 
The 2008 Holiday ARG meet has come and gone. It sure was good seeing everyone again and finally meeting Jim in person. We had eight guys attend and the session was loaded with good conversation (lies:rolleyes:)and train operations.

The Dispatcher (me) needs to be fired, as he had a hard time staying on the job while piling up all the BS :D. Jim did an excellent job for a yankee boy and being on a new layout. Eric did fair for a Park Ranger, while LGM ran perfectly.......well, until he lost his loco on the layout. Yeah, that's right, lost his engine while running. (I'll let him tell the story, LOL). L&NCastle, operated the Ashland location and managed to keep Jim out of trouble over there. Mikey could only stay a little while, but got to meet everyone and got a tour of the layout. Scott and Bill, non-forum members, also were on board and kept the rest of us in-line...well, a crooked line:D.

Jim: You were the only one that took pictures; would you mind posting them so all can see. BTW: Found your other radio on the Mountain View part of the layout. If you want, I can mail it to you.

Carey: Sorry the timing was bad for you, but I will have another one, probably in February.

Wish all of you could have enjoyed the fun. It is a wonderful experience when modelrailroaders get together for something like this. No pressure, no fast clock, no rivet counting, just plain ole fun. ;):)

And now >>>I"M TIRED!:D
 
Rex, I was just reviewing the pics now and I'll have them posted ASAP. It was great to meet you, Scott, and Bill and get a chance to operate your fantastic layout. Really, I wish everyone could have been there and had the fun we had. It's by far the biggest layout I've seen outside a large club and you could easily keep 10 operators busy for a REAL 8 hour shift if we all stuck to the rules...which we slipped on now and again, especially when we had to get out the shovels. :) Thanks too for the wonderful lunch and your tolerant wife.:D I'll e-mail you about the radio, thanks for finding it. You could lose a whole train on that layout. Well, I guess we did lose part of a train but it turned out OK.

I sure hope other folks on the forum can get together for things like this. You really understand how great this place is when you get to meet guys who you would have never met in your life without this virtual club room.

Oh, one last thing. I hereby declare Rex "King of Model Railroading Electronics". You'd have to be there to understand what I mean but I'm pretty sure the space shuttle has less electronics than Rex's layout. :eek:
 
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Jim, I know exactly what you mean [about Rex and his electronic control system]! He demo'd that to me while I was there, had two passenger trains stopping at various stations and starting automatically with no human intervention whatsoever. Me, I'm a hands-on kind of guy - I get pleasure out of controlling my train via the throttle, the old-fashioned way! :D

Rex, I'm glad to hear the ARG Op Session was a success.

[LATER EDIT:] Good job on the pictures Jim - especially the candid shots!
 
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ARG Holiday 2008 Meet Pics

Our host and chief dipatcher, Rex, with Scott keeping an eye on him. Sorry, I should have been using my tripod:
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Rex sitting at the computer controls lining switches. He can run the entire layout from his computer:eek::
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William (L&N Castle) deep in thought over a perplexing switching problem:
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Bill and Trey (LittleGrandeMan) wondering how those cars got on the ground instead of the track :) :
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Eric (GrandeMan) wondering if he should have another piece of cake or what. He was tired from spending the day yesterday bush hogging on Red Mountain. Bill, LGM, and William are working the coal mine at Providence way in the background.:
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Trouble on the railroad! William and LGM work on fixing things. I won't say who was at fault:
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L&N passenger train at the depot in..dang, I already forgot the name of the town. Just too many places on that layout.:)
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Engine house with truntable and roundhouse in background. This is about 10% of Rex's collection:
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Looking across the yard to the in-progress construction of the steel mill. It stretches out of the picture to the right:
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Ashland Union Station and yard. This where I began my railroad career of picking up wrong cars from the right switch list. :confused: :
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Finally, a mug shot of Rex's "boys". They are six months old and size of ponies but they sure are cute. :D
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Thanks bunches Jim, for posting those good candid shots, even of the Bama Boys teeth :D. Looking at the pictures, I started laughing, thinking of the fun we had...the most I've had in a long time.
 



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