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Good morning, everyone. Make room for one more at this table. Hi-test coffee and a bearclaw, please. It's 46 and rainy here in southwest Missouri (or is that Misery?) Chet - thanks for that photo, which gives the perspective I was trying to get. Just a few inches from the wall scene, a sloped hill, some trees, ground cover - very nice. Ken in Maryland - Good to hear you're better. Whatever it was, slam the door on it!! Willie - Okay: "unintentional kitbashing" - sounds like an ultra-scientific term
Trying to post a photo of our layout, but it went wonky on me. Will try again later.
Johnny
It was damaged couplers that were failing on me. The weight of the train forced it open and it stayed that way so when the pull began there was nothing to pull, it was "V'd" open!
It snapped back into proper position and works fine now. I WAS going a little fast when it happened so I'm sure that was the cause, 30 cars DO have some heft to em when ya git goin! Coming off a 3/4 inch rise, RIGHT into the curve and down the 4% grade another 3 1/2 inches builds up some "Mo" for sure!
I'm going to try to find a decent digital image recorder and have my Son help me start a you tube channel. Or at least post some moving pictures on there, anybody can put trains on a track and take a picture, I want folks to SEE them go up that 4% grade!
The water feature. That hole back in the corner has water POURING into it from the B-Dry system 25/8 366! It has been a RARE month it has not run ALL the time, last summer for two months it was dry, first time in ten years.
Good morning. A chilly start to the day at minus 11.7. I am ready for a hot cup of coffee. Willie - Get prepared. It's heading your way.
Glad that the holidays are over and hoping things get back to normal. It was good to finally get down into the train room and get some work done yesterday. Even got to run trains for a while.
Johnny - the track is about 6 inches from the backdrop in that photo. Sure gives you enough room to add a bit of scenery. I try to work the hardshell scenery into the backdrop if I can. Here's another example of getting a scene where the hardshell tries to blend into the backdrop.
Bruce - Sure doesn't sound good to have that water problem. A high water table is not what you want. Hope you are able to keep up with the water. Are you in a rental? On the uncoupling problem, it could be the weight of the train coming downgrade pushing the coulpers together. When I hit the bottom of my grades, the track is straight and I don't have any problems whereas in a curve at the bottom, I can see where there is a possibility with the weight of the train and a curve forcing the couplers slightly off center. The broken coupler shows what the weight can do.
Toot - Lets split the difference in the temperature and we'll both be comfortable.
May as well get to work and do something whether it's right or mot. Later.
Good Morning Everyone!
starting off at 43 heading towards 60 with mostly cloudy. We had a few "almost non showers" yesterday, but was cool and damp most of the day.
Sort of hope that it dries out just a little so that I can start to pack up the Christmas "stuff" from outside. Just looking at the news on the TV this morning .. it's demo derby on the freeways out there .. must be over a dozen accidents all over with several involving multi cars.
CHET -- You and GARRY -- both just absolutely do an outstanding job of blending your backdrops into your layouts. I'd have to say that the two of you are as good as I have ever seen. Just don't let that go to your heads!
More coffee for me .. and EVERYONE have a good day!
I TRY to have a straight, FLAT, section of at least two 50' cars long between each and every change from incline to curve but this is not always possible.
Owning your house can be nice depending on the house! It was a foreclosure so it was a good price BUT we had to put more than we paid for it into it to make it up to code and "livable"! SWMBO wants, SWMBO gets! NONE of HER stuff will be ruined if it floods so she don't much care! I hope to be out of here within another ten years. I don't want to die south of the Mackinaw Bridge! The main hurdle to that is getting the boy married off and on his own, then me and the Old Lady are going to become "Yoopers"! If she don't want to go, I guess I'll miss her. Never did like city life and I can't wait to be gone from this crumbling hell hole.
Chet - I agree with Sherrel about your scenery and especially the blending of hardshell into backdrops. I've watched several of your youtube videos and really like how you've done your layout. I'm just trying to pick up as many ideas as I can as we begin laying track and putting down some basic scenery (or at least leave the appropriate room for the scenery).
Johnny
Had a really crappy sleep last night so I feel like I'm in slow motion today. Saying that, I ran trains for about an hour splitting the time between a work train and a older passenger train. The 2 train horn detail parts came in so I mounted them and fixed a coupler pocket that got stripped somehow. The bad news is one of the signals I made is not working. I checked a couple of quick things but no joy. I didn't feel like dealing with it any more today.
Chet- Nice scenes and photos.
NG- I hope you you get your basement dry.
Terry- I had to find you through Sherrel because I deleted your request not knowing it was you.
Ken- I hope you kick the virus's butt once and for all.
Willie- At least you will have a nice smile for eternity.
Sherrel-Garry and Chet can't get heads too big or they won't fit through the door to their train rooms! LOL.
Glad that I was able to help you out there, CURT! I talked to Phil this morning. I want to make a conscious effort to try and communicate with him on a more regular basis, and I hope that more of the members will try to do the same. I'm not all that far behind him in age - and I know too that sometimes one (I know that I did) just gets to feeling that they have become useless to everything around them. I just wish that Phil had a computer that he could enjoy the forum with. I don't know if it's his computer, or that he is trying to do something that the computer won't let him. I would gethim a computer to use, but I am just a little far away to hook it up for his provider.
Sherrel. .. thanks for the very kind remark you made to Chet and me. I'll let Chet have it go to his head.
Bruce.. I suggest replacing cheapie plastic couplers with Kadee metal ones.
speaking of couplers. In addition to using Kadee couplers, it is good to have the Kadee couplers height gauge and the Kadee trip pin pliers to make adjustments as needed.
Curt.. looks like part of a signal. Say hi to Phil. We may be in Orlando in April.
Well...have a bad knee so I can't move around much, much less going down the basement stairs to the layout room. So here I am spending time on the forum. Not the worst way to spend an afternoon.
Found this U Tube video on Howard Zane....great layout!
Well...have a bad knee so I can't move around much, much less going down the basement stairs to the layout room. So here I am spending time on the forum. Not the worst way to spend an afternoon.
Found this U Tube video on Howard Zane....great layout!
Nice little flick of Howard's layout. I don't get down there as often as I used to,(every Wednesday night) or want to. But it is a blast everytime I go.
As info, you can buy bulk packs of 20 pairs of Kadee #5 couplers for about $23. The packs do not include coupler boxes but they should already be on the freight cars.
As info, you can buy bulk packs of 20 pairs of Kadee #5 couplers for about $23. The packs do not include coupler boxes but they should already be on the freight cars.
Or, if you dont like fiddling with those brass centering springs, you can get a 50 pair pack of # 148 "whisker" couplers for about 80 bucks (Set # 140)
I have some #5 couplers that I have been replacing with 158's, plus some new #5's that I won't be using. Maybe we can play let's make a deal. I would have to do a bit of looking as I still haven't got everything sorted out since our remodeling. Let me know if you're interested.
